Slade House, by David Mitchell

Slade House, by David Mitchell

I found this story to be an extension of Mitchell’s creation in an earlier novel, The Bone Clocks, of a world of ‘atemporals’, beings who live outside of time, not touched by aging.  Unfortunately their continued existence depends on periodic--every nine years--feedings on human souls.  They also have the impressive power to create orisons--imaginary worlds to lure their prey into their clutches.  

I can’t help being reminded of the Twilight series, the young adult books about vampires and werewolves, in which an inordinate number of words and pages were devoted to explaining just how all this otherworldly world works.  That aspect of Slade House had the same young adult feel to it, though Mitchell’s use of vocabulary and imagery would probably make it difficult for most young adults to follow.  But Mitchell’s ability to create believable characters, complete with accents, jobs, motivations, fears, worries, and wishes, made it just a little bit jarring each time one was trapped and separated from his or her soul, which was consumed in a quick inhalation, leaving only a lifeless carcass.  What a tragic state of affairs for real people!  

Ah but then along comes a horologist--clock maker--to defeat the hungry soul eaters, revealing a battle between good and evil that rages on eternally, unseen by mere mortals.  In the end, just as the horologist thinks she has destroyed the evil twin atemporals, one of them slips away to inhabit the body of a nearby fetus, to continue its evil ways in another time.... and another book. A corny device for a writer of Mitchell’s talents.  Good writing, as always, but weak premise.  My advice to Mitchell: let the atemporals to their own way and write us a story abut us mortals.