Pandemonium
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It is a world like our own in every respect . . . save one. In the 1950s, random acts of possession begin to occur. Ordinary men, women, and children are the targets of entities that seem to spring from the depths of the collective unconscious, pop-cultural avatars some call demons. There’s the Truth, implacable avenger of falsehood. The Captain, brave and self-sacrificing soldier. The Little Angel, whose kiss brings death, whether desired or not. And a string of others, ranging from the bizarre to the benign to the horrific.
As a boy, Del Pierce is possessed by the Hellion, an entity whose mischief-making can be deadly. With the help of Del’s family and a caring psychiatrist, the demon is exorcised . . . or is it? Years later, following a car accident, the Hellion is back, trapped inside Del’s head and clamoring to get out.
Del’s quest for help leads him to Valis, an entity possessing the science fiction writer formerly known as Philip K. Dick; to Mother Mariette, a nun who inspires decidedly unchaste feelings; and to the Human League, a secret society devoted to the extermination of demons. All believe that Del holds the key to the plague of possession–and its solution. But for Del, the cure may be worse than the disease.
“Look out, Lethem! Daryl Gregory mixes pop culture and pathos, flavoring it with Philip K. Dick. Pandemonium possesses every quality you want in a great novel, and the good news is it’s only his debut.”
–Charles Coleman Finlay, Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated author of The Prodigal Troll
As a boy, Del Pierce is possessed by the Hellion, an entity whose mischief-making can be deadly. With the help of Del’s family and a caring psychiatrist, the demon is exorcised . . . or is it? Years later, following a car accident, the Hellion is back, trapped inside Del’s head and clamoring to get out.
Del’s quest for help leads him to Valis, an entity possessing the science fiction writer formerly known as Philip K. Dick; to Mother Mariette, a nun who inspires decidedly unchaste feelings; and to the Human League, a secret society devoted to the extermination of demons. All believe that Del holds the key to the plague of possession–and its solution. But for Del, the cure may be worse than the disease.
“Look out, Lethem! Daryl Gregory mixes pop culture and pathos, flavoring it with Philip K. Dick. Pandemonium possesses every quality you want in a great novel, and the good news is it’s only his debut.”
–Charles Coleman Finlay, Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated author of The Prodigal Troll
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
*Synopsis*
Del lives in a world like ours, except occasionally people are possessed by demons: without warning, anyone's body could be hijacked by a single-minded entity concerned only with fulfilling its idiosyncratic purpose. The demons are named for these goals: The Truth murders liars, The Painter draws the same scenes every time using whatever material is to hand, and Smokestack Johnny just drives trains really fast. Though churches, scientists and psychologists all do their best, no-one can explain what these entities are, why they behave as they do, or why some people seem more prone to possession than others. Del, himself a survivor of childhood possession by The Hellion, becomes increasingly convinced that his sanity depends on answering these questions. His quest is interspersed with vignettes of various demons in action, though always from an observer's viewpoint.
*Review*
Del himself is an amiable if hapless character, his increasingly concerned family are well-drawn and plausible, and their conversations are convincingly depicted. Some of the rest of the cast feel more like characters than people - notably bonkers ex-exorcist (and Sinead O'Connor doppelganger) Siobhan O'Connell - though this could well be intentional as the novel wrestles with questions of identity and purpose, as do many of the characters. It's not just part of the setting - the fact of possession changes the world subtly yet profoundly, turning free will and archetypes from abstractions into matters of life and death. It put me in mind of the (awesome) Ted Chiang short story 'Hell Is The Absence Of God', in which angels appear - unpredictably and inexplicably - in the modern world, often causing horrendous collateral damage. Both explore their high concepts without sacrificing action or character, though 'Pandemonium' is (perhaps inevitably) less spare and focused, with some scenes and characters that feel either extraneous or underused. Nevertheless it's a good fast-paced read; and fans of fiction which literalises metaphysical conundrums will appreciate the cameo by Philip K. Dick, who may or may not be possessed by a demon called VALIS...
Del lives in a world like ours, except occasionally people are possessed by demons: without warning, anyone's body could be hijacked by a single-minded entity concerned only with fulfilling its idiosyncratic purpose. The demons are named for these goals: The Truth murders liars, The Painter draws the same scenes every time using whatever material is to hand, and Smokestack Johnny just drives trains really fast. Though churches, scientists and psychologists all do their best, no-one can explain what these entities are, why they behave as they do, or why some people seem more prone to possession than others. Del, himself a survivor of childhood possession by The Hellion, becomes increasingly convinced that his sanity depends on answering these questions. His quest is interspersed with vignettes of various demons in action, though always from an observer's viewpoint.
*Review*
Del himself is an amiable if hapless character, his increasingly concerned family are well-drawn and plausible, and their conversations are convincingly depicted. Some of the rest of the cast feel more like characters than people - notably bonkers ex-exorcist (and Sinead O'Connor doppelganger) Siobhan O'Connell - though this could well be intentional as the novel wrestles with questions of identity and purpose, as do many of the characters. It's not just part of the setting - the fact of possession changes the world subtly yet profoundly, turning free will and archetypes from abstractions into matters of life and death. It put me in mind of the (awesome) Ted Chiang short story 'Hell Is The Absence Of God', in which angels appear - unpredictably and inexplicably - in the modern world, often causing horrendous collateral damage. Both explore their high concepts without sacrificing action or character, though 'Pandemonium' is (perhaps inevitably) less spare and focused, with some scenes and characters that feel either extraneous or underused. Nevertheless it's a good fast-paced read; and fans of fiction which literalises metaphysical conundrums will appreciate the cameo by Philip K. Dick, who may or may not be possessed by a demon called VALIS...
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel takes a great premise (people possessed by archetypal spirits en mass) and plays with it in a 'road trip' narrative format. There are several twists and turns as the story unfolds, the characters are quirky and likeable, the pop-culture vibe pleasurable. The question of whether the possessions are supernatural, the result of some of kind of Jungian group mind or another psychological condition is intriguing, but doesn't slow down the plot. It's like a less poetic Letham novel. I like.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Of all the fantasy/science fiction novels I've read in 2010, I thought this one was the most haunting. The fascinating basic premise, of a world more or less identical to our own except that (a very few) people become temporarily possessed by (what seem to be) demons is original and bold. It's hard to be "detailed and specific" (as Amazon suggests for reviews) about this book without spoilers, so I have to confide myself to generalities. A good basic character, a brilliant basic idea, with some really fantastic moments (I can't be more specific without spoilers, sorry), some great demons, and what seems to be a realistic account of what would really happen if the events in the novel were true (scientific conferences, demon imitators and groupies, legal problems, you'll have to read it....). Ok, the story's not all tied up in a completely satisfactory way, but that's true of so many fantasy novels where wonderful situations can't really be properly resolved. People familiar with another genre of fiction (which I can't specify without spoiling the surprise) will get resonances early on which later turn out to be the key to the story. Overall a great read.
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