Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Alfred A. Knopf (1991), Edition: 1st, 401 pages
Description
Exploring questions of guilt and responsibility, the second book in Thomas M. Disch's Supernatural Minnesota series, The M.D., is a satisfying mix of dark humor, biting social commentary, and terrifying horror. Given the power to heal or to harm by the Roman god Mercury through a magical staff, the caduceus, young Billy Michaels embarks on a lifelong journey of inflicting good and evil on those who cross his path. Wielding the caduceus, Billy, and later the grown-up, greedy physician William, can only cure in proportion to the amount of suffering he inflicts. From paralyzing his brother and mutilating schoolmates to wreaking a nationwide plague and running for-profit concentration camps for the sick, Michaels's powers spin quickly out of control.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Marlene-NL
Back in my Stephen King days I was always trying to find a writer like him. Well Thomas M. Disch is not like him but in his own way, just as good.
It ha been so long since I've read this book (Read it in Dutch and still have a Dutch copy) but i do remember I loved this book.
So If you like King, try
It ha been so long since I've read this book (Read it in Dutch and still have a Dutch copy) but i do remember I loved this book.
So If you like King, try
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this book. Very good blend mixing horror and fantasy. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheTwoDs
The M.D. offers an intriguing premise: what if the ancient Greek gods were real? In mythology they often actively intervened in the lives of mortals. In this novel, the god Mercury offers godlike powers to young Billy Michaels in exchange for his worship. Billy receives the caduceus, the ancient
Thomas Disch offers many prescient insights of the "future", including a degraded environment, catastrophic plagues, climate change and worldwide economic meltdown. Impressive, considering this novel was published in 1991 and divides its setting between the 1970s and 1999.
What comes across loud and clear is Disch's dislike of religion, both the organized and fundamentalist flavors. Readers of the same persuasion may find themselves knowingly chuckling along with his sly observations. And the character of Judge perfectly illustrates blind, fundamentalist devotion to dogma and demagoguery.
While the story itself is interesting and I was excited to find out what became of the characters, the pace is uneven, flagging in the middle before picking up again at the end. The mix of politics, science, medicine, religion and family drama (almost all of the adults are remarried divorcees which makes keeping tracks of all of the family combinations a bit tedious) overwhelms the plot at times.
Recommended for fans of science-based horror, such as the novels of Robin Cook, though this is much more far-fetched and requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief.
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symbol of medicine consisting of twisted sticks topped with the dessicated carcass of a bird, and with it can cast spells to heal and protect anything. However, much like anything so powerful, there is a catch. In order to keep the caduceus charged with its magical power, Billy must perform an equal amount of damaging spells with it. Hence, for ever person he saves, he must injure another. When he grows up to become a doctor, he truly plays god.Thomas Disch offers many prescient insights of the "future", including a degraded environment, catastrophic plagues, climate change and worldwide economic meltdown. Impressive, considering this novel was published in 1991 and divides its setting between the 1970s and 1999.
What comes across loud and clear is Disch's dislike of religion, both the organized and fundamentalist flavors. Readers of the same persuasion may find themselves knowingly chuckling along with his sly observations. And the character of Judge perfectly illustrates blind, fundamentalist devotion to dogma and demagoguery.
While the story itself is interesting and I was excited to find out what became of the characters, the pace is uneven, flagging in the middle before picking up again at the end. The mix of politics, science, medicine, religion and family drama (almost all of the adults are remarried divorcees which makes keeping tracks of all of the family combinations a bit tedious) overwhelms the plot at times.
Recommended for fans of science-based horror, such as the novels of Robin Cook, though this is much more far-fetched and requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief.
Show Less
LibraryThing member coloradogirl14
The book started off on a promising premise - a Greek god come to life and a 5 year old boy with the power to play God himself - but the middle of the book became tangled with complex character relationships and unfocused thematic issues. It seems as though Disch was unable to decide what was most
It was also hard to find a character to sympathize with, and the writing style, which jumped from character to character so frequently that it gave me literary whiplash, did nothing to help me invest in the story. Perhaps the book would have been better if Disch had limited his writing to just a few select points of view, but the point is moot.
Thankfully, the book came together better than I expected, and the book did have a few truly horrifying moments, mainly in the beginning. But I wouldn't bother reading this one...Stephen King may have given it a good review, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why.
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important to the story, so rather than cut certain elements out, he combined everything and hoped that it would turn out okay. It was also hard to find a character to sympathize with, and the writing style, which jumped from character to character so frequently that it gave me literary whiplash, did nothing to help me invest in the story. Perhaps the book would have been better if Disch had limited his writing to just a few select points of view, but the point is moot.
Thankfully, the book came together better than I expected, and the book did have a few truly horrifying moments, mainly in the beginning. But I wouldn't bother reading this one...Stephen King may have given it a good review, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Novel — 1991)
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
039458662X / 9780394586625