# What's this (Dan Simmons) novel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813 "2010-07-15T18:50:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/1 "2010-07-15T18:50:04Z")
Years ago, my sister introduced me to horror/thriller/sci-fi writer Dan Simmons. At that time, we _both_ read a book that featured a soldier, who was a ghost, or a demon, or something like that. At any rate, he was dead. We both thought, early on in the novel, that the dead soldier was actually one of the _good guys_. Turned out not to be true-the dead soldier was a bad guy. But _now_, many years later, she lives with me. She claims the ‘dead-soldier-ghost-who-seems-to-be-a-good-guy-but-is-actually-a-bad-guy’ is from a Dean Koontz novel called _Lightning_. I’m not buying it, though (unless I’m proven wrong by the Dopers). I still think it was a Dan Simmons novel. So what was it that I’m thinking of? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/2 "2010-07-15T19:37:33Z")
The plot outline of Lightning doesn’t seem to fit your description: > **[Dean Koontz bibliography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_(novel))** > > This is a list of every work (novels, short stories, etc.) by American novelist Dean Koontz. > (The stories up to "Where No One Fell" first appeared in "The Reflector", a magazine issued by Shippensburg University, Pa., when Koontz was a student) I’ve only read Simmons’ Hyperion books, Carrion Comfort, and Song of Kali, but none of those are what you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/3 "2010-07-15T20:17:33Z")
I don’t think it’s Simmons either. I’ve read 90% of his stuff and don’t recall any dead soldier ghosts. There’s a message board on his website. Bet’cha someone there knows. ---
**Author:** ![TheShrike23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@TheShrike23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheShrike23)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/4 "2010-07-15T22:05:56Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Years ago, my sister introduced me to horror/thriller/sci-fi writer Dan Simmons. At that time, we _both_ read a book that featured a soldier, who was a ghost, or a demon, or something like that. At any rate, he was dead. > > We both thought, early on in the novel, that the dead soldier was actually one of the _good guys_. Turned out not to be true-the dead soldier was a bad guy. > > But _now_, many years later, she lives with me. She claims the ‘dead-soldier-ghost-who-seems-to-be-a-good-guy-but-is-actually-a-bad-guy’ is from a Dean Koontz novel called _Lightning_. > > I’m not buying it, though (unless I’m proven wrong by the Dopers). I still think it was a Dan Simmons novel. > > So what was it that I’m thinking of? > > Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Dan Simmons novel SUMMER OF NIGHT features a dead ghost soldier from World War I that is seemingly neutral or possibly good that turns out to be part of the evil. The plot involves an old-school set in 1960 and features five young boys that figure out the bad goings-on and fight it. He has also written a short story or two (actually, novellas) that feature soldiers… “Iversen’s Pits”– a civil war story that features dead soldiers. “The Great Lover”– another tale involving World War I, a great story, one of his best. Greg ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/5 "2010-07-15T22:38:44Z")
> [@TheShrike23](#): > > Dan Simmons novel SUMMER OF NIGHT features a dead ghost soldier from World War I that is seemingly neutral or possibly good that turns out to be part of the evil. > > The plot involves an old-school set in 1960 and features five young boys that figure out the bad goings-on and fight it. > > He has also written a short story or two (actually, novellas) that feature soldiers… > > “Iversen’s Pits”– a civil war story that features dead soldiers. > > “The Great Lover”– another tale involving World War I, a great story, one of his best. > > Greg _Summer of Night_. I’m almost _certain_ that’s it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/6 "2010-07-15T22:39:40Z")
I bet it’s “Summer of Night”. Good book, but I kept wanting the soldier to be a good guy throughout also. I think it would have been a better book. ETA - if it helps your memory, it also has an old school, a bell, a scary truck, and things under the ground. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/7 "2010-07-15T22:59:02Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I bet it’s “Summer of Night”. Good book, but I kept wanting the soldier to be a good guy throughout also. I think it would have been a better book. > > ETA - if it helps your memory, it also has an old school, a bell, a scary truck, and things under the ground. Oooh, oooh, the scary truck! Was it a ‘rending’ truck?? That’s it!! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/8 "2010-07-15T23:08:56Z")
Yep - that’s it. One of those books where the first, say, third is really scary and works really well, and then you actually have to show the monster at the end and it’s kind of meh. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/9 "2010-07-16T03:58:52Z")
Damnit! I knew this was _Summer of Night_ damn me for going on vacation! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/10 "2010-07-16T04:30:59Z")
Color me embarrassed. I read _Summer of Night_ when it first came out (and the sequel more recently) and would have sworn there was no ghost soldier. Shit. Guess I ain’t that much of a fan after all. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/11 "2010-07-16T12:47:35Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Damnit! I knew this was _Summer of Night_ > > damn me for going on vacation! Yes, damn you! Never go on vacation again! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/12 "2010-07-16T12:48:41Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Color me embarrassed. I read _Summer of Night_ when it first came out (and the sequel more recently) and would have sworn there was no ghost soldier. Shit. Guess I ain’t that much of a fan after all. Meh. It’s really weird, the details we retain from certain books. Oh, but as your penance, _you_ can never go on vacation again, either! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/13 "2010-07-16T16:49:49Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Yes, damn you! > > Never go on vacation again! 😛 Well, obviously! The world has simply crumbled in my absence 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-dan-simmons-novel/546813/14 "2010-07-16T18:02:20Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Well, obviously! The world has simply crumbled in my absence 🙂 Ummmm, nah. Sorry to inform you, but just Jamaica has crumbled in your absence! 😉