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Pandemonium
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.
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.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Daryl Gregory
169 books1,324 followersAward-winning author of Revelator, The Album of Dr. Moreau, Spoonbenders, We Are All Completely Fine, and others. Some of his short fiction has been collected in Unpossible and Other Stories.
He's won the World Fantasy Award, as well as the Shirley Jackson, Crawford, Asimov Readers, and Geffen awards, and his work has been short-listed for many other awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon awards . His books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and have been named to best-of-the-year lists from NPR Books, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal.
He is also the writer of Flatline an interactive fiction game from 3 Minute Games, and comics such as Planet of the Apes.
He's a frequent teacher of writing and is a regular instructor at the Viable Paradise Writing Workshop.
He's won the World Fantasy Award, as well as the Shirley Jackson, Crawford, Asimov Readers, and Geffen awards, and his work has been short-listed for many other awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon awards . His books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and have been named to best-of-the-year lists from NPR Books, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal.
He is also the writer of Flatline an interactive fiction game from 3 Minute Games, and comics such as Planet of the Apes.
He's a frequent teacher of writing and is a regular instructor at the Viable Paradise Writing Workshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
July 11, 2019
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory is something special and Mr. Gregory has fast become one of my favorite authors – well played, sir, well played.
Full of swimmingly good metaphors and delicious similes, AND seamlessly throwing down a very unique demonic possession story landscape with psychic undertones
AND … AND …
Bringing in a Sinead O’Connor female priestess character AND …
A Philip K Dick character straight out of VALIS who discourses on Theodore Sturgeon’s More Than Human and erudite explanations of Jungian theory!!
AND … references to classic comic books …
and it’s just a really, really good story.
In a nutshell: this is a subtly alternate history story where demonic possessions have become commonplace, and then Gregory masterfully puts together a fascinating paranormal detective story that keeps the reader wound up from start to finish.
Bravo, Daryl, bravo.
Full of swimmingly good metaphors and delicious similes, AND seamlessly throwing down a very unique demonic possession story landscape with psychic undertones
AND … AND …
Bringing in a Sinead O’Connor female priestess character AND …
A Philip K Dick character straight out of VALIS who discourses on Theodore Sturgeon’s More Than Human and erudite explanations of Jungian theory!!
AND … references to classic comic books …
and it’s just a really, really good story.
In a nutshell: this is a subtly alternate history story where demonic possessions have become commonplace, and then Gregory masterfully puts together a fascinating paranormal detective story that keeps the reader wound up from start to finish.
Bravo, Daryl, bravo.
August 2, 2015
Four and a half stars. If you want a review with links, see my blog at: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/1...
Pandemonium reminds me of those times when my foodie friends are dragging me to a “fabulous new restaurant” where (mostly) familiar ingredients are deconstructed, spiced and recombined in a creative way. At least this time, instead of an unsettling mess, it resulted in one of those perfect, satisfying meals that fulfill a sensory need as much as a physical one. Not so unusual that I’m left with a disturbing aftertaste, and not so routine that it is immediately forgettable. To wit:
Salvatore’s award-winning pizza with wine-poached fig (yes, you read that right), bacon and gorgonzola. Unusual but delicious take on pizza. http://salvatorestomatopies.com/2012/...
Pandemonium is a lot like that. Somewhat familiar elements drawn from comic books, buddy flicks and mythology are blended together in a plot that moves quickly but respects each ingredient. Add in some complex characterization, dashes of dark humor and develop it with truly fine writing, and I’m served a book that satisfying on both intellectual and emotional levels.
The simple summary: Del is returning to his mother’s home with a dual purpose: confess a recent car accident and psychiatric hospitalization, and to meet a famous demonology researcher at a national conference. Demons are real, although their manifestations usually pass quickly, while the behavior follows certain archetypes: The Painter, the Little Angel, Truth: “The news tracked them by name, like hurricanes. Most people went their whole lives without seeing one in person. I’ve seen five–six, counting today’s.” When Del was young, he was possessed by the Hellion, a wild boy entity, and Del has recently developed suspicions that the Hellion never left him. The story follows Del as he attempts to understand and perhaps free the entity inside him.
The plot moved nicely with enough balance between introspection and action to keep me interested. What I loved the most, however, was the writing. There’s the vivid imagery:
A small white-haired women glared up at me, mouth agape. She was seventy, seventy-five years old, a small bony face on a striated, skinny neck: bright eyes, sharp nose, and skin intricately webbed from too much sun or wind or cigarettes. She looked like one of those orphaned baby condors that has to be fed by puppets”
the humor:
“The question, then, was how long could a human being stay awake? Keith Richards could party for three days straight, but I wasn’t sure if he counted as a human being“
and sheer cleverness (because I’ve been this lost driving in Canada):
“For the past few hours we’d been twisting and bobbing along two-lane back roads, rollercoastering through pitch-black forests. And now we were lost. Or rather, the world was lost. The GPS told us exactly where we were but had no idea where anything else was.
Permanent Global Position: You Are Here.”
and the occasional snarky social commentary:
"What did it matter? I imagined bearded guys all over academia working themselves into a lather over this, precisely because the stakes were so low."
For those who might want a sense of the flavor, I was reminded of American Gods, of George R.R. Martin’s Wild Card world (my review) blended with Mythago Wood (my review), but done much, much better. While I had problems maintaining interest in each of the aforementioned, I had no such challenge with Pandemonium. Each bite revealed something almost familiar but somehow unexpected. There’s a lot to enjoy, and an equal amount to ruminate on after finishing. I’ll be looking for more from Gregory.
Oh yes: a sincere thank you to Carly for inviting me to dinner.
July 1, 2011
FANTERRIFIC STORY ALERT. I love finding original, diamonds like this cuz it makes my brain go...
As other astute people have chimed, this story turned out to be much deeper and a lot different than I originally expected (in a yippie, yippie good way). This book was such an enjoyable experience and made me want get a serious preach on sermonizing its greatness. While containing elements of science fiction, fantasy and horror, I don’t think the novel neatly fits into any of those containers and spills uniqueness over the cup of any genre that tries to hold it. I'm gonna just wimp out and label it speculative fiction and move on because I am not the person to decide the proper name of new genre bending categories. However, that doesn't mean I'm not willing to throw on my Leopard mankini and Tarzan out singing the praises of this story. Oh, I will. You, just watch me.
The story takes the unique approach of combining the scientific/biological study of mental illness with demonic possession and creating a combined phenomenon that is very compelling. The blending of these two components was worth three "Fuck Yeahs" and a "You go Boy" all by itself.
BACKGROUND
The story takes place in an alternate version of the United States where, beginning around the 1940’s, demonic possession has become a recognized and accepted phenomenon. However, the demonic possession in the story is quite different from our common perception of possession. Here, each “demon” has a particular trait/compulsion that they exhibit every time they appear. There is the “Painter” who appears at the very beginning of the story and shuts down an airport terminal while it creates a picture of a farmhouse out of smashed popcorn. Other identified demons include “Captain,” “Smokestack Johnny,” “The Truth,” “Little Angel,” “Kamikaze” and “Hellion.” I will leave it to you to learn what each of the demons signature actions are because that is part of the enjoyment of the story.
Anyway, most possessions last a very short time (minutes to hours) and the interruptions caused by the incidents have basically become a part of life (like the Painter scene described above). Possessions occur much more often in people that have previously suffered some form of mental illness. In addition, once subject to a possession, victims often suffer after effects very similar to various forms of mental illness, even if not previously diagnosed with such a condition. This tie-in between possession and mental illness was delicious and gave the story an added depth and richness that was very compelling. For instance, just look at the similarities between these two real life examples:
.
.
.
.
.
.
PLOT SUMMARY
I think the above gives a pretty good idea about the background of the story and I want to make sure I don’t spoil any of the fun of the book. Therefore, as far as the plot, I will just say that the main character, Del Pierce, was possessed by the demon known as the Hellion when he was a wee lad. Years later, Del is still struggling with the after effects of the possession and desperately wants to find away to get rid of his symptoms. The rest of the story is Del’s incredible journey to find a way to cure himself. There are so many great pop culture references and tie-ins during the story that I went completely Chumbawamba while I was reading it. I don't want to spill the franks or the beans about them because they are such funsies to casually bump into so I will just say that they include super heroes, science fiction writers, secret societies, folklore monsters, an alternate “end” to the OJ trial and a Vast Active Living Intelligence System (okay so I spoiled that one but it's in the book description so you can’t blame me).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, a very unique and original reading experience. I thought the writing was great and the author’s use of tone was excellent. It was often full of humor and yet also had an underlying sense of deep loneliness and sadness. It is tough to walk that fine line and I think the author did a great job. Highly Recommended!!!! 4.0 to 4.5 stars
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
Nominee: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Lit.
