SFF

Inside Man

by K. J Parker
Tor. Jun. 2021. 128p. ISBN 9781250786142. pap. $13.99. FANTASY
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Parker’s story takes place entirely within the mind of an unnamed demon as he infiltrates someone who might be—or should be—tempted to sell their soul. There’s a war raging between Heaven and Hell, and both sides believe they have plans to win. The unnamed demon isn’t sure about that; he thinks both sides are winging it. He’d much rather remain a committed underachiever and be left alone to try to tempt devout monks into tiny errors. But Hell’s bureaucracy (Heaven has one too) saddles the demon with a duty that’ll inevitably get screwed up—which might be the plan all along.
VERDICT This book reads like a 21st-century version of C. S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, with a demon who’s disillusioned, disaffected, and just trying to keep his head down into Eternity. Parker (Prosper’s Demon) has written the ultimate mind game; recommended to readers who enjoy his particular brand of snarky, witty, fourth-wall-breaking storytelling.
Reviewed by Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA , Jul 01, 2021
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