Brand mark (novel)

Brandzeichen (original: " Watchers ") is a novel by Dean Koontz from 1987. The German translation was published in 1988. The novel is about monstrosities that are hatched in highly secret, unchecked military laboratories.

action

It tells of a Golden Retriever equipped with human intelligence through genetic manipulation, later called Einstein by Travis Cornell, and of a misshapen creature that was bred exclusively to kill. Both manage to escape from a secret high-security wing. While the meek dog finds refuge with a former elite soldier, the monster disappears into the vast forests of California . His only endeavor is to kill the hated, loved by everyone else Golden Retriever, which he can smell hundreds of kilometers away. As a result, its new owner is, without realizing it, in extreme mortal danger.

The focus of the novel is above all the figure of the dog - appropriately called "Einstein" - who gradually reveals his human intelligence to his new surroundings. He frees a young woman from the hands of a rapist and brings her together with his new master. The three of them flee from an overwhelming enemy.

Equipped with human sensitivity and high intelligence, the misshapen creature leads a lonely life in the woods. The drive to annihilate planted through genetic manipulation forces people to kill and destroy. A simple melody or a Mickey Mouse picture leads to an almost childlike reaction. Similarities to the fictional character Frankenstein invented by Mary Shelley are unmistakable.

filming

The novel " Watchers " was made into a film in 1988 and was released in 1989 in Germany under the title " Watchers - mercilessly hunted ". The films Watchers II (1990), Watchers 3 (1994) and Watchers Reborn (1998) are sequels or new versions .