Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Del Rey (2009), Edition: Original, Paperback, 400 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Horror. HTML:From Daryl Gregory, whose Pandemonium was one of the most exciting debut novels in memory, comes an astonishing work of soaring imaginative power that breaks new ground in contemporary fantasy. Switchcreek was a normal town in eastern Tennessee until a mysterious disease killed a third of its residents and mutated most of the rest into monstrous oddities. Then, as quickly and inexplicably as it had struck, the disease�dubbed Transcription Divergence Syndrome (TDS)�vanished, leaving behind a population divided into three new branches of humanity: giant gray-skinned argos, hairless seal-like betas, and grotesquely obese charlies. Paxton Abel Martin was fourteen when TDS struck, killing his mother, transforming his preacher father into a charlie, and changing one of his best friends, Jo Lynn, into a beta. But Pax was one of the few who didn�t change. He remained as normal as ever. At least on the outside. Having fled shortly after the pandemic, Pax now returns to Switchcreek fifteen years later, following the suicide of Jo Lynn. What he finds is a town seething with secrets, among which murder may well be numbered. But there are even darker�and far weirder�mysteries hiding below the surface that will threaten not only Pax�s future but the future of the whole human race.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member rivkat
Pax, the preacher’s son, returns from the town he fled many years ago when one of his best childhood friends dies—apparently by suicide. Most of the people in the town were struck by a mysterious malady that converted them into argos (giant, mantislike beings), betas (red-skinned, hairless, and
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asexually reproducing), and charlies (short, extremely fat, and—in the case of mature males—producing a substance with narcotic effects, at least on other charlies). This last part incorporates a short story of Gregory’s, but changes it as well. There’s a lot of body horror, especially regarding the way that the charlie men produce the “vintage.” Pax is not a hero; he’s often cowardly, something of a drug addict, and in the end his story is about making compromises—including with corruption and violence—in order to preserve the possibility of a different though not necessarily better world. Show Less
LibraryThing member aethercowboy
Most stories, they say, involve either somebody going on a journey, or a stranger coming to town. Some would argue that these are simply the same story, told from different perspectives. So, what's so strange about it when Paxton "Pax" Martin comes back to the small Southern town of
He's one of the few residents of the town who never underwent "the changes," feeling alienated in a familiar yet foreign city, surrounded by his friends and family, now all grossly mutated, either into lumbering, tall argos; hairless, red betas; or comically obese charlies. Pax, a "skip," is a stranger in this familiar land.
He's visiting for the funeral of his childhood friend, Jo, who apparently committed suicide after being ostracized by the other betas, the members of her clade. Her pro-choice views did not fall on listening ears, especially when those ears were connected to bodies that automatically reproduced via parthenogenesis. Some people think it was more than a suicide.
While in town, Pax catches up on old times with his other long-time friend, Deke, now a giant argo. Deke convinces him to at least say "hi" to his father before returning to Chicago, free of the freak show that is Switchcreek. Pax acquiesces.
His father, now a grossly fat charlie, suffers from acute dementia, and starts breaking out into blistery hives when his son visits him. The liquid from these blisters, dubbed "the vintage," has an extreme psychotropic affect on Pax, an on-again-off-again user. He's hooked.
Pax continues to put off returning to Chicago as he tries to uncover any clues he can about Jo's death; that keeps him there, as well as his insatiable addiction to the vintage.
This book, while serious at times, doesn't forget to poke fun at the post-9/11 American society, rife with xenophobia and epidemic scares. There were passages in which I honestly laughed out loud, at the ridiculous blending of satire and realism ("It's funny, because it's true").
While the book's premise is fantastic in nature (with a little kick of sci-fi), were the characters not grossly misshapen, you would probably expect to find this book in the non-genre literature section.
All in all, I must say that this was a pretty good book. It definitely made me want to read more about Pax, Switchcreek, and the Changes.
I recommend this book to anybody wishing to read a story with strong characters and believable settings, as well as a reasonable scientific explanation for the events in the book.
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Switchcreek?He's one of the few residents of the town who never underwent "the changes," feeling alienated in a familiar yet foreign city, surrounded by his friends and family, now all grossly mutated, either into lumbering, tall argos; hairless, red betas; or comically obese charlies. Pax, a "skip," is a stranger in this familiar land.
He's visiting for the funeral of his childhood friend, Jo, who apparently committed suicide after being ostracized by the other betas, the members of her clade. Her pro-choice views did not fall on listening ears, especially when those ears were connected to bodies that automatically reproduced via parthenogenesis. Some people think it was more than a suicide.