Nominee: World Fantasy Award
As other astute people have chimed, this story turned out to be much deeper and a lot different than I originally expected (in a yippie, yippie good way). This book was such an enjoyable experience and made me want get a serious preach on sermonizing its greatness. While containing elements of science fiction, fantasy and horror, I don’t think the novel neatly fits into any of those containers and spills uniqueness over the cup of any genre that tries to hold it. I'm gonna just wimp out and label it speculative fiction and move on because I am not the person to decide the proper name of new genre bending categories. However, that doesn't mean I'm not willing to throw on my Leopard mankini and Tarzan out singing the praises of this story. Oh, I will. You, just watch me.
The story takes the unique approach of combining the scientific/biological study of mental illness with demonic possession and creating a combined phenomenon that is very compelling. The blending of these two components was worth three "Fuck Yeahs" and a "You go Boy" all by itself.
BACKGROUND
The story takes place in an alternate version of the United States where, beginning around the 1940’s, demonic possession has become a recognized and accepted phenomenon. However, the demonic possession in the story is quite different from our common perception of possession. Here, each “demon” has a particular trait/compulsion that they exhibit every time they appear. There is the “Painter” who appears at the very beginning of the story and shuts down an airport terminal while it creates a picture of a farmhouse out of smashed popcorn. Other identified demons include “Captain,” “Smokestack Johnny,” “The Truth,” “Little Angel,” “Kamikaze” and “Hellion.” I will leave it to you to learn what each of the demons signature actions are because that is part of the enjoyment of the story.
Anyway, most possessions last a very short time (minutes to hours) and the interruptions caused by the incidents have basically become a part of life (like the Painter scene described above). Possessions occur much more often in people that have previously suffered some form of mental illness. In addition, once subject to a possession, victims often suffer after effects very similar to various forms of mental illness, even if not previously diagnosed with such a condition. This tie-in between possession and mental illness was delicious and gave the story an added depth and richness that was very compelling. For instance, just look at the similarities between these two real life examples:
.
.
.
.
.
.
PLOT SUMMARY
I think the above gives a pretty good idea about the background of the story and I want to make sure I don’t spoil any of the fun of the book. Therefore, as far as the plot, I will just say that the main character, Del Pierce, was possessed by the demon known as the Hellion when he was a wee lad. Years later, Del is still struggling with the after effects of the possession and desperately wants to find away to get rid of his symptoms. The rest of the story is Del’s incredible journey to find a way to cure himself. There are so many great pop culture references and tie-ins during the story that I went completely Chumbawamba while I was reading it. I don't want to spill the franks or the beans about them because they are such funsies to casually bump into so I will just say that they include super heroes, science fiction writers, secret societies, folklore monsters, an alternate “end” to the OJ trial and a Vast Active Living Intelligence System (okay so I spoiled that one but it's in the book description so you can’t blame me).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, a very unique and original reading experience. I thought the writing was great and the author’s use of tone was excellent. It was often full of humor and yet also had an underlying sense of deep loneliness and sadness. It is tough to walk that fine line and I think the author did a great job. Highly Recommended!!!! 4.0 to 4.5 stars
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
Nominee: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Lit.
Nominee: World Fantasy Award
July 3, 2018
I suppose this is the first Daryl Gregory that I really really loved. And since it's only my second novel, it might be not too far a stretch to start thinking he might be one of THOSE AUTHORS.
You know, Good Ideas, Great Execution, Cool Characters, Deep Plot... and while we're at it, it's a fantasy/SF hybrid with major horror undertones, a vast world-building mythology/history doing an alternate universe diverging from the '50's and ending in the present.
DEMONS. Or is it daemons? Whatever, it's awesome. Possession all over the place and while there are still people with mental health issues, real demons are possessing people out in the open and it's kinda obvious as hell it's a real thing. So real that it's on the law books. Media. You name it. It's there. And this is just the setup.
The rest of this novel has surprises. So I'm not gonna start spoiling stuff, but the fact that this begins quirky and develops fascinating twists and never strays far from a gorgeously drawn world with complicated and cool characters in a VERY un-UF way, becoming more of a thriller than anything, makes me want to jump for joy.
It's a serious treatment of both mental health, fantasy, and Jungian analysis. :) And because it leans fully on the hardcore fantasy side rather than a trite dismissal on the traditional fiction side just makes me weep with joy. :)
So yeah, I love this stuff. :) Quality all the way through. :)
You know, Good Ideas, Great Execution, Cool Characters, Deep Plot... and while we're at it, it's a fantasy/SF hybrid with major horror undertones, a vast world-building mythology/history doing an alternate universe diverging from the '50's and ending in the present.
DEMONS. Or is it daemons? Whatever, it's awesome. Possession all over the place and while there are still people with mental health issues, real demons are possessing people out in the open and it's kinda obvious as hell it's a real thing. So real that it's on the law books. Media. You name it. It's there. And this is just the setup.
The rest of this novel has surprises. So I'm not gonna start spoiling stuff, but the fact that this begins quirky and develops fascinating twists and never strays far from a gorgeously drawn world with complicated and cool characters in a VERY un-UF way, becoming more of a thriller than anything, makes me want to jump for joy.
It's a serious treatment of both mental health, fantasy, and Jungian analysis. :) And because it leans fully on the hardcore fantasy side rather than a trite dismissal on the traditional fiction side just makes me weep with joy. :)
So yeah, I love this stuff. :) Quality all the way through. :)
May 19, 2014
What if possession was an epidemic? What if the same demons kept taking people over for short intervals, over and over? What would they be? Are they demons? Is the cause religious or scientific? And what would it do to you to be one of the possessed?
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the recent changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
February 13, 2015
3 – 3.5 stars
I’m going to say something that sounds unkind, but really it’s a compliment from me: for a long time now I’ve kind of thought of Daryl Gregory as something of a poor man’s Sean Stewart. I must first admit that this happened before I actually read any of his books (this one is my first), and was based on what I could glean of them from the jacket blurbs and comments/reviews. It probably also comes from the fact that I once ran across a posting made by Gregory on a message board or blog somewhere where he bemoaned the fact that Sean Stewart was no longer writing and wished that he could still look forward to more books by him (a desire which I have ardently shared ever since Stewart decided to move on from writing into online game design) and so I thought maybe he was taking the bull by the horns and writing his own in the Stewart mould.
I then started looking a bit more closely at Gregory’s books, of which I had been only peripherally aware, and noticed that hey, they really did seem to cover similar thematic and conceptual areas: both wrote what I suppose would be classified as ‘urban fantasy’ (though I hate the tag and don’t tend to gravitate towards the stuff that normally ends up in that bin); both seemed to centre on a very ‘realist’ approach to character and setting with the major caveat that their worlds were impacted by one major ‘speculative’ element (whether it be magical or ‘scientific’) that introduced the bizarre into our mundane world; both seemed to be concerned not so much with stories about world-shaking battles or larger than life figures as much as about how the significant changes in their worlds impacted the lives of ‘regular’ people: how they struggled to maintain normalcy in the midst of chaos and confusion. Still I had never quite mustered up the desire to pick up one of his books for one reason or another until now. Maybe I was afraid of being disappointed. So how did this one go? In a nutshell I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away.
Gregory’s world-bending conceit in this one is certainly interesting: demonic possession is real, but these demons aren’t satanic minions from hell (or at least we aren’t sure of that – no one quite knows where they come from), but are instead more like semi-Jungian archetypes from the collective unconscious. They are monomaniacal entities obsessed with fulfilling some particular role or action: it might be the Painter who forces the possessed to depict the same picture or set of pictures over and over again in whatever medium happens to be handy whether it be paint, chalk, or the destroyed pieces of a popcorn machine; it might be the Captain, a shield-slinging hero who tends to manifest when people, especially soldiers, are in danger; perhaps it’s the Truth, a much darker ‘hero’ who guns down anyone whose lies have offended his fine sensibilities; or maybe the Hellion, a Denis the Menace-like nuisance whose antics just might literally make you lose an eye. The victims of possession don’t remember what happened while their body was being controlled from without, and many don’t survive the experience. Our hero is Del Pierce, a man who has been drifting through life as little better than a loser, unable to hold down a regular job or maintain normal relationships, ever since he was possessed by the Hellion as a little boy. For many years he has been able to keep the voices in his head at bay, but recently something has been scratching at the back of his mind and he is returning home from a short stay in a mental institution, nearly broke and grasping at his last straws, in the hopes that he will be able to deal with his demons, whether real or imagined, once and for all.
Del is quickly plunged into the bizarre world of ICOP, the international conference of academics and scientists who study the demons, each with their own, usually contradictory, theory of what is happening and how it might be fixed…none of whom have managed to achieve any conclusive result. That is, of course, except for Dr. Ram, a rising star in the world of demonology whose new controversial theories just might give Del a chance at truly living a normal life. Paired with ICOP is the other side of the coin: the unsanctioned ‘conference’ DemoniCon: a mass of cosplaying demon-aficionados each of whom yearns for the ‘glamour’ of being possessed and many of whom see the demons not as a bane on human existence, but as a gift to be revelled in. Now all Del has to do is convince Dr. Ram he is not one of these looney ‘demon groupies’ and that he is in fact the only person who has been able to do the impossible: to trap the demonic entity of his possession in the bowels of his mind.
