Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and child abuse.

“Benny was confident that intelligence mattered most, and that it guaranteed his eventual ascent to the heights—though when he considered any aspect of contemporary America, […] he had to admit that flash, filigree, and flimflam defeated substances almost every time. However, he had faith that this triumph of sizzle and sham was a transient condition, a blip, in the noble arc of this great nation that had for centuries mostly rewarded merit and hustle.”

The first chapter introduces the protagonist, Benny, and establishes the depths of his “niceness” and his trust in the general goodness of the world. While Benny’s awareness of the superficial aspects of American society indicate that he is not entirely naïve, this passage highlights his optimism and faith that despite all evidence to the contrary, the world will course-correct at some unspecified point and become fair-minded and just once again.

“You have suffered as I suffered. And like me, you didn’t let the pain and misery corrupt you. You have remained nice, just as I have remained nice. This I’ve been told about you by an irrefutable source. I love you for being so nice, nephew.”

In this scene, Talmadge Clerkenwell speaks to Benny through the video message. He views the two of them as connected, not merely by blood but by their similar views of niceness in a brutal world. This video message contributes to the theme of Niceness as a Blessing and a Burden, preparing Benny for the arrival of his inheritance. The scene also foreshadows the impending conflict.

“We should hope the tale doesn’t take such a turn, because Benny is one of us, after all, and wishing horrific pain on him is like wishing it on ourselves—though it’s the kind of narrative drama that makes authors chortle with wicked glee.”

This parenthetical interjection from the narrator is the first major example of Koontz’s habit of breaking the fourth wall. This metafictional technique underscores the connection between the protagonist and the reader by arguing that wishing pain on Benny is the same as wishing pain on oneself. This passage also contributes to the humorous