Paranoia [Paperback]

Craig Dilouie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Chad Carver, an orderly working at a mental health hospital, knows all about conspiracy theories thanks to some of his more paranoid patients--dark fantasies about black helicopters, thought control, international bankers and secret U.N. armies. Then his long-lost brother Palmer appears at his door claiming to be a renegade from the biggest secret society of all--the Illuminati--and predicts that the President will be assassinated in three days. After this prediction comes true, Chad plunges headfirst into Palmer's dark world where conspiracies are formed to fight conspiracies, where reality changes according to belief, and where even conspiracy theorists are agents of the Illuminati. When Chad learns that he must kill for his beliefs, the line between theory and reality disappears. Palmer tells him that the Illuminati are about to release a biological weapon, and if he kills the Grand Master of the Illuminati, the world will be saved. Or so the theory goes...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Craig DiLouie's Paranoia was an exhilarating romp through the shadowy corridors of power where subterfuge, secrecy, and an insatiable desire to rule the world all contribute to create a state of psychological disequilibrium. The tension and suspense in this book was so engrossing that I finished it in two sittings, and by the final page I felt as if I had became at--one with the main characters."" --Victor Thorn, Editor, Babel Magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Salvo Press (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930486308
• ISBN-13: 978-1930486300
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Craig DiLouie is a novelist and technical writer living in Calgary, Alberta. He has written book-length works, both fiction and non-fiction, in addition to hundreds of articles published in magazines, books and websites. Craig's novels have spanned psychological thrillers to speculative fiction to science fiction to zombie apocalypse, his current passion. His work has been widely reviewed and praised by publications such as Publisher's Weekly.

Following strong praise for TOOTH AND NAIL (Salvo Press, 2010), Craig has written another novel of the zombie apocalypse, THE INFECTION, published by Permuted Press on February 28, 2011. A sequel to THE INFECTION is currently in the works and scheduled for release in early 2012.

Learn more about Craig's apocalyptic horror fiction at www.infectedwar.com (TOOTH AND NAIL) and www.infectednation.com (THE INFECTION). Be sure to visit his blog about apocalyptic horror at www.craigdilouie.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling What-If, January 29, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paranoia (Paperback)

As somebody who at one time performed extensive study into the possibilities of such things as shadow governments, Freemason agendas, and so-called 'conspiracy theories', I can remember more than once thinking to myself ... what if it were all true?

The fact is, it's practically impossible to know which bits of information or disinformation on these subjects are valid, no matter how much hard research you do and no matter how many 'experts' you speak to. Yet inevitably, when you are faced with a mountain of facts and testimonies and the convoluted histories of such mysterious groups as the 'Knights Templar', that one nagging question will always pop into your head, time and again ... what if it were all true? It's probably not. But what if it WERE?

This, it seems, is the simple lever that DiLouie uses as a fulcrum to attempt to move the world -- or in this case, our preconceptions about 'conspiracies', and about the likelihood that a handful of powerful men could influence the fate of billions. To do this, he starts with an 'Everyday Joe' in a small town, somebody we either already know or may be ourselves, and he turns this man's life upside-down ... and in doing so, turns us as readers upside-down as well. Then he does it again. And again. Until, by the closing epiphany, we -- like the main character -- have no idea which way is up any more.

In the end, by the time you have feverishly flipped through the pages of this compelling and informative novel -- at each turn wondering what could possibly happen next -- you may or may not believe in 'conspiracy theories' any more than you did when you started. But you will certainly be entertained. And even more certainly, those two seductive words will continue to resonate in your thoughts for days and even weeks afterward ... as you watch the news ... as you walk past your neighbor's door ... as you check your e-mail ...

WHAT IF???

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful & Informative, December 8, 2001

By 

Lleu Christopher "www.liminalworlds.com" (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paranoia (Paperback)

Paranoia is a taut, compelling read from start to finish. The narrator, Chad Carver, is an ordinary guy who's pulled into a nightmare world of conspiracy theories. When his long missing brother Palmer re-enters his life and tells him that the Illuminati, an immensely powerful group of conspirators, are about to kill the president and then committ further atrocities against the population, Chad must decide whether or not to believe him. Paranoia weaves many fascinating facts about actual conspiracies into the plot, enticing readers to do their own research. The novel is aptly named, for Dilouie manages to capture the essence of that state --the reader, like Chad, has no idea until the final pages who or what is to be believed. Readers of The Illuminatus Trilogy (by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea) will especially appreciate this book, though it's also a good introduction to the intriguing but frightening realm of conspiracy theories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smokin', January 24, 2002

By 

"flaminggobs" (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paranoia (Paperback)

Wow! Are you ever wondering what am I going to do next? This is the book that makes you think that. What are they going to do next? DiLouie puts so much doubt in you as to which person is right or wrong or telling the truth. You will not know who did what till the end. If you figure this out before it is all over, then you are a psychic.
Also, the characters seem like everyday people. It sucks you in and makes you think, this could be me! Enjoy.