Gregory populates his novel with an interesting and varied cast of characters, from Del Pierce the tortured possession survivor and his long-suffering brother & mother who have tried to help him deal with his broken life, to the sardonic exorcist-priest Mother Mariette (an obvious direct homage to Sinead O’Connor) and many of the other oddball figures that populate both ICOP and DemoniCon (including a direct analogue to Philip K. Dick and his AI construct/demon VALIS). Despite many of the outlandish things that happen and entities that populate this world it was always believable because it was grounded in these characters who really did feel like real, multifaceted individuals. Gregory also manages to keep the plot moving at a good pace, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested and wraps it all up with a satisfying resolution.
So what more did I want? I don’t know that I could say anything was really missing. It was a fine book that simply didn’t quite blow me away. Maybe it was just a ‘first novel’ thing. I’ll certainly pick up another one of Gregory’s books and see how he tackles his next foray into the real world turned upside down.
I’m going to say something that sounds unkind, but really it’s a compliment from me: for a long time now I’ve kind of thought of Daryl Gregory as something of a poor man’s Sean Stewart. I must first admit that this happened before I actually read any of his books (this one is my first), and was based on what I could glean of them from the jacket blurbs and comments/reviews. It probably also comes from the fact that I once ran across a posting made by Gregory on a message board or blog somewhere where he bemoaned the fact that Sean Stewart was no longer writing and wished that he could still look forward to more books by him (a desire which I have ardently shared ever since Stewart decided to move on from writing into online game design) and so I thought maybe he was taking the bull by the horns and writing his own in the Stewart mould.
I then started looking a bit more closely at Gregory’s books, of which I had been only peripherally aware, and noticed that hey, they really did seem to cover similar thematic and conceptual areas: both wrote what I suppose would be classified as ‘urban fantasy’ (though I hate the tag and don’t tend to gravitate towards the stuff that normally ends up in that bin); both seemed to centre on a very ‘realist’ approach to character and setting with the major caveat that their worlds were impacted by one major ‘speculative’ element (whether it be magical or ‘scientific’) that introduced the bizarre into our mundane world; both seemed to be concerned not so much with stories about world-shaking battles or larger than life figures as much as about how the significant changes in their worlds impacted the lives of ‘regular’ people: how they struggled to maintain normalcy in the midst of chaos and confusion. Still I had never quite mustered up the desire to pick up one of his books for one reason or another until now. Maybe I was afraid of being disappointed. So how did this one go? In a nutshell I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away.
Gregory’s world-bending conceit in this one is certainly interesting: demonic possession is real, but these demons aren’t satanic minions from hell (or at least we aren’t sure of that – no one quite knows where they come from), but are instead more like semi-Jungian archetypes from the collective unconscious. They are monomaniacal entities obsessed with fulfilling some particular role or action: it might be the Painter who forces the possessed to depict the same picture or set of pictures over and over again in whatever medium happens to be handy whether it be paint, chalk, or the destroyed pieces of a popcorn machine; it might be the Captain, a shield-slinging hero who tends to manifest when people, especially soldiers, are in danger; perhaps it’s the Truth, a much darker ‘hero’ who guns down anyone whose lies have offended his fine sensibilities; or maybe the Hellion, a Denis the Menace-like nuisance whose antics just might literally make you lose an eye. The victims of possession don’t remember what happened while their body was being controlled from without, and many don’t survive the experience. Our hero is Del Pierce, a man who has been drifting through life as little better than a loser, unable to hold down a regular job or maintain normal relationships, ever since he was possessed by the Hellion as a little boy. For many years he has been able to keep the voices in his head at bay, but recently something has been scratching at the back of his mind and he is returning home from a short stay in a mental institution, nearly broke and grasping at his last straws, in the hopes that he will be able to deal with his demons, whether real or imagined, once and for all.
Del is quickly plunged into the bizarre world of ICOP, the international conference of academics and scientists who study the demons, each with their own, usually contradictory, theory of what is happening and how it might be fixed…none of whom have managed to achieve any conclusive result. That is, of course, except for Dr. Ram, a rising star in the world of demonology whose new controversial theories just might give Del a chance at truly living a normal life. Paired with ICOP is the other side of the coin: the unsanctioned ‘conference’ DemoniCon: a mass of cosplaying demon-aficionados each of whom yearns for the ‘glamour’ of being possessed and many of whom see the demons not as a bane on human existence, but as a gift to be revelled in. Now all Del has to do is convince Dr. Ram he is not one of these looney ‘demon groupies’ and that he is in fact the only person who has been able to do the impossible: to trap the demonic entity of his possession in the bowels of his mind.
Gregory populates his novel with an interesting and varied cast of characters, from Del Pierce the tortured possession survivor and his long-suffering brother & mother who have tried to help him deal with his broken life, to the sardonic exorcist-priest Mother Mariette (an obvious direct homage to Sinead O’Connor) and many of the other oddball figures that populate both ICOP and DemoniCon (including a direct analogue to Philip K. Dick and his AI construct/demon VALIS). Despite many of the outlandish things that happen and entities that populate this world it was always believable because it was grounded in these characters who really did feel like real, multifaceted individuals. Gregory also manages to keep the plot moving at a good pace, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested and wraps it all up with a satisfying resolution.
So what more did I want? I don’t know that I could say anything was really missing. It was a fine book that simply didn’t quite blow me away. Maybe it was just a ‘first novel’ thing. I’ll certainly pick up another one of Gregory’s books and see how he tackles his next foray into the real world turned upside down.
October 26, 2018
Strange but intriguing. At times I wondered where this book was going. The plot was disjointed in many places. However, just when you think it’s boring the narrator starts discussions C G Jung or the distinguishing characteristics of science fiction vs fantasy. Heck, Phillip K Dick makes an appearance in the novel. It’s hard to dislike a book that’s this odd. Btw: Did I mention there are demons too?
September 27, 2019
She didn’t know who the hell she was, kick-ass exorcist or shell-shocked possession survivor. Maybe everyone in the world was this inconsistent, this fragmented. All we could see of each other—all we could see of ourselves—was a ragged person-shaped outline, a game of connect-the-dots without enough dots.
I took me a long time to finish reading this relatively short book. I think most of that can be blamed on me—I have a lot of distractions going on right now. But some of it can maaaybe be placed on this novel.
Let me back up for a second first, though, and tell you of my love for Daryl Gregory. He had been on my TBR forever (this book included) when I read a short story of his in The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales and it instantly became my favorite in that anthology. I got one of his recent novels (Afterparty, which is set in the same universe as the short story) and could not award enough gushy stars afterward. He manages to combine his own unique oddness with compassion and non-maudlin sentiment in ways that you don’t see coming. I wanted to cry when Afterparty was over because I just loved all of the characters so much.
This novel, his first, definitely feels like Daryl Gregory but maybe not prime Daryl Gregory? More on that in a moment.
What is this book about already?
Del Pierce lives in an alternate version of our world where demons have been possessing humans since the 1950’s. And these aren’t Pazuzu-style Reagan McNeil demons, so don’t bother calling the Catholics:
Speaking as an ex-Catholic here, call the Catholic Church when it's time to battle eternal evil? The calls are coming from inside the house, sis.
No one is sure exactly what the things doing the possessing are, although there is lots of talk about neuroscience, tinfoil-coated conspiracy theories, and Jungian archetypes--all demons fulfill a predictable script that is unique to them and thus makes them immediately identifiable. One only possesses pretty little blonde girls who go to hospitals and kill the elderly and infirm with a kiss. Another one, the Painter, just compels his host to silently make art.
They all can fuck up your life if they don’t outright end it.
Del, who believes the demon who possessed him twice as a child never really left, is determined to sneak into a Demonology conference in Chicago and find a neurosurgeon who can finally, hopefully, help him. And a crazy, unpredictable ride follows from there which involves lake monsters, a foul-mouthed female priest, and the late novelist Philip K. Dick. I honestly was nervous about the Philip Dick part going in because it had the potential to go horribly wrong, but somehow it works.
It's all very original and funny, but the story seemed to lag in places. I connected somewhat with Del and his brother, but I struggled to get into other characters (including the priest, whom I expected to dig immediately and instead I’ve already forgotten her name.) I’m going to give this three stars, but what’s odd is I can’t get the book out of my head now. I loved the quote above, for instance. Maybe three stars isn’t enough.
But it’s how I’m rating this for now--which still means it’s good.
(Be sure to read Afterparty!)
I took me a long time to finish reading this relatively short book. I think most of that can be blamed on me—I have a lot of distractions going on right now. But some of it can maaaybe be placed on this novel.