While in town, Pax catches up on old times with his other long-time friend, Deke, now a giant argo. Deke convinces him to at least say "hi" to his father before returning to Chicago, free of the freak show that is Switchcreek. Pax acquiesces.
His father, now a grossly fat charlie, suffers from acute dementia, and starts breaking out into blistery hives when his son visits him. The liquid from these blisters, dubbed "the vintage," has an extreme psychotropic affect on Pax, an on-again-off-again user. He's hooked.
Pax continues to put off returning to Chicago as he tries to uncover any clues he can about Jo's death; that keeps him there, as well as his insatiable addiction to the vintage.
This book, while serious at times, doesn't forget to poke fun at the post-9/11 American society, rife with xenophobia and epidemic scares. There were passages in which I honestly laughed out loud, at the ridiculous blending of satire and realism ("It's funny, because it's true").
While the book's premise is fantastic in nature (with a little kick of sci-fi), were the characters not grossly misshapen, you would probably expect to find this book in the non-genre literature section.
All in all, I must say that this was a pretty good book. It definitely made me want to read more about Pax, Switchcreek, and the Changes.
I recommend this book to anybody wishing to read a story with strong characters and believable settings, as well as a reasonable scientific explanation for the events in the book.
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LibraryThing member pmwolohan
21 Words or Less: Gregory manages to depict a town both strangely alien and profoundly human in a outstanding sophomore effort.
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Good: Phenomenal characterizations both in the protagonist and the secondary characters, Gregory manages to write difficult emotions with clarity and
The Bad: Not really bad persay but the story is more literary than the average genre title. If you are expecting a SF thriller, this isn't the book for you. Also, the cover could be better.
There are books that grab you from the first page, dragging you along at a relentless pace. Then there are books that slowly seduce you with strong characters and until you find yourself captivated and caring more than you would ever expect. Daryl Gregory's brilliant sophomore effort, The Devil's Alphabet, is definitely one of the latter. The Devil's Alphabet portrays Paxton Martin, an average twenty-something returning to his not-so-normal hometown of Switchcreek, TN to attend the funeral of one of his closest childhood friends. From the very first page, we accompany Pax as he reacquaints himself with his former neighbors. As Pax goes through the phases of awkwardness, reminiscence, responsibility, and finally belonging, Gregory develops a pair of brilliant characters: Paxton and the town itself.
Switchcreek, TN is not your normal small backwater town. It’s got the normal share of teen pregnancy, amateur drug market, and all the normal gossip and politicking but it also is the only town on Earth to undergo the Changes. The summer before Pax fled Switchcreek, the town was decimated by an epidemic of unknown origin, leaving two thirds of the population dead and the majority of the rest mutated into one of three different “clades.” The disease first created “argos”, veritable giants over twice as tall as a normal human, if they survived the painful procedure. The disease then mutated unexpectedly, creating a “Beta” strain and turning normal men and women into raspberry red, hairless versions of their old selves. The victims of this strain also happen to asexually reproduce at an alarming rate. Last came the Charlies, massively thick, powerful mutants who were discovered to produce hallucinogenic secretions as they got older. Then the diseases stopped and life returned to normal. Or at least as normal as life can be when your town is populated by gentle giants, parthenogenetic communes, and drug addicted men as wide as they are tall.
It’s a strange town and it’s no wonder Pax has such difficulty re-acclimating to the town he left behind. It’s also one extremely ambitious premise. Fortunately, Daryl Gregory proves up to the task. While the residents of Switchcreek are alien in appearance and genetic makeup they are deeply, deeply human at their core. Greed, hope, doubt, fear, lust, faith. Aside from the science fiction mutations, each and every citizen is multidimensional, flawed, and realistic. There are no antagonists in Switchcreek, only people trying to live their lives the best they can. It’s this realism that creates balance against the somewhat absurd premise. Scientifically, the disease most likely could not exist. Emotionally, the story resonates as well as any tale of “trying to go home again” that I’ve ever experienced.
It’s a testament to Gregory’s skill as a writer that he manages to write such a poignant story even discounting the fantastic elements. The Paxton who returns to Switchcreek is a twenty-something adult with no direction is his life. He smokes pot when he isn’t working a dead end job. Upon returning home, he mourns the loss of his former best friend and contemplates placing his mutant father into an assisted living facility. There are a lot of heavy issues in this book, issues that can often be agonizing to read. Angst is one of the hardest emotions to write without being whiny, and Gregory manages it expertly. His prose is fluid without being flowery, simple yet elegant. The pages turn easily and while the thoughts and actions are often dark and brooding, it’s hard to leave Switchcreek behind. Yet when there were no more pages to turn, I felt no qualms about how Gregory left things.
