Pandemonium is set in a world where demonic possessions are commonplace, but no one knows how to prevent them. Demons personifying archetypes of history, like Smokestack Johnny (the railroad pioneer), the Little Angel (only possesses young girls, sends them into hospitals, and kills dying folk with a touch or kiss), and the Hellion (possesses young boys, causing them to run amok in a disastrously mischevious way) possess whoever they want, whenever they want. Del was possessed as a child, and has had recurring trouble since, which is escalating into serious problems on a nightly basis.
I'm a big fan of this book. It's an awesome concept, and the possessions (in the book) are dealt with in a realistic way - people fear them, but others want to be possessed for assorted reasons, and yet others pretend to be possessed in order to commit crimes, cause mayhem, and get away scot-free. Del is a likable character, and it's easy to sympathise with the issues he faces as he tries to rid himself of the lingering traces of
something that won't get out of his mind. Definitely a book I'd recommend, and I'll be on the lookout by more books by Daryl Gregory, too.
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