Let me back up for a second first, though, and tell you of my love for Daryl Gregory. He had been on my TBR forever (this book included) when I read a short story of his in The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales and it instantly became my favorite in that anthology. I got one of his recent novels (Afterparty, which is set in the same universe as the short story) and could not award enough gushy stars afterward. He manages to combine his own unique oddness with compassion and non-maudlin sentiment in ways that you don’t see coming. I wanted to cry when Afterparty was over because I just loved all of the characters so much.
This novel, his first, definitely feels like Daryl Gregory but maybe not prime Daryl Gregory? More on that in a moment.
What is this book about already?
Del Pierce lives in an alternate version of our world where demons have been possessing humans since the 1950’s. And these aren’t Pazuzu-style Reagan McNeil demons, so don’t bother calling the Catholics:
Speaking as an ex-Catholic here, call the Catholic Church when it's time to battle eternal evil? The calls are coming from inside the house, sis.
No one is sure exactly what the things doing the possessing are, although there is lots of talk about neuroscience, tinfoil-coated conspiracy theories, and Jungian archetypes--all demons fulfill a predictable script that is unique to them and thus makes them immediately identifiable. One only possesses pretty little blonde girls who go to hospitals and kill the elderly and infirm with a kiss. Another one, the Painter, just compels his host to silently make art.
They all can fuck up your life if they don’t outright end it.
Del, who believes the demon who possessed him twice as a child never really left, is determined to sneak into a Demonology conference in Chicago and find a neurosurgeon who can finally, hopefully, help him. And a crazy, unpredictable ride follows from there which involves lake monsters, a foul-mouthed female priest, and the late novelist Philip K. Dick. I honestly was nervous about the Philip Dick part going in because it had the potential to go horribly wrong, but somehow it works.
It's all very original and funny, but the story seemed to lag in places. I connected somewhat with Del and his brother, but I struggled to get into other characters (including the priest, whom I expected to dig immediately and instead I’ve already forgotten her name.) I’m going to give this three stars, but what’s odd is I can’t get the book out of my head now. I loved the quote above, for instance. Maybe three stars isn’t enough.
But it’s how I’m rating this for now--which still means it’s good.
(Be sure to read Afterparty!)
January 25, 2020
Daryl Gregory's debut novel is simply masterful, without a doubt my favorite of his books.
My bad for putting this off for far too long, assuming it was a standard demon possession type horror story. Needless to say, this is not your typical Excorcist inspired tale. With very big nods to Philip K Dick (VALIS) and A.E. van Vogt (Slan), as well as golden age era comics and pulps, it has a much stronger fantasy/sci-fi vibe than anything else. Thrilling, poignant, nostalgic, dark and humorous all in one, like a super sweet & sour gummy worm.
Gregory has an amazingly inventive imagination and a wonderful talent for depicting his protagonists - highly relatable, deeply cynical and neurotic, and equipped with lots of edgy sarcasm. He's got a style that's easy to digest, fast paced and dialogue heavy that always makes for a great read. Highly recommended!
"Maybe everyone in this world was this inconsistent. This fragmented. All we could see of each other, all we could see of ourselves, was a ragged person shaped outline. A game of connect the dots, without enough dots."
My bad for putting this off for far too long, assuming it was a standard demon possession type horror story. Needless to say, this is not your typical Excorcist inspired tale. With very big nods to Philip K Dick (VALIS) and A.E. van Vogt (Slan), as well as golden age era comics and pulps, it has a much stronger fantasy/sci-fi vibe than anything else. Thrilling, poignant, nostalgic, dark and humorous all in one, like a super sweet & sour gummy worm.
Gregory has an amazingly inventive imagination and a wonderful talent for depicting his protagonists - highly relatable, deeply cynical and neurotic, and equipped with lots of edgy sarcasm. He's got a style that's easy to digest, fast paced and dialogue heavy that always makes for a great read. Highly recommended!
"Maybe everyone in this world was this inconsistent. This fragmented. All we could see of each other, all we could see of ourselves, was a ragged person shaped outline. A game of connect the dots, without enough dots."
May 5, 2017
When I read genre books, I tend to lump them into what I call the X-Files Categories. A book is either a monster-of-the-week novel (adventure and action and not a whole lot of substance), or a mythology read (slower, deeper, more cerebral). Reading through the first half of Pandemonium, I was ready for a monster-of-the-week ride. In here, demon possessions are real, accepted and fairly routine. The lead, possessed as a child, is hearing noises and seeing things that have led him to seek out answers.
However, my assumptions were wrong, so wrong. I know from experience that Daryl Gregory can write an engaging novel, some pretty fun romps through contemporary science fiction. But instead of a superficial made-for-tv story, I was very pleasantly surprised at the depth that I found. Some really cool ideas about possession, archetypes, collective unconscious, the power of the mind and Jungian theory, and even an homage to Philip K Dick. (Dang it, I’m going to have to finish Valis one of these days, aren’t I?). It wrapped up quite satisfactorily and my estimation of Gregory as a storyteller went up quite a few notches.
However, my assumptions were wrong, so wrong. I know from experience that Daryl Gregory can write an engaging novel, some pretty fun romps through contemporary science fiction. But instead of a superficial made-for-tv story, I was very pleasantly surprised at the depth that I found. Some really cool ideas about possession, archetypes, collective unconscious, the power of the mind and Jungian theory, and even an homage to Philip K Dick. (Dang it, I’m going to have to finish Valis one of these days, aren’t I?). It wrapped up quite satisfactorily and my estimation of Gregory as a storyteller went up quite a few notches.
July 15, 2018
I had pretty high expectations for this given how much some of my Goodreads friends enjoyed it. I thought it was fine, but I didn't love it like I had hoped.
Generally I quite like Gregory's writing, but honestly I wasn't a fan of the ongoing discussions about Jung and his ideas that were part of the story. I'm not saying they could necessarily be left out, just that this aspect of the story wasn't as appealing for me.
Even though this wasn't my favourite, I still have some other Gregory books I'm interested in reading, particularly Harrison Squared.
Generally I quite like Gregory's writing, but honestly I wasn't a fan of the ongoing discussions about Jung and his ideas that were part of the story. I'm not saying they could necessarily be left out, just that this aspect of the story wasn't as appealing for me.
Even though this wasn't my favourite, I still have some other Gregory books I'm interested in reading, particularly Harrison Squared.
July 14, 2020
The truth was scarier: nobody in there knew what the fuck was going on. Or else everybody was right and it was all true: aliens and archetypes and asuras, psychosis and psionics, hellfire and hallucinations.
Pandemonium.
There’s something so compulsively, quirkily readable about Daryl Gregory’s writing. I found We Are All Completely Fine to be strange and absurdly entertaining, and Raising Stony Mayhall strange and not particularly memorable; Pandemonium falls somewhere in between.
The thing about all three Gregory novels I’ve read is that they’re so BIZARRE—but still digestible, sardonic. A little self-conscious. Filled with cracked-up theories and weird but compelling characters. My predominant feeling while reading them is always: WTF. Followed by: well, colour me INTRIGUED.
In Pandemonium, the world is an alternate history where people find themselves possessed by inexplicable beings. Religious fanatics insist these are demons (or Jesus), while Jungians advocate for archetypes—universal symbols deriving from our collective unconscious. There are a few archetypes/demons that recur through the decades, each possession following approximately the same script.
Smokestack Johnny only possesses people on trains. The Little Angel—whose kiss can kill a person—has a penchant for cherubic girls and hospital wards filled with the terminally ill. The Painter takes over a body only to have them paint the same recurring images: a barn, a silo, a boy. The Captain selects from soldiers only, while the Truth comes alive when someone violates his code of honesty (in this version of history, OJ Simpson is killed by a Truth-possessed cop in court).
Del Pierce, our human protagonist, is something of an anomaly. He was possessed by the destructive, mischief-causing Hellion as a kid… But the Hellion never really left. And as he embarks on a cross-country journey to figure out how to exorcise the demon once and for all, he realizes that there’s a method to this madness, a mystery in its midst. And it begins with a barn, a silo, and a boy.
Among all of this, the golden age of science fiction hangs like a vapour, a dream: the prose is studded with references to comic books and cult-favourite novels from the ‘40s. Pandemonium is an homage to these classics (and to '80s pop music), masquerading as a book about demonic possession. And it's fucking GOOD.
September 8, 2010
Pandemonium is a book that's been coming up in my Amazon recommendations fairly regularly. It sounded a bit intriguing, but a bit silly too. It was one of those books that I thought could turn out to be truly awful. When I saw a copy at the library, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it.
I can't believe that this is Daryl Gregory's first book. It's absolutely amazing. Don't go by the blurb, it doesn't even come close to describing it. The characters and the situation are so well done, it all seemed completely believable. I was not prepared for the twist in the middle and I felt so sad at the ending. Gregory has thought out all the implications of a world where strange characters can possess a person and make them briefly superhuman.
