Customer Reviews

Pandemonium

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pandemonium is Daryl Gregory's first book-length work to be published, and to my thinking it's the single best debut novel I've read in years. The back cover blurb doesn't even begin to do this book justice. This is the story of Del Pierce, a guy who dreamed of being an artist and whose dreams haven't worked out quite as he planned. Del lives in America, but it isn't quite our America. This is a world in which, for at least sixty years and possibly quite a bit longer, various individuals have, for varying lengths of time, been "possessed." By demons? Possibly. By telepathic mutant "slan" who control them at a distance? Unlikely, but not impossible. By free-roaming personalities dredged from Carl Jung's "collective unconsciousness"? Just maybe. But what does it mean that these demons/personalities/etc. so often appear in the forms of heroes from comic books and pulp novels? The Captain, shield-wielding super-soldier; the Truth, a grim avenger in fedora and trench coat, with twin .45s and a menacing laugh; the Boy Marvel, a hero in red tights and a white cape with a boyish smile. Or that another of the "demons" is called Valis and possesses an elderly science fiction writer named Philip K. Dick?

Gregory's short fiction displays certain central obsessions--a keen understanding of cognitive sciences; an interest in families and questions of relationships and maturity; and an obsession with popular culture, in the form of science fiction, superhero comics, pulp novels, etc. All of these factor into Pandemonium, to great effect. To give much more than a broad summary of the plot threatens to spoil too many of the surprises, so I won't bother. (Should I admit that the ending was so affecting that I actually teared up in Starbucks while reading it? No, perhaps not...) I can say, though, that the writing is accomplished and polished, employing a first-person voice that is deceptively conversational and familiar, but which is capable of spinning out devastatingly clever turns of phrase when needed, laugh-out-loud funny in places and knuckle-whitening-terrify in others.

Pandemonium is simply a stunning debut, and I for one can't wait to see what Gregory does next. Highly, highly recommended.

Pandemonium is fricking brilliant. Here's the plot summary version: As a child, Del was possessed by a demon, the Hellion, known for targeting young blond haired boys. There are many demons in this version of the US, archetypes from classic stories, comic books, etc. Del got better.

Except now he's an adult and beginning to realize that the demon never really left. Something inside of him is trying to break out and take over. He has to chain himself to his bed at night to prevent himself from destroying his home or hurting other people in his sleep. So, he goes on a quest to find a doctor who can help him, then one of the most messed up priests you could ever imagine. He runs into other demon possessed people. Almost gets killed multiple times... And finds out that things are much worse than he ever imagined.

Here's the gushing stream of consciousness version: Demons! Comic books! Possession! PK Dick! PK Dick as a demon! The nature of narrative! Reality/truth. Comic books! The Shug! Archetypes! Creative unconscious! Jung!

Daryl Gregory does something with Pandemonium that I forgot you could do with fiction. He talks pretty intense philosophy without ever once making it feel like that's what he's doing. The narrative is just so strong that you don't notice you're going over really intellectual and dense territory. Del is a strong main character, the events are completely improbable but you don't even notice it until after you've read the whole book and been utterly seduced by it.

This is an impressive debut book from Daryl Gregory. The story centers around the main character, Del Pierce, and his pursuit to have his Demon exorcised. This novel reminded me of early Stephen King in which he gets you to like the main character and then messes with his life. This creates tension thoughout the novel and makes you squirm when bad things happen. Mr. Gregory's plotting is superb as the mystery to determine what is happening unfolds.

Dust Jacket Summary: 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.

What I liked: This is an inventive novel. The idea that a demon possession can happen randomly to any person at any time is cool. In addition, there are only certain Demon archetype's such as The Painter, Kamikaze, The Captain, The Truth, etc. Each Demon has their own characteristics and their human host will perform as such. Mr. Gregory even possessed Philip K. Dick with a demon called Valis. Hilarious.

What I didn't like: Sometimes the novel is a little abrupt and it is hard to figure out where you are in the story. This is minor irritation that may have more to do with the reader (me) than the author.

Last word: This is truly a unique novel that deserves to be read.

Reviewed by Matt

I liked the "idea" for the story quite a bit but I feel the execution fell a bit short due to some basic editing mistakes. I realize that sounds picky but when it comes to conveying an idea clearly, especially when dealing with very abstract concepts, editing is fairly important. The problems weren't so large though as to detract from the uniqueness of the story and taking into account this is a debut novel, I'd imagine offerings from this author will only get better.
If you are a fan of off-beat, strange and pondersome things this is your ticket.Pandemonium is a summer evening joyride complete with the top down and the radio blaring.Cultural references abound so be prepared to smile; Gregory has a way with words that will bring your own tender memories tumbling back - and be prepared to cry because he also knows how to craft a perfect ending.
If Pandemonium is any indicator of what's to come from Daryl Gregory, then I think it's safe to say his popularity is due to rise sharply in the coming years.

I don't know if this book has been picked up for a graphic novel style treatment or is available in standard comic book format but it's a shoe-in for either pressing - I think if housed on those shelves it could become the precursor novel to a universe we haven't even imagined yet.

