Daryl Gregory

Gregory seems endlessly inventive; this novel is set in a world with irrefutable proof that we live in a simulation, including Impossibles, which are phenomena that can’t be explained using physics (as well as a weekly text reminder that we are living in a simulation beamed to everyone’s brain—not clear what happens if the recipient can’t read). Some have responded with nihilism, considering everyone else (except perhaps fellow gun-toting, Matrix-loving incels) to be bots. On a tour show more of seven American Impossibles, a pregnant influencer, a rabbi, a nun (and accompanying novice), two German tourists, a would-be right-wing podcaster and his feckless son, a comic book writer, and his best friend, a retired engineer, join an inexperienced tour guide and seen-everything bus driver. But the trip gets more complicated when a fugitive joins them. Her mission is mysterious but urgent. Each of the characters has a distinctive perspective—the Engineer (“The thing is ridiculously oversized and out of scale, like a Koons Balloon Dog. He also doesn’t know how he feels when he looks at a Koons Balloon Dog.”), the Realist’s Son (“Why was anyone shocked that the world was not in our control, and that nothing we did mattered? The Simulators could hit reset at any time. Or climate change would kill us all. Same difference.”), and so on. I loved it. show less

I'm torn between calling this a work of science fiction, fantasy, or plain fiction, though there's nothing plain about it. The protagonists are the Amazing Telemachus family. Patriarch Teddy, now in his 70s, was a top stage magician who feigned magical powers. His three now adult children and grandchildren, however, have true magical abilities, which they inherited from their late grandmother, Maureen Telemachus, a talented astral traveler. Youngest Buddy sees the future, middle offspring show more Frankie has unreliable telekinesis, and oldest Irene is a human lie detector. Her teenage son Matty, at the start of the novel, has discovered his ability to travel outside his body. Despite of or due to their abilities and one-time claim to fame as a family act, before they were disgraced on national television, the Telemachuses are a dysfunctional bunch, constantly at odds with each other and their own ambitions.

Frankie, in financial difficulty, is looking for a quick fix. Irene, unable to accept the everyday lies people tell her, is distrustful of everyone. Buddy, having seen a bleak future, is stuck trying to live out the life he's foreseen. Teddy has befriended the daughter-in-law of the mobster he once worked for until things went sour. And Matty has discovered both the thrill of OBEs (out of body experiences) and puberty. Then, to give the dynamic more gravity, there's the specter of the government operative who once used psychics to spy on Russians during the Cold War. Maureen had been his star psychic warrior and he's hoping one of her grandchildren, mainly Matty, can fill her shoes.

Gregory weaves the stories of the Telemachus family in alternating viewpoint chapters, slowly bringing all the disparate elements together in a madcap climax that is both thrilling and poignant. I came to love these quirky characters and I would love to read more about them. show less

I enjoyed the hell out of this novella!

A small group of torture survivors are brought together by their doctor for experimental group therapy. These people have been through the most horrible things imaginable. Seriously, it's bad.

What begins as therapeutic meetings for this group eventually morphs into something else. Something otherworldly. Something that is not quite finished.

I loved how this tale was related, it wasn't a dreary recitation of each survivor and what happened to them. It show more flowed more naturally than that. The characters were well drawn and I couldn't help but feel for them and all they went through.

The only negative thing I can say is that I wish the story had been longer. I felt like I was just getting to the bottom of the mystery with Greta, (one of the survivors), and then it was over. However, I am happy to report that this tale ended in such a way that leaves it wide open for a sequel. I, for one, am hoping we get one.

Highly recommended for fans of dark fiction and psychological horror!

I received this novella free from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review. This is it! show less

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 show more 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. show less