I especially loved the appearance of Philip K. Dick as a somewhat minor, yet important character. Pandemonium does seem a bit like PKD, but much more coherent. Gregory has a wonderful style that is all his own. His writing is vivid and well-paced. I look forward to reading his next book, The Devil's Alphabet and anything else he writes in the future. He's amazing.
I can't believe that this is Daryl Gregory's first book. It's absolutely amazing. Don't go by the blurb, it doesn't even come close to describing it. The characters and the situation are so well done, it all seemed completely believable. I was not prepared for the twist in the middle and I felt so sad at the ending. Gregory has thought out all the implications of a world where strange characters can possess a person and make them briefly superhuman.
I especially loved the appearance of Philip K. Dick as a somewhat minor, yet important character. Pandemonium does seem a bit like PKD, but much more coherent. Gregory has a wonderful style that is all his own. His writing is vivid and well-paced. I look forward to reading his next book, The Devil's Alphabet and anything else he writes in the future. He's amazing.
May 18, 2019
carol wrote a stellar review for this title (plus, don't miss the pizza description and pic).
June 14, 2015
Pandemonium, the first novel from the author of one of my favourite reads of all time, We Are All Completely Fine, is a decent high-concept thriller with an interesting hook that never really lives up to its awesome potential.
Taking place in a world much like our own, but with the critical difference that demonic possession occurs openly and is widely acknowledged (even if whether said demons are evil spirits or something else is hotly debated), Pandemonium is told from the perspective of Del, a young man who was possessed by one such demon when he was young. His story is different from almost everyone else who has ever been possessed, however, in that his demon has never gone away and remains locked inside of him, desperate to escape. Del seeks answers from his former therapist and multiple others, all while getting closer to the truth of what is actually scraping the inside of his mind with increasing power ...
Part thriller, part road-read, part fantasy, Pandemonium has a few relatively dark and frightening scenes, but for a story about demons, this remains a relatively horor-free book. Instead, Gregory piles on the mystery about the etiology of the demons and the part that Del may play in their origins being revealed.
It's a great-set up, and for a first novel, Gregory's prose shines. His ear for dialogue is spot on, and his characters - especially Del - feel fully realised and easy to connect with. Which makes it all the more disappointing that the last third of the novel falls somewhat flat, with the eventual revelation being fairly standard and not able to justify the lengthy journey to get there.
Still, this is a first published novel, and is impressive enough on that basis. It's certainly readable and most readers will likely enjoy the journey if they can keep their overall expectations in check.
3 Unwanted Passengers for Pandemonium.
Taking place in a world much like our own, but with the critical difference that demonic possession occurs openly and is widely acknowledged (even if whether said demons are evil spirits or something else is hotly debated), Pandemonium is told from the perspective of Del, a young man who was possessed by one such demon when he was young. His story is different from almost everyone else who has ever been possessed, however, in that his demon has never gone away and remains locked inside of him, desperate to escape. Del seeks answers from his former therapist and multiple others, all while getting closer to the truth of what is actually scraping the inside of his mind with increasing power ...
Part thriller, part road-read, part fantasy, Pandemonium has a few relatively dark and frightening scenes, but for a story about demons, this remains a relatively horor-free book. Instead, Gregory piles on the mystery about the etiology of the demons and the part that Del may play in their origins being revealed.
It's a great-set up, and for a first novel, Gregory's prose shines. His ear for dialogue is spot on, and his characters - especially Del - feel fully realised and easy to connect with. Which makes it all the more disappointing that the last third of the novel falls somewhat flat, with the eventual revelation being fairly standard and not able to justify the lengthy journey to get there.
Still, this is a first published novel, and is impressive enough on that basis. It's certainly readable and most readers will likely enjoy the journey if they can keep their overall expectations in check.
3 Unwanted Passengers for Pandemonium.
April 20, 2021
4 stars and change? This was the fourth thing I've read from Gregory and I very much enjoyed it. It felt very much like more of what I liked in Harrison Squared and We Are All Completely Fine.
Daryl Gregory does characters with "issues" very well, and I should probably second guess my hesitation at any of his work. This book and I have crossed paths many times over the years and I always rejected it in part due to an aversion to sampling anything that stinks of judeo-christian symbolism / mythology. I needn't have worried.
My only real complaints here were a) that sex scene, ugh, wtf; and b) I'm not sure how I feel about Sinead O'Connor, or should I say Siobhan O'Connell. *wink wink* >.> I feel like there's a line (blurry and indistinct, but a line) when including real life people in fiction, especially living ones, especially living ones with public mental health struggles, and Gregory might be over it here with "O'Connell". Still, it wasn't enough to derail my reading.
Daryl Gregory does characters with "issues" very well, and I should probably second guess my hesitation at any of his work. This book and I have crossed paths many times over the years and I always rejected it in part due to an aversion to sampling anything that stinks of judeo-christian symbolism / mythology. I needn't have worried.
My only real complaints here were a) that sex scene, ugh, wtf; and b) I'm not sure how I feel about Sinead O'Connor, or should I say Siobhan O'Connell. *wink wink* >.> I feel like there's a line (blurry and indistinct, but a line) when including real life people in fiction, especially living ones, especially living ones with public mental health struggles, and Gregory might be over it here with "O'Connell". Still, it wasn't enough to derail my reading.
October 31, 2008
Ok, what won me over at first was the cover--by Greg Ruth, an artist whose work I greatly admire. But once I started reading I was hooked.
Pandemonium isn't quite fantasy (it quickly reveals itself to have elements of Alternate History & SF). Gregory creates a world where demonic possession is normal, sort of, at least society's learned to deal with it when it happens; but the story of Del, who was once Possessed as a boy is the heart of the narrative. It has a personal, intimate tone. The story starts out gently and then soon winds up into a thrilling pace.
Interspersed throughout the book are interludes, eyewitness accounts of several of these 'demons', which in their brevity and scope, complement the story-arc without slowing it down.
If I'm to compare Gregory to writers, I'd say it would be Tim Powers, James Blaylock, and a less surreal Philip K. Dick.
Pandemonium is one of the most clever books I've read in recent memory; the internal logic of his premise is strong, as are his characters; I was left guessing all the way to the final chapters (I'm often able to figure stuff out quickly), and endings are tricky things, but Gregory manages to come up with one that, while open-ended on the broader scale, is perfect for the storyline.
There are hidden bonuses for genre & comic book fans, but Gregory's storytelling is sublime enough so as not to make the book exclusionary to those not familiar with genre.
Excellent stuff, one of my favorite reads in the past couple of years.
Pandemonium isn't quite fantasy (it quickly reveals itself to have elements of Alternate History & SF). Gregory creates a world where demonic possession is normal, sort of, at least society's learned to deal with it when it happens; but the story of Del, who was once Possessed as a boy is the heart of the narrative. It has a personal, intimate tone. The story starts out gently and then soon winds up into a thrilling pace.
Interspersed throughout the book are interludes, eyewitness accounts of several of these 'demons', which in their brevity and scope, complement the story-arc without slowing it down.
If I'm to compare Gregory to writers, I'd say it would be Tim Powers, James Blaylock, and a less surreal Philip K. Dick.
Pandemonium is one of the most clever books I've read in recent memory; the internal logic of his premise is strong, as are his characters; I was left guessing all the way to the final chapters (I'm often able to figure stuff out quickly), and endings are tricky things, but Gregory manages to come up with one that, while open-ended on the broader scale, is perfect for the storyline.
There are hidden bonuses for genre & comic book fans, but Gregory's storytelling is sublime enough so as not to make the book exclusionary to those not familiar with genre.
Excellent stuff, one of my favorite reads in the past couple of years.
October 8, 2014
~4.5
Nonlocal intelligence. Possession Disorder Variant. Socially Constructed Alternate Identity. Demonic possession. Whatever the term, Del Pierce is all too familiar with the process. While the hundred-odd "strains" of demons in Del's world aren’t interested in temptation or damnation, no one wants a demon to jump to them. When a demon possesses a person, acts out a familiar role, a static pattern, and woe betide anyone who gets in its way. The Truth, wrapped in a trenchcoat and fedora, brings swift and bloody justice upon deceivers. Smokestack Johnny rides the trains in an eternal breakneck journey. The Captain carries his unwilling victim into heroic, desperate, and usually tragic last stands. The world has adapted. Every restaurant keeps a massive yellow chair for Fat Boy; airports keep altars to the Kamikaze; hospitals know that if a blonde-ringleted girl in a white nightgown is seen, the Angel is on the prowl, seeking out elderly patients to lull into eternal rest.
Del Pierce hasn’t been home in years. But now he is getting desperate, and all of his options seem to be lead back to Chicago. Back to his home. After a brief delay at the airport--the Painter took one of the passengers, and since no one wanted the demon to jump, they just let him do his thing-- Del is finally heading home to face his mother and Very Bigger Brother. He still doesn't know how to break the news.
