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75th out of 215 books
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447 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Pandemonium
by
Daryl Gregory (Goodreads Author)
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...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
August 26th 2008
by Del Rey
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Stephen
rated it
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 thos...more
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 thos...more
view all 15 comments
vladimir
rated it
Recommends it for:
fans of unconventional fantasy; Jungian psychology; Joseph Campbell
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...more
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...more
As a comic book and Philip K. Dick fan, the premise of this book had me hooked. Pop culture archetypes have spawned demons that possess human hosts, temporarily transferring their supernatural, albeit one-dimensional, abilities to the host, who is left with no memory of their possessed behavior. The host may also be missing body parts and more, depending on the demon. The narrator is Del, a man whose life was left in shambles by his childhood possession by a demon named The Hellion. One of t...more
I was thoroughly drawn in by the concept of this book, that of people in modern times being possessed by archetypes from the collective unconscious. Society has no consensus on the reason for this phenomenon, and people debate both the cause and the cure. But a good concept will only take you so far. The author overindulged in pop culture references. And as more specifics of the plot were revealed, I found the book holding my attention less and less. It was a fun read nonetheless.
I don't really know what to say about this book, except that I found myself very involved in a very short time. It seems to be one thing when you start, and then you get an inkling that things are not as they seem, and then you figure it out - and yet, you still keep reading, mostly due to the fact that you're heavily invested in the lead character, Del.
I thought it was an interesting take on what could possibly be some sort of mental illness, the idea that these people are actually...more
I thought it was an interesting take on what could possibly be some sort of mental illness, the idea that these people are actually...more
I really enjoyed this book, even though it just about broke my heart at the end. That is actually praise, because any book that makes me care about the characters enough to hurt for them is a win as far as I am concerned.
Honestly, I think it helps a lot in appreciating this book if you have a background in classic science fiction. At the very least, it enables you to appreciate both the ironic and the humorous elements in the book. But in general, the book is a riveting read. It ...more
Honestly, I think it helps a lot in appreciating this book if you have a background in classic science fiction. At the very least, it enables you to appreciate both the ironic and the humorous elements in the book. But in general, the book is a riveting read. It ...more
Daryl Gregory’s debut novel, Pandemonium is a captivating and thought-provoking example of science fiction literature. I will definitely be picking up The Devil’s Alphabet at some point in the near future.
What drew me in initially (besides the amazing synopsis) was Daryl Gregory’s writing style. His writing is beautifully descriptive and draws you into the story and lives of the characters. I was never bored and often had to drag myself away. The main character, Del, goes through such ...more
What drew me in initially (besides the amazing synopsis) was Daryl Gregory’s writing style. His writing is beautifully descriptive and draws you into the story and lives of the characters. I was never bored and often had to drag myself away. The main character, Del, goes through such ...more
The thing about books: Much of the time, the book you decide to read has no marketing push, no clear indication of its target audience until you've invested, at the least, a few dozen pages. Books simply have no trailers. Books often have no (or very few) reviews. Even the blurbs that coat the back and front matter are often misleading, coming from no-names and friends of the author, or second and third tier publications.
Movies don't. With movies, you get all of the above in abundan...more
Movies don't. With movies, you get all of the above in abundan...more
Besides the striking cover, what first drew me into this book was its unique premise. In the author’s version of our own world, strange forces have begun possessing humans for short periods of time. Each force or demon has a personality - of sorts- and a set of tasks it makes the possessed perform, regardless of the well being of their host. One such demon, The Little Angel, possesses little girls with long, curly blond hair and takes them to hospitals where they kill the terminally ill with ...more
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 pleth...more
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 ...more
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 ...more
I swear, Daryl Gregory writes some of the most interesting, original premises I’ve ever seen. In this, his first novel, it’s possession by entities that everybody calls demons, but are clearly cultural archetypes – the Captain is Captain America, the Truth is a Dick Tracy/noir pulp hero, the Hellion is Katzenjammer Kids meets Dennis the Menace, and the Little Angel is Shirley Temple meets the World War I “Angel of the Battlefield.” And, well, everyone in the book is smart enough to know that; I ...more
That was quite wonderful, actually. There were a few moments in the middle where I thought about abandoning the book altogether because I thought I knew how Gregory would end it, or at least wasn't interested in finding out. I underestimated him a lot, because the ending of this novel is amazing, utterly different than what you might expect from this sort of thing. It's thoughtful, original, moving, and just amazingly well-done. Obviously Gregory is a thoughtful writer; the premise is clever, an...more
This book was a quick, easy read, littered with pop-culture references (a couple of which are good enough I won't spoil 'em), and reminded me, more than anything else, of the old Wild Cards series edited by a then-far-less-famous George R. R. Martin (Find those in Ppb if you can, they're worth it!). In the world's internal mythology I found echoes of Wild Cards' Aces and Jokers, although Pandemonium is a different sort of book, a bit more angsty. Basic premise: in the 1950s, like the book blurb...more
Bookmarks Magazine
added it
Reviewers were happy to see a fresh take on a well-worn subject of sci-fi and horror stories: demonic possession. They suggested that by creating a world where demons are commonplace, Gregory has in fact found a way of making the subject novel. Critics were even more impressed by Pandemonium's well-developed characters. As one reviewer noted, the possessions of the story affect the trajectories of the characters' lives in the same way as mental illness, without transforming this novel into an al
...more
I learned recently that the word pandemonium was first coined by John Milton in Paradise Lost. It was originially rendered Pandæmonium and, yes, Pan and Daemon are references to demon or demons. Pandemonium is the abode of all the demons, specifically in Milton it was the capital of Hell. And what is hell but a wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos?
