This Present Darkness

By Frank E. Peretti

Order the book!! (LARGE FORMAT PAPERBACK) -- -- -- Order the Audio Cassette

This is Peretti's first multi-million seller, published in 1986. It is a book about Good and evil, from a decidedly Christian point of view.

Set in the town of Ashton, a small college town, the main "good-guys" are Hank Busch, Pastor of one of the local churches, Marshall Hogan, Publisher of the local newspaper and Bernice Kruger, Marshall's "Right- hand-Lady.

The main "bad-guys" are Juleen Langstrat, Professor of sociology at the college, Alf Brummell, the local sheriff, A Mr. Kaseph, who is a big-time financier, developer and head of the "Universal Consciousness Society".

Along with a host of demons and a handful of Angels, the battle between Good & Evil for control of the world centers on Ashton. Sounds like the TV shows "Charmed" or "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"? Well, the situation is in some ways similar, but this doesn't have the action or the witty dialogue. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

While there are some mature themes in the story, It is OK for children, as long as an adult is available to explain a few things. It isn't a "challenging" story- Meant for a more-or-less unsophisticated audience, it will still be entertaining for just about anyone. One way that it will challenge you is that it will challenge you to be a better person. Peretti's more recent books ARE more skillfully written than this one, so don't expect some great literary accomplishment here.

Frank Peretti is a fairly prolific CHRISTIAN author. This book and most of his others are very much anti-"new age", and he obviously feels that anyone who is anything but a fervent if not fundamentalist Christian is an unwitting (or witting) tool of the devil.

That said, I still enjoyed the book very much- Because the author and I both agree on at least one thing- There is an on-going battle between Good & Evil, and that the "minions of Evil" have gained almost total control of our educational and political system.