Daryl Gregory has swiftly become one of my favourite new finds of the year. It’s hard to say anything much about the book without spoilers, but I love the world and characters that Gregory created. The core idea--that almost superhero-like entities who jump and possess at random rather than keeping fixed identities-- is so tantalizing and peculiar that I couldn’t wait to learn more. The story also manages to weave in quite a bit of vintage popular culture, and while most of it lost me, I loved the segments that included classic scifi authors such as Philip K Dick and the apparently impossible-to-pronounce Van Vogt.
Del, the narrator, is a sympathetic and relatable, his personality riddled with the contradictions and imperfections that are so quintessentially human. Above all, I love his constantly irreverent sense of humour. As he describes himself:
The rest of the cast is equally wacky and fun, from Del’s nerdy Very Bigger Brother to his all-seeing, all-knowing, cookie-baking- mom to Mother Mariette the Kabuki exorcist priest. Yet occasionally, accentuated by his forlorn attempts at comedy, Del's pain and desperation can be almost palpable.
While it wasn't hard to guess what was going on long before Del did, I still found the various revelations riveting, and the conclusion utterly satisfying. Pandemonium is as much about fun as philosophy, and while it doesn’t have a single straightforward message, the issues that it grapples with are intriguing and thought-provoking. In the end, demon-possessed or not, the questions are all the same: what is the purpose of it all? What good can be done in this time, in this body? How can one protect against a disinterested, omnipotent foe? In Del's world, demons are indefatigable, inevitable, endlessly repeating patterns that cannot be avoided or conquered or overcome. Archetypes. Just like sacrifice. Or transformation.
Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which contains additional quotes and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.
Nonlocal intelligence. Possession Disorder Variant. Socially Constructed Alternate Identity. Demonic possession. Whatever the term, Del Pierce is all too familiar with the process. While the hundred-odd "strains" of demons in Del's world aren’t interested in temptation or damnation, no one wants a demon to jump to them. When a demon possesses a person, acts out a familiar role, a static pattern, and woe betide anyone who gets in its way. The Truth, wrapped in a trenchcoat and fedora, brings swift and bloody justice upon deceivers. Smokestack Johnny rides the trains in an eternal breakneck journey. The Captain carries his unwilling victim into heroic, desperate, and usually tragic last stands. The world has adapted. Every restaurant keeps a massive yellow chair for Fat Boy; airports keep altars to the Kamikaze; hospitals know that if a blonde-ringleted girl in a white nightgown is seen, the Angel is on the prowl, seeking out elderly patients to lull into eternal rest.
Del Pierce hasn’t been home in years. But now he is getting desperate, and all of his options seem to be lead back to Chicago. Back to his home. After a brief delay at the airport--the Painter took one of the passengers, and since no one wanted the demon to jump, they just let him do his thing-- Del is finally heading home to face his mother and Very Bigger Brother. He still doesn't know how to break the news.
The thing’s inside my head, Mom, and it’s trying to get out.
Daryl Gregory has swiftly become one of my favourite new finds of the year. It’s hard to say anything much about the book without spoilers, but I love the world and characters that Gregory created. The core idea--that almost superhero-like entities who jump and possess at random rather than keeping fixed identities-- is so tantalizing and peculiar that I couldn’t wait to learn more. The story also manages to weave in quite a bit of vintage popular culture, and while most of it lost me, I loved the segments that included classic scifi authors such as Philip K Dick and the apparently impossible-to-pronounce Van Vogt.
Del, the narrator, is a sympathetic and relatable, his personality riddled with the contradictions and imperfections that are so quintessentially human. Above all, I love his constantly irreverent sense of humour. As he describes himself:
We’d understood from high school on that it was Lew’s job to make good grades, find a high-paying career, buy a two-story house in the suburbs, and generally become Dad. It was my job to fuck up. Occasionally this annoyed me, but most of the time I was comfortable with the division of labor.Even in moments of drama, desperation, and despair, Del can't relinquish the wordplay. A few Del-isms:
And now we were lost. Or rather, the world was lost. The GPS told us exactly where we were, but had no idea where anything else was. Permanent Global Position: You Are Here.
She was seventy, seventy-five years old, a small bony face on a striated, skinny neck: bright eyes, sharp nose, and skin intricately webbed from too much sun or wind or cigarettes. She looked like one of those orphaned baby condors that has to be fed by puppets.
There was no bathroom: no bath, no room, not even room for a bath. From the smell, the walls were insulated with old fish wrap.
The coffee was terrible and the bacon was ordinary, but the pancakes were avatars of some perfect Ur-cake whose existence until now could only be deduced from the statistical variations in other, lesser pancakes.
The rest of the cast is equally wacky and fun, from Del’s nerdy Very Bigger Brother to his all-seeing, all-knowing, cookie-baking- mom to Mother Mariette the Kabuki exorcist priest. Yet occasionally, accentuated by his forlorn attempts at comedy, Del's pain and desperation can be almost palpable.
Hope wasn’t a thing with feathers, it was a hundred-pound ball and chain. All you had to do was drag that sucker to the edge and throw it over first.
While it wasn't hard to guess what was going on long before Del did, I still found the various revelations riveting, and the conclusion utterly satisfying. Pandemonium is as much about fun as philosophy, and while it doesn’t have a single straightforward message, the issues that it grapples with are intriguing and thought-provoking. In the end, demon-possessed or not, the questions are all the same: what is the purpose of it all? What good can be done in this time, in this body? How can one protect against a disinterested, omnipotent foe? In Del's world, demons are indefatigable, inevitable, endlessly repeating patterns that cannot be avoided or conquered or overcome. Archetypes. Just like sacrifice. Or transformation.
Maybe everyone in the world was this inconsistent, this fragmented. All we could see of each other—all we could see of ourselves—was a ragged person-shaped outline, a game of connect-the-dots without enough dots.
Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which contains additional quotes and spoilers that I was too lazy to copy over.
December 30, 2017
EDIT: a dicembre 2017 alzo il mio voto da 3,5* a 4*
Tanti spunti in troppe poche pagine
Leggendo le prime pagine ho temuto una rivisitazione "modello Go Nagai" delle possessioni demoniache alla Devilman. Fortunatamente mi sono sbagliato.
In queste 300 e passa pagine ci accompagna - con uno stile altamente cinematografico e descrittivo - nelle vicende di Del (Delacorte Pierce), il protagonista. Ci troviamo in una versione ucronica della terra. A partire dalla fine degli anni '40 si iniziano a verificare delle "possessioni" da parte di demoni che hanno come personalità una singola stringa di routine che mettono in atto all'infinito, possessione, dopo possessione.
La vicenda inizia con il protagonista che deve avvisare i parenti di una sua ricaduta...
Ho molto apprezzato la prima metà del libro (le descrizioni tra presente e passato altamente immersive, la parte emotiva della pecora nera della famiglia) e anche la rivisitazione degli archetipi junghiani e la visione dell'autore delle tematiche fantasy e sci-fi. Nella parte finale, si nota una corsa al traguardo che tralascia moltissimi punti che avevano bisogno di una rappresentazione più ampia e strutturata, altrimenti il rischio è di cadere nella banalizzazione del pensiero dell'autore stesso.
Questo libro è anche una visione chiara di quelle che sono le passioni di Gregory; un lettore poco avvezzo al genere potrebbe trovare fastidiose le continue citazioni io, invece, le ho apprezzate perché sono state inserite appieno nel quadro narrativo.
Lo consiglio vivamente a chi volesse una lettura che, nonostante le tematiche ricche e particolari, si legge bene grazie a uno stile molto scorrevole.
È il romanzo d'esordio di Gregory, sono curioso di scoprire se in The Devil's Alphabet
riuscirà a dare alla sua storia un più ampio respiro, infischiandosene delle pagine.
Capitolo 9
Ho preso ad esempio questo capitolo per mostrare i limiti che ho trovato in questo romanzo. Troppi spunti nel calderone, troppe poche pagine per svilupparli.
Demonologia
Valis
Finale
Tanti spunti in troppe poche pagine
Leggendo le prime pagine ho temuto una rivisitazione "modello Go Nagai" delle possessioni demoniache alla Devilman. Fortunatamente mi sono sbagliato.
In queste 300 e passa pagine ci accompagna - con uno stile altamente cinematografico e descrittivo - nelle vicende di Del (Delacorte Pierce), il protagonista. Ci troviamo in una versione ucronica della terra. A partire dalla fine degli anni '40 si iniziano a verificare delle "possessioni" da parte di demoni che hanno come personalità una singola stringa di routine che mettono in atto all'infinito, possessione, dopo possessione.
La vicenda inizia con il protagonista che deve avvisare i parenti di una sua ricaduta...
Ho molto apprezzato la prima metà del libro (le descrizioni tra presente e passato altamente immersive, la parte emotiva della pecora nera della famiglia) e anche la rivisitazione degli archetipi junghiani e la visione dell'autore delle tematiche fantasy e sci-fi. Nella parte finale, si nota una corsa al traguardo che tralascia moltissimi punti che avevano bisogno di una rappresentazione più ampia e strutturata, altrimenti il rischio è di cadere nella banalizzazione del pensiero dell'autore stesso.
