”The Demonologist” by Andrew Pyper

On Thursday May 2nd, 2013 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will review the novel "The Demonologist" by Canadian writer Andrew Pyper. This is a recent mainstream thriller from Simon & Schuster that is surprisingly accurate in its presentation of demons working in the realm of the human mind exploiting personal weaknesses and former tragedies to accomplish their ends -- with some obligatory exaggerations for horror effect. Popular writers usually try to find some old Necronomicon book-alike to hang their story on. In this case Pyper used John Milton's "Paradise Lost." At first this seems an odd choice; why not "The Key of Solomon," or the "Lemegeton," or the "Heptameron"? However, Milton's long Biblical epic is actually a good choice. It was published in the 1640s, was very widely read and dealt extensively with Satan and the Fallen Angels, even incorporating our Canaanite Baal (Bael) and Astarte (Ashteroth) into their ranks -- along with the archdemon who is the disembodied villain of Pyper's tale. Readers of "The Book of Solomon's Magick" will recall that I quoted Milton's poem in relation to our Canaanite pantheon. Milton (and to a lesser extent Pyper) tried to give Satan and his minions a creditable, even darkly heroic point of view. This influenced William Blake's "Marriage of Heaven and Hell." Blake illustrated one of the later editions of "Paradise Lost." -- So, if you want a demonic thriller that will make you wonder what you might have lurking between your ears, tune in and we'll recommend one.