Life After God
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| Author | Douglas Coupland |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
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Publication date
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March 1994 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 360 |
| ISBN | (hardcover) |
| OCLC | 29256833 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3553.O855 L54 1994 |
| Preceded by | Shampoo Planet |
| Followed by | Microserfs |
Life After God is a collection of short stories by Douglas Coupland, published in 1994. The stories are set around a theme of a generation raised without religion. The jacket for the hardcover book reads “You are the first generation to be raised without religion.” The text is an exploration of faith in this vacuum of religion. The stories are also illustrated by the author. Several critics have suggested that this publication marks an early shift in the stylistic vocabulary of Coupland and, according to one critic, he was “excoriated presumably for attempting be serious and to express depression and spiritual yearning when his reviewers were expecting more postmodern jollity”. However, the short story would later come to garner more praise (see below) though critics and academics have paid little attention to the publication in terms of academics' articles and commentary.
These are the stories that appear in the book, in the order of appearance: (Note: All stories are told in the first person)
This initial story chronicles a somewhat gloomy road trip a father takes with his child in order to pay a visit to the child’s grandfather in Prince George, British Columbia. A contemplation of life’s adversities and a pending divorce, the short story features the two characters’ parallel narratives of development in which both father and the child are at frail and liminal points in their lives. Thematically, the story touches upon the almost classic theme of an adult prematurely exposing a child to the harsh realities of life – in this story being alcoholism and the bitterness of a divorce, as one critic has noted.
This story is told in two parts. The story is told by a lonely person living in a hotel, and his interactions with some of the others that live in the hotel. In the first part, Cathy, the narrator analyzes his relationship with his neighbours, Cathy and Pup-Tent, as well as his relationship to Cathy. The second part, Donny, tells the tale of the narrator's relationship with Donny, a hustler, who lives a very dangerous lifestyle. A frequent stabbing victim, Donny lives for the thrill of the dangerous lifestyle. He doesn't seem to care about his well being, but still values his life.
The narrator of this story is a lonely man, who pays a visit to his parents’ house. While there, he finds himself watching television. He sees a report about how they are planning to kill off Superman. This news leaves the narrator heartbroken. The narrator contemplates the ability to fly and what it will mean if the one truly good person in the world is gone.
Another story told in two parts. The first part, Thinking of the Sun, is apocalyptic. Nuclear episodes and war cause a cataclysm that ends the world. These episodes are the only non-fiction in the book and come from Coupland's own life. Flashes of light replace the sun, and those who are alive to see it are reminded of their delicate existence. The second part, The Dead Speak, is a collective letter from those who died in this nuclear war. It gives revelations of their last moments on earth. It also relays the message that the living should move on, as the dead are in a new place and have changed souls.
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