Book Report: Demons

'Nightmarish demons terrorize the world in this sharp-edged tale of horror and humanity from award-winner John Shirley. A young artist from San Francisco witnesses the demons' arrival and the world's response--panic, denial, and even cooperation in the slaughter. He joins a group of people who believe that human action brought the demons into the world and that the power of human consciousness--awareness of one's true self--is the only defense against them. Then nine years later, in the face of a new threat, the group must overcome conspiracy and the world's disbelief to battle demons once again. Themes of wakefulness and sleep--the struggle for self-awareness against the deliberate denial of what's happening around us--form the counterpoint for the terrifying and often brutal events of the story. This is a fast-paced, finely told horror tale combined with a pointed examination of the ways in which people so often conspire in their own destruction.'

I chose this book to see (once again) how to believably write a supernatural element into an otherwise 'normal' story. While 'Demons: Book One' is a novella, John Shirley knows his stuff. He's authored more than a dozen books, been awarded the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award, written lyrics for Blue Oyster Cult, and was a principle screenwriter for The Crow. Impressed by his accomplishments, I figured I couldn't go wrong.
First paragraph:
"It's amazing what you can get used to. That was a platitude; now it summarizes life for everyone. It means something powerful now. People can get used to terrible privation, to famine, to war, to vast and soulless discount stores. Some got used to prison; some got used to living alone on mountaintops. But now..."

Shirley immediately launches into a vivid, violent account with a demon, as shown through the eyes of Ira, a rather subdued artist. Told through a first person, journalistic viewpoint, Ira recounts the demon's descent from the clouds, their initial attacks, the panic and chaos that ensued. There are Seven Clans of demons, each described in the front of the book, each with unique traits and characteristics (but all grotesque and horrifying). The rest of the story is about Ira and his band of friends surviving, and trying to figure out why the demons have come, and more importantly, how to stop them.

I enjoyed the imagination behind it all. Shirley went to great detail organizing this 'apocalyptic' event. Rules are in place. For instance, the demons are not aliens, or monsters, but demons.
"There's no question that they are quite specifically demonic, that not only are they not aliens, they distinctly belong here. How does one know this? It's another one of those intangibles that, ironically, define the creatures. Once you've encountered them--you simply know. You can feel their miraculous nature; you can feel they're somehow rooted in our world."
Also their are periods where the demons fall still; The Lull, the only time when it is semi-safe for people to move about. Some demons fly, some ooze, some walk. Some talk. Some look like insects, some like animals, some like people. All of them are unique.
I also appreciated how Shirley keeps this story rooted in reality by how the demons affect the rest of the world. After the panic, riots start. Looters wreak havoc on the cities. The president is killed. News reporters briefly entertain the idea that the demons are only a mass hallucination, a by-product of enemy gassing. People live in bomb shelters. Cults offer the demons sacrifices: goats, terminally ill children, lifers from jail. Armies quickly discover bullets have no effect. The world is powerless, and confused, and it is easily felt from the words on the pages.

The story becomes less about demons, though, and more about humans as the plot is revealed. Through the scattered ramblings of a scientist on the brink, a complicated explanation emerges, one that ultimately proposes that humans, attempting to become 'enlightened' and 'God-like', have in fact created these demons from their subconscious--that as thousands of people all over the world lay in trances, in tombs underground, the dark and evil side of humanity is free to materialize and fulfill the 'dreamer's' every desire. The demons are a manifestation of human evil. Only by waking the dreamer does the corresponding demon dissolve. Shirley added another layer by including snippets from Ira's childhood, small memories of his drug addict mother and her abusive boyfriend--providing a much-needed layer for the protag but also giving deeper meaning to the story itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed the issues and points this book not-so-subtlety raised. 'Demons', although at times dry and too-world wise, is deliciously gory and visual, and might even make you stop and reevaluate some things.

Four out of Five stars: Fantastic imagery and emotion make up for the dry, boring conversations and back-story. I would have liked to see more depth to Ira, and more action. But ten points for originality, and something to ponder long after I've finished reading.