Trivia aside this was a great first novel. I was attracted to it originally by the references to the writings of Phillip ...more
Trivia aside this was a great first novel. I was attracted to it originally by the references to the writings of Phillip ...more
J.
rated it
Recommends it for:
urban fantasy fans with a geeky, academic bent
Recommended to J. by:
someone on a message board
In Pandemonium, demonic possession is a natural menace of everyday life--it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it causes chaos and a confusion and quite a bit of paperwork. Our intrepid hero was possessed as a child, and it's certainly made a mess of his life. Of course, as with every good book, things can always get worse. As demons begin encroached upon his life more and more, he's got to find a way to stop the pandemonium.
I'm being deliberately vague in my synopsis. Suffic...more
I'm being deliberately vague in my synopsis. Suffic...more
Pandemonium is set in a world similar to our own, but it's a world in which demonic possession is a real, scientifically-validated phenomenon. Most demons possess their victims for only a few minutes or hours, after which they move on to their next host, leaving the erstwhile hostage bewildered and frightened. Most.
Del Pierce was possessed as a young boy by a demon known as The Hellion...only as an adult, it now appears that The Hellion never left. This book deals with Del's attem...more
Del Pierce was possessed as a young boy by a demon known as The Hellion...only as an adult, it now appears that The Hellion never left. This book deals with Del's attem...more
This book has a great title, and the cover illustration really drew me in. I'm happy to report that what I found between the covers was just as good as the outside led me to anticipate.
This story moves right along, drawing you in to a world that is very apparently set at an angle to the reality most of us know. Anyone who calls his mother the Cyclops is bound to lead an interesting life. In fact, the characters inhabit a world where the characters from the mind of one man can, at will...more
This story moves right along, drawing you in to a world that is very apparently set at an angle to the reality most of us know. Anyone who calls his mother the Cyclops is bound to lead an interesting life. In fact, the characters inhabit a world where the characters from the mind of one man can, at will...more
I haven't been as relieved to finish a novel in a very long time but I write that reluctantly.
The scope and ideas behind the book are fantastic; Jung, Sci-Fi, possession, spirituality, technology...and I could go on. However, this doesn't mean that they mix very well, at least not in this case, that of a first published novel.
Daryl Gregory is a well known short story writer and in this book he has still not mastered the art of moving between short fiction and novels. There wer...more
The scope and ideas behind the book are fantastic; Jung, Sci-Fi, possession, spirituality, technology...and I could go on. However, this doesn't mean that they mix very well, at least not in this case, that of a first published novel.
Daryl Gregory is a well known short story writer and in this book he has still not mastered the art of moving between short fiction and novels. There wer...more
I picked up Pandemonium chiefly because of some good word-of-mouth from the likes of Bill Willingham and Chris Roberson, and I was blown away! I don't think I've been as impressed with a debut novel since Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box.
I don't really know what to say about Pandemonium except that it's great. If the synopsis sounds like your thing at all, then I recommend checking it out.
I don't really know what to say about Pandemonium except that it's great. If the synopsis sounds like your thing at all, then I recommend checking it out.
I so enjoyed this novel I was spurred to learn more about the author. Much to my surprise, this is Mr. Gregory's debut novel.. and that's quite promising indeed!
This is a clever reinvention of the concept of superheroes/villains, wherein superhero/villain archetypes appear as disembodied beings who periodically take over the bodies of random innocent individuals for short durations.
The protagonist in question seems to have managed to trap his posessor in his mind. The bo...more
This is a clever reinvention of the concept of superheroes/villains, wherein superhero/villain archetypes appear as disembodied beings who periodically take over the bodies of random innocent individuals for short durations.