I wrote earlier this week that there is something intrinsically satisfying about finishing a well-written book. The Devil’s Alphabet is well written indeed. As was his also brilliant debut, Pandemonium. Looking at these two books together, it’s clear that Daryl Gregory is a world-class fantasist who is only just beginning an extremely promising career.
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Good: Phenomenal characterizations both in the protagonist and the secondary characters, Gregory manages to write difficult emotions with clarity and
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skill, the story manages to take a somewhat off-the-wall premise and grounds it firmly in reality, prose feels "literary" but reads effortlessly The Bad: Not really bad persay but the story is more literary than the average genre title. If you are expecting a SF thriller, this isn't the book for you. Also, the cover could be better.
There are books that grab you from the first page, dragging you along at a relentless pace. Then there are books that slowly seduce you with strong characters and until you find yourself captivated and caring more than you would ever expect. Daryl Gregory's brilliant sophomore effort, The Devil's Alphabet, is definitely one of the latter. The Devil's Alphabet portrays Paxton Martin, an average twenty-something returning to his not-so-normal hometown of Switchcreek, TN to attend the funeral of one of his closest childhood friends. From the very first page, we accompany Pax as he reacquaints himself with his former neighbors. As Pax goes through the phases of awkwardness, reminiscence, responsibility, and finally belonging, Gregory develops a pair of brilliant characters: Paxton and the town itself.
Switchcreek, TN is not your normal small backwater town. It’s got the normal share of teen pregnancy, amateur drug market, and all the normal gossip and politicking but it also is the only town on Earth to undergo the Changes. The summer before Pax fled Switchcreek, the town was decimated by an epidemic of unknown origin, leaving two thirds of the population dead and the majority of the rest mutated into one of three different “clades.” The disease first created “argos”, veritable giants over twice as tall as a normal human, if they survived the painful procedure. The disease then mutated unexpectedly, creating a “Beta” strain and turning normal men and women into raspberry red, hairless versions of their old selves. The victims of this strain also happen to asexually reproduce at an alarming rate. Last came the Charlies, massively thick, powerful mutants who were discovered to produce hallucinogenic secretions as they got older. Then the diseases stopped and life returned to normal. Or at least as normal as life can be when your town is populated by gentle giants, parthenogenetic communes, and drug addicted men as wide as they are tall.
It’s a strange town and it’s no wonder Pax has such difficulty re-acclimating to the town he left behind. It’s also one extremely ambitious premise. Fortunately, Daryl Gregory proves up to the task. While the residents of Switchcreek are alien in appearance and genetic makeup they are deeply, deeply human at their core. Greed, hope, doubt, fear, lust, faith. Aside from the science fiction mutations, each and every citizen is multidimensional, flawed, and realistic. There are no antagonists in Switchcreek, only people trying to live their lives the best they can. It’s this realism that creates balance against the somewhat absurd premise. Scientifically, the disease most likely could not exist. Emotionally, the story resonates as well as any tale of “trying to go home again” that I’ve ever experienced.
It’s a testament to Gregory’s skill as a writer that he manages to write such a poignant story even discounting the fantastic elements. The Paxton who returns to Switchcreek is a twenty-something adult with no direction is his life. He smokes pot when he isn’t working a dead end job. Upon returning home, he mourns the loss of his former best friend and contemplates placing his mutant father into an assisted living facility. There are a lot of heavy issues in this book, issues that can often be agonizing to read. Angst is one of the hardest emotions to write without being whiny, and Gregory manages it expertly. His prose is fluid without being flowery, simple yet elegant. The pages turn easily and while the thoughts and actions are often dark and brooding, it’s hard to leave Switchcreek behind. Yet when there were no more pages to turn, I felt no qualms about how Gregory left things.
I wrote earlier this week that there is something intrinsically satisfying about finishing a well-written book. The Devil’s Alphabet is well written indeed. As was his also brilliant debut, Pandemonium. Looking at these two books together, it’s clear that Daryl Gregory is a world-class fantasist who is only just beginning an extremely promising career.
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LibraryThing member mjscott
Amazing, best writer since Tim Powers. Enough original ideas for several books.
LibraryThing member justablondemoment
A virus sweeps a small town leaving behind in it's wake mutant humans.
