Plague of Pythons
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This book offers a chilling exploration of free will, guilt, and the corrupting nature of absolute power, relevant to any era grappling with control and autonomy.
Edition details
Book Summary
In a world where demonic possession strips individuals of free will, Chandler is convicted for crimes committed while possessed. He escapes into a society ruled by the 'execs,' who use technology to control humanity. Chandler must navigate possession, guilt, and resistance to reclaim his autonomy.
Chandler is tried for rape and assault committed during a possession, but his defense is futile. After escaping a cult called Orphalese, he is captured by the execs, who use coronets and transmitters to possess people. Forced to build a submillimeter radio device, Chandler becomes a pampered companion to exec Rosalie Pan. He learns the execs originated from a Soviet mind-control project and witness their genocidal cruelty. After being offered a coronet, Chandler experiences their power but rebels, possessing a leper to destroy an installation. He confronts Koitska, kills nearly all execs, and seizes the only working coronet. Despite vowing to destroy all installations, he hesitates, knowing he lies to himself about his intentions to maintain power.
Reading guide
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Character guides, themes, chapter companions — plus Character Web, narrative arc, and theme heatmap teasers that unlock fully beside the text in BetterReads.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Chandler
A reluctant everyman whose body is borrowed like a telephone by distant possessors, he narrates a world where a thousand execs rule two billion slaves.
Rosalie Pan
A vanished musical-comedy star turned gracious executive, she drives Chandler through Honolulu and gently defends the masters who own everyone's flesh.
John Hsi
A leader among the Orphalese resistance, he reads Kahlil Gibran aloud as scripture and turns captured hunters into brothers under the rules of this chessboard.
The Girl
A watchful young Orphalese who binds newcomers to chairs and tests them for flame spirits, guarding the resistance with cheerful, unsparing suspicion.
Koitska
A fat, wheezing exec in a leather wheelchair, he tinkers with submillimeter microwaves and coronets while possessed bodies shuffle through his workshop.
Guy
An Orphalese elder whose broken jaw keeps him from presiding, he remains the standard Walter hopes to match when reading the Prophet aloud.
Possession and Loss of Autonomy
The central premise of the book is the loss of individual free will through demonic possession, where characters are forced to commit horrific acts against their will, exploring the terror of being a puppet in one's own body.
Justice and Scapegoating
The legal system is perverted by the chaos of possession, as seen in Chandler's trial where he is punished for acts he did not control, while the truly guilty (the possessed) go free, highlighting the need for scapegoats in a broken society.
Power and Corruption
The 'execs' who control the possessed wield absolute power, which corrupts absolutely, as they indulge in sadistic games, worship, and destruction, suggesting that power itself is a destructive force regardless of who holds it.
Resistance and Community
Groups like the Orphalese and the Society of Slaves form to resist the execs, using philosophy, sabotage, and mutual support, demonstrating how fragile communities can form in the face of overwhelming oppression.
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