Questo libro è anche una visione chiara di quelle che sono le passioni di Gregory; un lettore poco avvezzo al genere potrebbe trovare fastidiose le continue citazioni io, invece, le ho apprezzate perché sono state inserite appieno nel quadro narrativo.
Lo consiglio vivamente a chi volesse una lettura che, nonostante le tematiche ricche e particolari, si legge bene grazie a uno stile molto scorrevole.
È il romanzo d'esordio di Gregory, sono curioso di scoprire se in The Devil's Alphabet
riuscirà a dare alla sua storia un più ampio respiro, infischiandosene delle pagine.
Capitolo 9
Ho preso ad esempio questo capitolo per mostrare i limiti che ho trovato in questo romanzo. Troppi spunti nel calderone, troppe poche pagine per svilupparli.
Demonologia
Valis
Finale
September 9, 2018
Not really a 2 star read, because I enjoyed a lot of it, but 3 stars seems a bit much because I... didn't really understand it? I need to read other reviews or something because I don't really get it. However I'll keep it at 3 stars for now...
April 5, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! I slowly be working me way through the novels by Daryl Gregory. This is me fourth book of his but by far me least favourite of the bunch. Part of that may be that it is a first novel. Part of it was the resolution. And part of it was a specific problem scene that I will discuss in a moment and will be a spoiler even if cloaked in shady terms. The elements of his style, which I love, are present but I didn’t love the final product.
Now this apparently was his first novel. I didn’t know that when I picked it up. It was just the next in line from me library hold list. In fact, I really knew nothing about it except that the word demon in the title is highlighted in red letters. The story takes place in an alternate universe where in the 1950s people began to be possessed by demons. These demons can possess people of all ages and usually stay in a host for a limited time-frame until their objective has been achieved. But once ye have been possessed, the statistical likelihood of another possession goes up.
The story follows Del who was possessed twice in his life time at the ages five and fourteen. But he thought he was out of danger until an accident makes him realize that he is possessed again and the demon is struggling to break free. Or what if the demon never left? I thought the beginning of the novel was wonderful and loved the odd world-building and the different types of demons and their particular traits. I enjoyed learning about Del and both his present and past history. Del made me happy. His mom, brother, and sister-in-law also made me happy.
The weakness of the novel was in the plot. There is a lot of discussion about the various theories of demon possession. I normally would love it but it was haphazardly discussed and interrupted the flow. In addition the action was limited and there was a lot of driving back and forth. Besides Del’s family, many of the side characters were rather bland. And while I loved the set-up until the reveal, the rest of the book began to pall after that. Part of that was the focus on comic books. I am not a comic book fan and so the second half was not to me taste.
And then there is the scene that soured things for me altogether. Del and a woman are sharing a hotel room when there is a discussion about the sexual tension. The woman decides not to have sex. Then Del wakes up to find the woman having sex with him. His response to throw her to the floor. Her response is to be “what the hell.” And then they have sex but under her terms. Ugh. Blech. Yuck. The day after and aftermath was also dealt with poorly. The entire scene could have been thrown out of the book and wouldn’t have mattered. I was beyond disappointed in its inclusion.
So with the non-consensual sex, the downward trend of the second half into a story I wasn’t interested in, and a conclusion that was lackluster, this one walks the plank. I be sad but good ideas weren’t enough to save it. Arrrr!
Now this apparently was his first novel. I didn’t know that when I picked it up. It was just the next in line from me library hold list. In fact, I really knew nothing about it except that the word demon in the title is highlighted in red letters. The story takes place in an alternate universe where in the 1950s people began to be possessed by demons. These demons can possess people of all ages and usually stay in a host for a limited time-frame until their objective has been achieved. But once ye have been possessed, the statistical likelihood of another possession goes up.
The story follows Del who was possessed twice in his life time at the ages five and fourteen. But he thought he was out of danger until an accident makes him realize that he is possessed again and the demon is struggling to break free. Or what if the demon never left? I thought the beginning of the novel was wonderful and loved the odd world-building and the different types of demons and their particular traits. I enjoyed learning about Del and both his present and past history. Del made me happy. His mom, brother, and sister-in-law also made me happy.
The weakness of the novel was in the plot. There is a lot of discussion about the various theories of demon possession. I normally would love it but it was haphazardly discussed and interrupted the flow. In addition the action was limited and there was a lot of driving back and forth. Besides Del’s family, many of the side characters were rather bland. And while I loved the set-up until the reveal, the rest of the book began to pall after that. Part of that was the focus on comic books. I am not a comic book fan and so the second half was not to me taste.
And then there is the scene that soured things for me altogether. Del and a woman are sharing a hotel room when there is a discussion about the sexual tension. The woman decides not to have sex. Then Del wakes up to find the woman having sex with him. His response to throw her to the floor. Her response is to be “what the hell.” And then they have sex but under her terms. Ugh. Blech. Yuck. The day after and aftermath was also dealt with poorly. The entire scene could have been thrown out of the book and wouldn’t have mattered. I was beyond disappointed in its inclusion.
So with the non-consensual sex, the downward trend of the second half into a story I wasn’t interested in, and a conclusion that was lackluster, this one walks the plank. I be sad but good ideas weren’t enough to save it. Arrrr!
December 8, 2012
Despite the title, this is science fiction not horror. More precisely it is alternative history, The setting is our world but with significant changes. Eisenhower was killed, The American armed forces are stuck in Kashmir and, most important, around 1944 there is a rash of demonic possessions that continues into the present. The actual reason for these demons are unknown but they are called by names like The Captain, The Painter, and The little Angel. From this premise arises a intriguing take on the demon possession idea. The author is clearly influenced by many of the classic science fiction icons including Phillip K. Dick (who has a cameo in the novel as himself possessed by Valic) and A. E. Van Vogt. In fact, an elementary knowledge of The Golden Age of Science Fiction will enhance your enjoyment of this work but is not essential. Daryl Gregory's debut effort has resulted in an amazing piece of story telling and a thoroughly enjoyable mash-up of demonology, science fiction, Jungian psychology, and even a very strange coming-of-age allegory.
February 25, 2015
Thousands of verified demonic possession since the 1950’s.
That is the phenomenon behind the alternative world Gregory otherwise sketches. Some possessions provoke deadly accidents, and one demon, a little girl in a long white dress, is an angel of death for those already suffering terminal illnesses. Others are destructive or merely disconcerting intruders society has adjusted to.
As a child Del Pierce was possessed by the demonic version of Dennis the Menace known as The Hellion. Most of the previously possessed get on with the lives, but Del knows that the demon is still trapped inside his brain, literally hammering to get out.
Gregory novels are stories about family, friendship, and all the other ties that bind. They just happen to take place in a society undergoing a world-changing phenomenon. Pandemonium was his first novel, and he already knew the fictional territory he would make his own. It’s a pleasure to read, and it includes Philip K. Dick as a character.
That is the phenomenon behind the alternative world Gregory otherwise sketches. Some possessions provoke deadly accidents, and one demon, a little girl in a long white dress, is an angel of death for those already suffering terminal illnesses. Others are destructive or merely disconcerting intruders society has adjusted to.
As a child Del Pierce was possessed by the demonic version of Dennis the Menace known as The Hellion. Most of the previously possessed get on with the lives, but Del knows that the demon is still trapped inside his brain, literally hammering to get out.
Gregory novels are stories about family, friendship, and all the other ties that bind. They just happen to take place in a society undergoing a world-changing phenomenon. Pandemonium was his first novel, and he already knew the fictional territory he would make his own. It’s a pleasure to read, and it includes Philip K. Dick as a character.
June 2, 2016
3 stars
I liked this story’s concept but the execution fell short, partly due to some editing mistakes (is Del’s brother “Lew” or “Lou”?), and partly the novel’s wildly inconsistent pacing. It was a unique story and actually pretty good taking into account this is a debut novel. His writing definitely improves with his later books, especially We Are All Completely Fine.
This book is definitely off-beat and wonderfully strange. There are tons of cultural and sci-fi/ fantasy references (the most humorous was Philip K. Dick being possessed by the demon, Valis), and many fantastically weird characters. I really wish the story worked better. As I mentioned, the pacing was odd, jumping all over the place. Another awkward piece was the unnecessary romance, which did nothing to help the story.
Overall, not a bad read. It just needed a stronger editor to reign it in.
I liked this story’s concept but the execution fell short, partly due to some editing mistakes (is Del’s brother “Lew” or “Lou”?), and partly the novel’s wildly inconsistent pacing. It was a unique story and actually pretty good taking into account this is a debut novel. His writing definitely improves with his later books, especially We Are All Completely Fine.
