In 1995, one of King's partners told the Los Angeles Times, "The price he pays for being Stephen King is not being taken seriously." Instead, King smirked, having read every novel Dean Koontz had ever written—Dean Koontz being a famously lowbrow thriller writer. When asked if this fact bothered him, King said, "No, because I'm just as lowbrow as he is." However, after being quoted by the paper, King felt compelled to issue a public apology. He wrote in a letter to his fans that while he enjoys reading mystery and science fiction novels, he has no interest in pursuing such genres himself. "I would only be interested in writing horror stories," he explained. "And even then, I'd probably write fantasy horror stories." King also dismissed the notion that his popularity will affect how well his books sell. "The sales figures show that there are still many people out there who want to read about werewolves and vampires," he said.