The protagonist in question seems to have managed to trap his posessor in his mind. The bo...more
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, ...more
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, ...more
This turned out not to be the book I expected from either the cover blurb or the first chapter. That's not a criticism--what it actually is suited me just fine--it was just a bit of a surprise and I think I would still like to find the book I thought this would be. The idea of demonic possession by archetypal figures is a fascinating one to me.
Another surprise was that for the first ten pages or so, I somehow had the idea that the first person narrator was a woman. My internal v...more
Another surprise was that for the first ten pages or so, I somehow had the idea that the first person narrator was a woman. My internal v...more
Some debuts read like first times out: a little choppy, a little rough. Others are smooth and lovely works of genius and imagination. Pandemonium is most definitely in the latter group. While Gregory is no stranger to the short story market, this is his first novel, and it is a wildly imagined work. In an alternate United States, where demons routinely possess people, one man who was possessed as a boy, finds that the demon he thought was out of him my never have left. I won't spoil this--you co...more
What if the modern world were filled with demons? Not just demons that cursed and spat green pea soup, but demons that resembled the modern representations of heroes, or those driven to artistic end? Demons that possessed people at random, singularly pursuing whatever fit their strange goals? Del Pierce lives in this strange world, so much alike to ours, but different due to the phenomenon that mysteriously began years before he was born. And he's witness first-hand the dangers of these demo...more
Pretty good, I hope the author writes more with this concept and characters. One criterion I use to determine whether a book was 'good' as opposed to merely entertaining is whether the characters linger in my mind for days afterward. In this case, yes; also the settings and the premises. A lot was packed into this, and I get the feeling that Gregory could take this novel and, if he wanted to, repackage it as completely sci-fi, or horror, or romance, or American Family, or action fantasy by simpl...more
Not sure I have much to add to the party when it comes to Daryl Gregory's Pandemonium. It was nominated for a World Fantasy award--well-derserved in my opinion. Apparently there was quite a buzz about the novel when it was released. Guess I was sleeping or something, because I don't recall reading about it until recently.
In any case, I'm certainly glad that I finally read Gregory's debut novel. Gregory creates a world much like our own, with one particular twist: demonic possess...more
In any case, I'm certainly glad that I finally read Gregory's debut novel. Gregory creates a world much like our own, with one particular twist: demonic possess...more
A very enjoyable page-turner.
While this is primarily a clever and fun read in a fantasy/sci-fi sense (it's about demonic possession), it's also not a bad allegory for the dangers & rewards of listening to the voices in one's head: the ending here suggests that mystical threats are also promises, and responsibilities, psychic forces which pop culture encourages us to suppress and/or pervert into twisted caricatures-- and that what we should be doing is harnessing these powers to stea...more
While this is primarily a clever and fun read in a fantasy/sci-fi sense (it's about demonic possession), it's also not a bad allegory for the dangers & rewards of listening to the voices in one's head: the ending here suggests that mystical threats are also promises, and responsibilities, psychic forces which pop culture encourages us to suppress and/or pervert into twisted caricatures-- and that what we should be doing is harnessing these powers to stea...more
I recommended this book to a colleague without actually having read it myself; he read it, then pressured me to do the same. I'm glad I did, and feel it's a great book of it's genre. Creative, well-written, thought-provoking. Definitely a must-read for literate comics fans. The fear that lingers with me is the idea that the few hardcore comics fans I know may be generating their passions made manifest, and that those kinked-out passions may be out to kill me or possess my body. I once fell aslee...more
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Readers Also Enjoyed
Award-winning author of Pandemonium, The Devil's Alphabet, and Raising Stony Mayhall.
He is also the writer of comics such as Dracula: The Company of Monsters and Planet of the Apes, both from BOOM! Studios.
His first collection of short stories is Unpossible and Other Stories, by Fairwood Press (October, 2011).
Daryl lives in State College, Pennsylvania.
More about Daryl Gregory...
He is also the writer of comics such as Dracula: The Company of Monsters and Planet of the Apes, both from BOOM! Studios.
His first collection of short stories is Unpossible and Other Stories, by Fairwood Press (October, 2011).
Daryl lives in State College, Pennsylvania.
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2 trivia questions
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“Maybe everyone in the world was this inconsistent, this fragments. 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.”
—
5 people liked it
“Divine essence?' I said. 'Hey, I'm Fat Boy, I'll possess a guy and make him eat ten pounds of chocolate in one sitting! Yeah, that's divine, that's fucking deep, that's like ...' I couldn't think what that was like. It was like something, though.”
—
3 people liked it
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