This book is definitely off-beat and wonderfully strange. There are tons of cultural and sci-fi/ fantasy references (the most humorous was Philip K. Dick being possessed by the demon, Valis), and many fantastically weird characters. I really wish the story worked better. As I mentioned, the pacing was odd, jumping all over the place. Another awkward piece was the unnecessary romance, which did nothing to help the story.
Overall, not a bad read. It just needed a stronger editor to reign it in.
July 4, 2018
Loved this book. Fantasy fiction today seems dominated by cookie cutter novels of vampires, witches and werewolves or steampunk that try too hard to be different. This highly original mash-up of pulp, mystery and adventure fiction feels new, exciting and rich. Kind of a cross between Michael Chabon's excellent The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Jay Lake's Rocket Science with a supernatural twist. Excellent writing and engaging characters throughout. I could not put it down. If you watch the Big Bang Theory, I can imagine Sheldon being critical of the non scientific premise but absolutely in love with the story, and awaiting the graphic novel adaptation. A gem!
July 8, 2024
if the shug has zero fans then i am dead
May 29, 2020
Pandemonium dikelaskan sebagai horror di dalam list yang saya baca di Goodreads, dan itulah yang saya harapkan sebenarnya.
Surprisingly, ia lebih dari sekadar sebuah naskhah seram.
Rasukan ialah fenomena biasa di dalam universe Pandemonium. Bermula tahun 1940, sekumpulan syaitan mula tular dan buat kacau di Amerika.
Little Angel: Syaitan ini akan merasuk kanak-kanak perempuan cantik. Biasanya dia akan bergaun putih dan berkeliaran di hospital, mencari pesakit nazak, mencium mereka (dan pesakit itu mati tanpa perlu terseksa lebih lama)
The Captain: Syaitan ini akan merasuk askar yang nyawanya seperti telur di hujung tanduk di medan perang dan akan memimpin batalion menggempur musuh.
The Truth: Syaitan ini akan merasuk orang dengan satu tujuan: membunuh penipu. Dia gemar berpakaian trench coat dan bertopi fedora dengan 2 pucuk pistol tersisip di pinggang.
Banyak lagi jenis-jenis syaitan yang wujud dalam universe Pandemonium.
Del Pierce, seorang lelaki yang pernah dirasuk sewaktu kecil, merasakan bahawa syaitan itu tak pernah meninggalkan badannya selepas exorcism, sebaliknya ia terperangkap di dalam kepala Del. Del sering kali merasakan getaran dan gegaran dari dalam kepalanya, seperti ada sesuatu yang cuba melepaskan diri.
Plot di dalam Pandemonium disjointed, kau akan hairan ke mana sebenarnya penulis mahu membawa pembaca pergi. Tetapi grand revelation di penghujung novel akan meleraikan segala persoalan.
Horror (possession, tapi aku rasa, tak seram langsunglah), thriller, science fiction (Philip K Dick buat cameo, dia masih hidup dan badannya sedang dikawal syaitan bernama Valis), alternate history (Presiden Eisenhower mati dibunuh syaitan Kamikaze dan Nixon ambil alih presidentship, apa jadi kepada Amerika: what if?) dan banyak huraian menarik tentang konsep psikoanalisis Jung yang menjadi perdebatan utama di dalam novel ini: syaitan ini sebenarnya enititi laknat dari Neraka atau sekadar sebuah idea: archetype?
Menarik bila baca speculative fiction yang menjadi macam ni.
Surprisingly, ia lebih dari sekadar sebuah naskhah seram.
Rasukan ialah fenomena biasa di dalam universe Pandemonium. Bermula tahun 1940, sekumpulan syaitan mula tular dan buat kacau di Amerika.
Little Angel: Syaitan ini akan merasuk kanak-kanak perempuan cantik. Biasanya dia akan bergaun putih dan berkeliaran di hospital, mencari pesakit nazak, mencium mereka (dan pesakit itu mati tanpa perlu terseksa lebih lama)
The Captain: Syaitan ini akan merasuk askar yang nyawanya seperti telur di hujung tanduk di medan perang dan akan memimpin batalion menggempur musuh.
The Truth: Syaitan ini akan merasuk orang dengan satu tujuan: membunuh penipu. Dia gemar berpakaian trench coat dan bertopi fedora dengan 2 pucuk pistol tersisip di pinggang.
Banyak lagi jenis-jenis syaitan yang wujud dalam universe Pandemonium.
Del Pierce, seorang lelaki yang pernah dirasuk sewaktu kecil, merasakan bahawa syaitan itu tak pernah meninggalkan badannya selepas exorcism, sebaliknya ia terperangkap di dalam kepala Del. Del sering kali merasakan getaran dan gegaran dari dalam kepalanya, seperti ada sesuatu yang cuba melepaskan diri.
Plot di dalam Pandemonium disjointed, kau akan hairan ke mana sebenarnya penulis mahu membawa pembaca pergi. Tetapi grand revelation di penghujung novel akan meleraikan segala persoalan.
Horror (possession, tapi aku rasa, tak seram langsunglah), thriller, science fiction (Philip K Dick buat cameo, dia masih hidup dan badannya sedang dikawal syaitan bernama Valis), alternate history (Presiden Eisenhower mati dibunuh syaitan Kamikaze dan Nixon ambil alih presidentship, apa jadi kepada Amerika: what if?) dan banyak huraian menarik tentang konsep psikoanalisis Jung yang menjadi perdebatan utama di dalam novel ini: syaitan ini sebenarnya enititi laknat dari Neraka atau sekadar sebuah idea: archetype?
Menarik bila baca speculative fiction yang menjadi macam ni.
September 11, 2010
Random demonic possession is a problem in the slightly altered reality in which "Pandemonium" is set. Various archetypical demons (Truth, Captain Valiant, the Angel of Death*, to name a few) are showing up, hijacking the bodies of randomly chosen hosts and disrupting public order by behaving demonically. Collateral damage to the unlucky host can be anything from mild trauma to death. Nobody really understands what is causing this epidemic of demonic possession which has spawned a plethora of "demonologists" in a broad assortment of flavors. Jungian psychologists, neuropsychologists, priests, psychics, mediums, and various other charlatans all have suggestions about the best approach to exorcism, but not much success.
The issue has become urgent for Del, Pandemonium's first person narrator. At age six, Del was taken over by a demon called Hellion (kind of a scary, more dangerous, version of Dennis the Menace). Though he seemed to make a full recovery, recent events suggest that the demon never left. The story follows Del's efforts to get to the root of his problem through to its ultimate resolution.
Demonic possession is well outside my usual reading beat, but this book seemed to be attracting a lot of positive attention, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Overall verdict: I thought "Pandemonium" was a fairly decent story, but nothing exceptional.
Strengths
Daryl Gregory writes well.
Pacing was good.
Decent plot with a reasonably satisfactory resolution.
COMPLETELY VAMPIRE-FREE!!!
PALINDROMES!!!
It's short.
Weaknesses
The alternate reality that is the setting for the story is not particularly convincing.
The development is a little perfunctory - Gregory keeps a tight focus on Del's story arc and doesn't really explore his premise beyond what he needs to resolve Del's situation.
At times the exposition was a little too oblique - key plot developments were not always clear, or details were blurred.
The little in-joke references to Philip K Dick, AE van Vogt, and the like may delight SciFi aficionados, but they sailed right over my ignorant head.
COMPLETELY VAMPIRE-FREE!!!
*Think Oscar, the kitty of doom.
(http://stupac2.blogspot.com/2007/08/o...)
The issue has become urgent for Del, Pandemonium's first person narrator. At age six, Del was taken over by a demon called Hellion (kind of a scary, more dangerous, version of Dennis the Menace). Though he seemed to make a full recovery, recent events suggest that the demon never left. The story follows Del's efforts to get to the root of his problem through to its ultimate resolution.
Demonic possession is well outside my usual reading beat, but this book seemed to be attracting a lot of positive attention, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Overall verdict: I thought "Pandemonium" was a fairly decent story, but nothing exceptional.
Strengths
Daryl Gregory writes well.
Pacing was good.
Decent plot with a reasonably satisfactory resolution.
COMPLETELY VAMPIRE-FREE!!!
PALINDROMES!!!
It's short.
Weaknesses
The alternate reality that is the setting for the story is not particularly convincing.
The development is a little perfunctory - Gregory keeps a tight focus on Del's story arc and doesn't really explore his premise beyond what he needs to resolve Del's situation.
At times the exposition was a little too oblique - key plot developments were not always clear, or details were blurred.
The little in-joke references to Philip K Dick, AE van Vogt, and the like may delight SciFi aficionados, but they sailed right over my ignorant head.
COMPLETELY VAMPIRE-FREE!!!
*Think Oscar, the kitty of doom.
(http://stupac2.blogspot.com/2007/08/o...)
February 14, 2010
Gregory's debut novel about demonic possessions is a very well written, fast page turner. This, like others have said is better viewed as a literary novel that contains fantastical elements and should be viewed accordingly. I really liked the premise, the pacing, and the character development. I look forward to more from Daryl Gregory.
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