Oct 10, 2015 10:25 PM
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In “Doctor Sleep” Dan has grown up, but he retains his “shining” abilities. Having wrestled the demon drink to an uneasy standstill — his father had that problem too, as we recall — he’s attending A.A. and working at a hospice facility, where, with his mind-probing talents, he helps the dying to reconcile themselves to their often misspent lives. Thus his nickname, Doctor Sleep, which echoes his childhood nickname, “doc.”(As in the “What’s up?” of Bugs Bunny fame. What, indeed?)
Enter another magic child, Abra — as in “cadabra, ” the text helpfully points out — who’s even better at the shining stuff than Dan is. She alarmed her parents early on by predicting the 9/11 disaster while still in her crib, and has since caused dismay by sticking all the spoons to the ceiling during her birthday party.
The two shiners soon find themselves in spiritual communication, which is a lucky thing, because young Abra is going to need big help. She is the target of a rackety, entertaining bunch called the True Knot, who lust to drink her spiritual mist, or “steam.”(This is a whole new twist on steampunk.) The Knot members have been alive for a Very Long Time — not usually a good sign, as those who know their “Dracula” and “She” can testify — and, disguised as vacationers roaming the countryside in RVs, they kidnap and torture their victims, then imbibe their essences. They also bottle these in case of shortages; for if they run out of steam they evaporate, leaving their clothes behind, like the Wicked Witch of the West when melted.