Book Review: Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory

I think -- no, I know that I own too many books. Caesar looks at the overflowing shelves in the guest bedroom then sighs and shakes his head as he passes me in the hallway. I can't help that part of my book addition, though I've tried to quit cold turkey from buying more. And we all know how well that works. (Forgive me, Father, for I purchased two more of the evil bindings of paper and ink yesterday.) However, one thing I can do to curtail some of my spending is to use the local library. It's down the street, not even two blocks from the apartment. AND I can request books online and either pick them up at my local branch or have them mailed to the apartment. How awesome is that?!

Del Pierce's life changed when he was 5 years old. Back then, he was one of the many people who became possessed by a demon. Most of the possessions lasted a brief period of time, but not Del's. His encounter with the demon known as the Hellion, who took over 5 or 6 year-old boys and made them throw tantrums or shoot a slingshot with such accuracy as to knock a person's glasses off, didn't end when Del's mother somehow managed to help Del control the presence.

But that was back then. Demons still jump around from person to person, sometimes acting altruistic like The Truth who abhors liars or sometimes more deadly like The Little Angel who haunts hospitals and whose kiss brings death. Incidents of the appearances are commonplace in the world. But the Hellion disappeared completely. And now, Del fears his demon may be aiming for a comeback via Del himself.

At night, he has to restrain himself for fear of what he might do. And the noises in his head are becoming more and more frequent visitors. Del sets out to find some way to stop the demon, but will he be able to handle the truth about the Hellion once he uncovers it?

I enjoyed Pandemonium. Author Daryl Gregory creates an alternate world, in which possessions are an everyday occurrence and have been for longer than anyone cares to remember. Not only that, but sci-fi author Philip K. Dick plays a major character, or rather, the demon Valis who possesses him does. For the most part, I found myself caught up in this world; then, in a passing moment, mention is made of Eisenhower's assassination, and I was left scratching my head, wondering what the heck that was all about. Fortunately, my confusion was cleared up, but much later in the story than I would have hoped.

As for the characters, I thought the mini Demonology chapters did a fine job of illustrating each of the major demons: The Captain's sudden appearance during a battle in India 2004, The Truth's in the courtroom of the O.J. Simpson trial, and others. Great vignettes, all of them. Also, Del Pierce provided a great glimpse into a man on the brink of sanity, struggling to keep himself in check while the world around him tells him that there's nothing anyone can do for him.

A thrill ride of a book, managing to mix sci-fi, horror, fantasy, mystery and thriller into one engaging story. Highly recommended.

Pandemonium
by Daryl Gregory
Ballantine Books/Del Rey
ISBN: 978-0-345-50116-5
softcover, 283pp.

borrowed from the Long Beach Public Library.

Image from Rascunhos.