Review of “Daimones” by Massimo Marino

Strange and unexplained deaths of several species of animals go unnoticed on an earth beset with the misery that mankind visits upon himself. Dan, an employee of a high-tech firm in Switzerland, like others around him, fails to notice what is happening until he is fired from the firm in a power play.

Curious, and now with idle time to use in other pursuits, Dan begins to investigate the strange occurrences. His research is interrupted, however, when, while taking his daughter Annah to school, he observes multiple fatal accidents. Dan then discovers that people all around him are dead or dying. Can the world be coming to an end – or just the world as he knows it?

Daimones, is an interesting first novel by Massimo Marino, a scientist who writes about technology and science with authority, and who also has woven a tale that will captivate fans of apocalyptic literature. The only real weakness in this tale, for me, is Dan’s ability to make contact via Internet and Facebook, while unable to contact the local police. That some people survive what appears to be a culling of earth’s species makes perfect sense, but that technology and energy-dependent platforms would continue to work needs more explanation. There are also a few places where the language comes across as a less than perfect translation into English from some other language.

These are, however, only minor imperfections – that are easily fixed – in a gripping narrative that I highly recommend. Marino, whether or not it was his intention, has effectively captured the hubris and folly of humanity.

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