Atheism in fiction
Posted on: May 27, 2007 - 10:02pm
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Atheism in fiction
Hi everyone! I have a quick question: does anyone know of some novels in which atheism plays a prominent part? Of course we all know about the awesome non-fiction work, but I've never really been able to find any fiction. If you have some titles, please let me know! If there's nothing good, I might just have to write my own. Thanks! 
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Read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
Although they're more about naturalism and science, sci-fi books like Contact and 2001: A Space Oddessy are really good (if you like sci-fi).
I don't know much fiction that comes out on the atheist/naturalist side. Funny thing is, some of my favorite books (like The Brothers Karamazov and A Prayer for Owen Meany) deal with coming to a belief in God.
try Albert Camus, particularly his The Stranger. Although it is more existenstialism, it is essentially atheistic
Biochemist & Law Student
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as His father, in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter." -Thomas Jefferson
Excellent point! I've read The Stranger and some other Camus work, plus lots of Kafka. Quite right: atheism can certainly be found in those works. Maybe I'll have to go re-read The Stranger...
Glad to be of service!
When you're looking for atheist fiction, you go to atheist countries. And who would be the biggest atheist country of all times? USSR, indeed. Science fiction authors such as Belyaev, Efremov (who is an example of commie science fiction writer) loved to replace the notion of God with notion of communism, but they were true scientists doing truly scientific work; and then they were some such as Strugatzsky who openly made fun of superstition and irrationalism (I am only naming the most prominent authors whom any Russian person considering themselves literate would know today). I would especially suggest looking for Efremov's Andromeda, which is an exciting, breathtaking book that takes you into what it could've been like if people weren't assholes. I believe you can dig at lib.ru
Atheism is not a religion for the same reason "off" is not a TV channel
Here's a little-known work that I just finished. If you're in America, it's called The Damnation of Theron Ware. If you're in England, it's called Illumination. In either case, it's by Harold Frederic.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
i'm currently reading Evolution by Stephen Baxter...anything else by him is written with a scientific outlook on life
“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.” – Carl Sagan