Loved this book. The ending set up for a possible series and hope there is one. The whole concept is kinda frightning..kinda a what if..which are books I like to sink my teeth into. Well done and recommend to anyone who likes to
Loved this book. The ending set up for a possible series and hope there is one. The whole concept is kinda frightning..kinda a what if..which are books I like to sink my teeth into. Well done and recommend to anyone who likes to
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think outside the box. Show Less
LibraryThing member suballa
Paxton Martin, a preacher’s son, is returning to his hometown of Switchcreek, TN, for the funeral of a childhood friend. Pax left Switchcreek 12 years ago, soon after an outbreak of Transcription Divergence Syndrome devastated the population of the small town. TDS, or The Changes, killed a third
I would not describe myself as a science fiction fan, but I really enjoyed this one. It had great characters, bits of mystery and humor, and a few parts that rated about a 9.5 on my ickiness scale.
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of the people living in Switchcreek and caused three different mutations in most of the people left alive. The victims of TDS-A, or Argos, became gray-skinned and grew to abnormal heights. TDS-B victims, or Betas, became hairless and seal-like, and TDS-C victims, or Charlies, became grotesquely obese. A few residents, Paxton included, were unaffected and remained unchanged. When Paxton returns for the funeral, he finds that there are many unanswered questions surrounding the suicide of JoLynn, and with the help of his friend Deke he tries to unravel the mystery of her death.I would not describe myself as a science fiction fan, but I really enjoyed this one. It had great characters, bits of mystery and humor, and a few parts that rated about a 9.5 on my ickiness scale.
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LibraryThing member yael101
Very good, very original. A combination sci-fi/thriller/dysfunctional families tale. Flawed, compelling anti-hero. Spooky and just beyond the curve of believable--many believable elements. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of this author.
LibraryThing member marti.booker
It was an interesting read, but suffered from some poor pacing towards the end and an apparent problem in deciding what genre it was. Was it scifi? Mystery? Horror? Introspective mainstream novel? The author didn't seem to have nailed that down very well, and, honestly, the scifi premise just did
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not ring true for me. Enjoyed it, but it could have been improved. Show Less
LibraryThing member duende
The fact that I couldn't finish this before it had to go back to the library tells me its not worth my time. I wanted to like it, but...couldn't. It wasn't horrible, or anything, just slow, with rather cardboard characters, and too much that was probably meant to be mysterious and ominous, but was
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really kind of tedious. Show Less
LibraryThing member ShellyS
From the cover face with the upside down eyes, to the not quite ending, this book is a mystery, more conjecture and theory than hard facts. Thirteen years ago, the town of Switchcreek, Tennessee was struck by a terrible and confounding disease that killed a third of the population, mutating most of
This isn't the story of what happened in Switchcreek or why, although those questions are posed. Rather, it's the story of coping with such profound changes, how outsiders react to people who suddenly don't look human, how far people will go to live normal lives when normal doesn't mean what it once did, and the age-old question of what it means to be human. It's also the story of Pax trying to find his place in a world when he hasn't felt comfortable in his own skin since everything changed.
And it's the sort of book that makes me want a sequel. I want to spend more time with Pax and the people of Switchcreek. Gregory made me care about all of them.
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the survivors into one of three physical anomalies: those who experienced enormous growth to unprecedented heights, those who lost all their hair and became seal-like, and those who became abnormally obese. Paxton, a young teen when the "Changes" hit, was a "skip," one of the few not physically affected. His mother died, however, and his father became one of the obese "charlies," and after the quarantine on the town was lifted, Pax was sent away to live with relatives. Now an adult, living a dull, unambitious life in Chicago, Pax returns to Switchcreek for the funeral of one of his two best friends. Jo Lynn, who had become a seal-like beta, had been found hanging from a tree in her yard, a supposed suicide. But Pax and Deke, his other best friend and now a grotesquely tall argo, have their doubts. Back home after so many years away, Pax quickly discovers how much he's missed as more and more effects of the Changes manifested themselves.This isn't the story of what happened in Switchcreek or why, although those questions are posed. Rather, it's the story of coping with such profound changes, how outsiders react to people who suddenly don't look human, how far people will go to live normal lives when normal doesn't mean what it once did, and the age-old question of what it means to be human. It's also the story of Pax trying to find his place in a world when he hasn't felt comfortable in his own skin since everything changed.
And it's the sort of book that makes me want a sequel. I want to spend more time with Pax and the people of Switchcreek. Gregory made me care about all of them.
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Awards
SF Site Editor's Choice (2009)
Philip K. Dick Award (Nominee — 2009)
Geffen Award (2014)
Locus Recommended Reading (2009)
Original publication date
2009-12-01
Physical description
400 p.; 5.4 inches
ISBN
0345501179 / 9780345501172