The first novel ever written about terrorism DostoevskysThe Demons is also the most instructive for in it he addressesbetter than any writer before or sincethe two persistent riddles of terrorism why are terrorists so new to our civilization and how is it that they can kill others so easily in the name of a political idea As a firstgeneration observer of terrorism Dostoevsky came to the conclusion that this new political movement was the product ofmodern culture politics and psychology. He felt that modernity created a unique shame and humiliation that fueled terrorism. The demons that he brings to life in this novel are not firebreathing monsters but gracious subtle cosmopolitan rational and scientific.