James Morrow has been called “Christianity’s Salman Rushdie” by the Denver Post. Born in 1947, this uncategorizable novelist has spent most of his adult life writing satiric fiction that dissects the received theological wisdom of his day — and of days gone by.
Thus far Morrow’s best known literary effort is The Last Witchfinder, praised by Free Inquiry magazine as a “multi-tiered, magisterial, yet cogently designed novel.” This offbeat historical epic tells of Jennet Stearne, who makes it her life’s mission to bring down the 1604 Parliamentary Witchcraft Act. He followed it with a thematic sequel, The Philosopher’s Apprentice, in which a woman with an overactive conscience fights against “Corporate Christi,” the West’s cheerful embrace of feel-good theocracy.
Throughout the 1990’s the author’s principal accomplishment was killing the Supreme Being, an endeavor he pursued through three darkly comic novels known collectively as The Godhead Trilogy. Towing Jehovah, winner of the World Fantasy Award, tells of a supertanker captain’s attempt to bury the two-mile-long corpse of God. In Blameless in Abaddon, a New York Times Notable Book, a Pennsylvania magistrate puts God on trial for crimes against humanity. The Eternal Footman chronicles the “plague of death awareness” that descends on humankind after God’s skull goes into geosynchronous orbit above Times Square.
Morrow’s other novels include the World Fantasy Award-winning Only Begotten Daughter, the Nebula Award-winning City of Truth, This Is the Way the World Ends, and, most recently, Shambling Towards Hiroshima. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania, with his wife Kathy, son Chris, and two adopted dogs. His favorite quotation comes from the British philosopher Galen Strawson: “It is tempting to conclude that if [God] exists, it is the atheists and agnostics that he loves best, among those with any pretensions to education. For they are the ones who have taken him most seriously."
Profession
novelist
Age Group
60+
City and State (For Member Searching)
State College, PA
Country (For Member Searching)
United States of America
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I loved the interview on Chariots of Iron. I listened to it last night at work. It sounded like you had a good time. I am glad they had you on, I can't wait to pick up some books!
Reading 'The last witch finder' (had to order it) from my local bookstore. OH!! If my books could read... Anyway, the bookstore didn't (never heard of you) have your book in stock (in Sweden) she recommended Harry Potter, had a hissy fit when I said it was like a fairy tail, but for atheists. She snapped her nails on the glass table and tried to force me (back) into the abyss with her look.-- blink..blink... I got the book (this is an Amazon ad)
The interview on Chariots of Iron triggered me to buy "Towing Jehova", and yes, that's the best I read in months (I read much). What do you think about turning the novel into a comic book?
I loved your interview on Chariots of Iron. When Joe started talking about your books, I went out and bought Towing Jehovah - a truly fascinating read. I look forward to the rest of your novels!
“It is tempting to conclude that if [God] exists, it is the atheists and agnostics that he loves best, among those with any pretensions to education. For they are the ones who have taken him most seriously."
So true!
I've been meaning to read Towing Jehovah for some time now. Very neat meeting the author here on A|N.
Another detail that seems to be overlooked is that the base in question has had a serious problem with suicide. The point being, that from some reason a lot of people on base are snapping. Most have done themselves in one went after others instead...
Remember when Florida and South Carolina decided that Christian themed license plates were a good idea? After all, what is a better medium to announce your beliefs (as long as they are Christian) than a license plate? Full Story
If the Atman is Brahman and the Universe is nothing but Brahman that would appear to be saying that everything is only Brahman, thus inferring that nothing exists except Brahman, IMO.
There is no differentiation being made (as far as I can tell a...
If all that is true you should be more considered with the Christians in the military. In terms of religious extremism there are more of them. Don't believe me check out Southern Poverty Law Center. They have tons of info on various extremist and ...
These statements (maha vakyas) no where deny the physical universe.
the only meta-physical assertion here is that the essence is the same ..not that the outside world is non-existent
it's as good or bad as saying that we all are made of same fun...
But as someone in the Friendly Atheist forums pointed out, inappropriate listing or false information in this list could be used for libel charges. I think it would be fun to make a "Liberty Libel List."
Jean Marie,
You can genuinely give yourself a pat on the back for this posting. You have opened a lot of people's eyes to the "everybody knows" type of bullshit that passes for "wisdom" all too often.
Well done. Well done indeed! Now if we can al...
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So true!
I've been meaning to read Towing Jehovah for some time now. Very neat meeting the author here on A|N.
Kind regards,
Nate