Pandemonium is one of those rare books that, after you finish it, you know you're going to read every novel this writer will ever write. The storytelling is deft and thrilling, the writing accomplished and propulsive, the characters, vivid, complex and charming, the SF invention, dazzling and utterly credible. I could go on. Pandemonium is continually surprising in the pleasures it serves up: you laugh, you think, you shudder, you cry and you're left wondering: how the hell did he do it? What a novel.

One word review: Brilliant!

This is a measure of how riveting a story is - start it in the midst of one the best Superbowl games to go down in recent history and if your eyes are still glued to the page, as mine were, then you know you've got a good one.

Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory is a dark science-fiction/fantasy story, which could be classified as horror.

Pandemonium is the best kind of a roller coaster tale from beginning to end, moving thrillingly fast, taking you this way and that so that you never know where you're going. The world Gregory has conceived, like the synopsis says, is almost like our own until the 1940s when certain key events in history changed because people started getting temporarily possessed by demons. These historical events are just a backdrop, however, for the individual story of Del, a troubled young man who fears that the demon who once possessed him as a child has come back - or worse, never left at all. Who or what exactly are the demons? Where did they come from and what is the purpose of the possessions? Del knows either he has to conquer the demon inside of him or pay with his life.

In his search for answers, he turns to a militant Irish nun (who for some reason I envisioned being played by Sinead O'Connor), a scientist on the verge of discovering the key to the demonic possessions plaguing their world, a cult called The Human League, and his family, who are still scarred from the chaos of Del's first possession as a child. I love the very real, often funny interaction between Del and his older brother, Lew. They have the merciless banter of brothers who love each other fiercely despite the ribbing.

Gregory calls Pandemonium a type of pop culture mashup and that would be one way of looking at it - Philip K. Dick shows up, alive, and possessed, of course; O.J. Simpson, Nixon and Eisenhower, comic book heroes, Jungian philosophy all appear and as unlikely as it may seem - it works.

Plenty of action, philosophy, and witty, snappy dialogue here. Gregory doesn't waste a word. For every twist and revelation that come, Gregory skilfully laid the foundation for it. No detail is random. You could just ride this book for the thrills, but from page one are little clues that point the way to the final, satisfying, but bittersweet ending. This is a richly conceived story that is masterfully told.

BUT-

You knew there had to be a but, right? There's a scene in this book which if the gender roles were reversed, a male had been an aggressor, as opposed to a woman - would be treated as rape. Instead, it's a stereotypical male fantasy of waking up to find a woman on top of you, forcing you to have sex with her. Rape - not sexy. It wasn't even necessary, really. It could have been done differently and the story would have been perfect in my eyes.

So kids, other than the rape, this book is the best science fiction/fantasy I've read in years.

This book and I are like a little kid in an elevator: it pushes all my buttons. The issues of free will and possession, the connection to history and the need to escape it, the deep affection for old comic books and cranky science fiction novelists, capped by a quest for healing and redemption -- all these things resonate for me.

Although this is Gregory's first novel, he brings to it the experience of decades of short story writing and it shows. The narrative is powerful and moving, the language economical and precise, and action and theme intertwine like the demon and psyche inside of the main character, Del Pierce. The writing reminds me strongly of Jonathan Lethem (author of MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN and THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE) in being informed by genre stories of the past but at the same time completely accessible to readers who've never picked up science fiction or fantasy before. It's grounded in the present moment of our human experience and uses popular culture highlights to illuminate the struggle and triumph of our life in this world.

Gregory and I share an editor at Del Rey/Ballantine, who sent me an ARC of this book to see if I'd blurb it. I tore through it in a day. This is what I sent back: "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."

PANDEMONIUM was one of the very best books I read all year. I can't wait to see Gregory's next novel in print.

I'll leave out the summation as that's been done to death. The important part of this book is that it's a damn good book by a brand new author -- well, new to novels at least. It's almost impossible to find a new slant on an old topic, especially in the realm of supernatural fiction. This, however, manages to convey a new slant on an old theme. Demonology, as examined by Jungian archtypes, is as another reviewer put it, frickin' brilliant. There is definitely some room for an improvement in the conciseness of the writing style; the book does wander a little bit. However Gregory does manage to reel you in by the end of the book. And you want him to follow it up. That in my opinion is the best measure of the value of a book -- do you want to know what happened next? And you'd better believe that I do.

Different from anything you've probably ever read...definitely a page turner. The author does a great job of placing you right in the middle of things and bringing the characters and surroundings to life. I hardly re-read books but this is one I can see myself re-reading in the future.

This book is totally original--and I know that sounds ironic, seeing how the author is writing about demons who take on cliche archetype forms loosely based on pop-culture icons from the '50s--but it's a totally original mix. Almost every single one of Gregory's characters has some unique, interesting thing about them--the main character's mother has a glass eye from when he was possessed as a child and shot her eye out with a sling-shot, the guy the main character met in the loony-bin is part of a high-tech anti-demon cult who comes after the main character, and oh, the bald female Irish nun exorcist--don't even get me started with her. She was my favorite character.

I also really loved how the author rewrote history to include the demons. For instance, there is this demon called "The Truth" who punishes liars. He shows up in the middle of the O.J. Simpson trial and shoots him. That part was so win.

If you like things that are wonky, amusing, and off-the-cuff, this book is for you!