Life After God
Encyclopedia
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.
(Note: All stories are told in the first person)
from R.E.M.
, this is the story of the narrator's trip through the desert. He is alone, but not lonely, even on his birthday. The narrator has experienced the deepest depth of loneliness. He stole syringes and steroids, to deliver to a celebrity trainer. The story is a road story, told as the character travels down Interstate 15
, and the journey does not quite go as planned. A chance encounter with a desert man changes his outlook on life.
, Coupland began to look for a low tech topic for his next novel. He began to study the Irish potato famine of 1845–1847. While researching this, short stories “started popping out of [him]”. Coupland’s religious life as a child was non-existent. He was raised as a blank slate, with no religious influence from his parents. He didn’t celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas or Easter.
Life after God is one expression of this pursuit.
The original book jacket for the hard cover carried the message “You are the first generation to be raised without religion.” It also carried the message “Please remove cover jacket flap before reading”. This is because Coupland found the original cover to be a distraction from the text itself: "So the book won't be judged by its cover, and so readers will be aware that they are holding this oddly retro little zero-tech paper-and-word object called a book." (USA Today
, 1994). As well, the story, "In the Desert" is dedicated to Michael Stipe
from R.E.M.
The book was initially met with very mixed reviews. Most critics compared the book to Generation X and Shampoo Planet and found that it was not in the same vein; Coupland’s first two novels defined generations, while Life After God was much more introspective. This left critics wanting. Others saw the text the departure from the earlier work a virtue, and praised the text for being “sincere” instead of purely “ironic”. Generally, the text was received by critics very negatively.
Throughout the life of the book however, the popularity of the text has dramatically increased in both respectability and popularity. In reviews for texts such as Hey Nostradamus!
and Eleanor Rigby
, the text has been referenced as one of the best of Coupland’s career. The book has also had an effect in other creative fields. The Ataris
have recorded a song based upon “My Hotel Year” with lyrics directly from the story. The anime Ergo Proxy
has also named the 18th episode after the title of the text.
The book also enjoys a life in the academic world. It has been taught at major universities, such as Simon Fraser University
. It has also been written upon in the academic study of Coupland’s work, "Contemporary American and Canadian Novelists: Douglas Coupland" by Andrew Tate from Manchester University.
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, 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.
Stories
These are the stories that appear in the book, in the order of appearance:(Note: All stories are told in the first person)
Little Creatures
A letter from a father to a child, this is the story of a road trip to visit their grandfather in Prince George, British Columbia. It is a contemplation of life, the meaning of life, and what it means to be a human being.My Hotel Year
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. The first part, Cathy, the narrator analyzes their relationship with his neighbours, Cathy and Pup-Tent, as well as his relationship to Cathy. The second part, Donny, tells the tale 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.Things That Fly
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 on killing 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.The Wrong Sun
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.Gettysburg
A letter from a father to a daughter, this story is a tale of the father's love. The father tells the daughter about his honeymoon, her conception, and he contemplates on the major life changes taking place in his life. It is a story about love in the religious vacuum.In The Desert
Dedicated to Michael StipeMichael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
from R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, this is the story of the narrator's trip through the desert. He is alone, but not lonely, even on his birthday. The narrator has experienced the deepest depth of loneliness. He stole syringes and steroids, to deliver to a celebrity trainer. The story is a road story, told as the character travels down Interstate 15
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...
, and the journey does not quite go as planned. A chance encounter with a desert man changes his outlook on life.
Patty Hearst
The female narrator of this story wonders about her life and the sequence of events that make it up. She first tells a story of a dog that died of a broken heart after its owner's death. The story itself follows the narrator's trip to possibly find her sister, Laurie, who ran away from home while the main narrator was still young. Laurie had become a drug addict. She explores the feeling of loneliness throughout the tales.1,000 Years (Life After God)
1,000 Years is the tale of a group of childhood friends. It is the longest story in the book. It is narrated by a character named Scout. The story illustrates where each character's life takes them, and their individual searches for meaning. Scout moves away from society, and into the wilderness. He is searching for meaning, or religion, or a connection to God. One researcher has noted that the characters in this story hold "a tacit resentment against the parent generation for" the neglect of not having instilled in them a measure of faith and that this "story in particular, can be read as thematizing the young generation's quest for an alternative narrative of faith."Inspiration
After Shampoo PlanetShampoo Planet
Shampoo Planet is Douglas Coupland's second novel, published by Pocket Books in 1992. It is a thematic followup to Coupland’s first novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. The novel deals with Tyler, a Global Teen, who shares many characteristics of the character Tyler from...
, Coupland began to look for a low tech topic for his next novel. He began to study the Irish potato famine of 1845–1847. While researching this, short stories “started popping out of [him]”. Coupland’s religious life as a child was non-existent. He was raised as a blank slate, with no religious influence from his parents. He didn’t celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas or Easter.
Life after God is one expression of this pursuit.
History of the Novel
While researching the Irish potato famine, Coupland crafted multiple short stories, complete with images drawn by the author. He then took these short stories, and bound them into individual small books at a copy center. Coupland then gave them out as presents to friends. They were not initially meant to form a complete novel. "I had no idea they'd become a book-book until near the end" (USA Today, 1994).The original book jacket for the hard cover carried the message “You are the first generation to be raised without religion.” It also carried the message “Please remove cover jacket flap before reading”. This is because Coupland found the original cover to be a distraction from the text itself: "So the book won't be judged by its cover, and so readers will be aware that they are holding this oddly retro little zero-tech paper-and-word object called a book." (USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, 1994). As well, the story, "In the Desert" is dedicated to Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
from R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
The book was initially met with very mixed reviews. Most critics compared the book to Generation X and Shampoo Planet and found that it was not in the same vein; Coupland’s first two novels defined generations, while Life After God was much more introspective. This left critics wanting. Others saw the text the departure from the earlier work a virtue, and praised the text for being “sincere” instead of purely “ironic”. Generally, the text was received by critics very negatively.
Throughout the life of the book however, the popularity of the text has dramatically increased in both respectability and popularity. In reviews for texts such as Hey Nostradamus!
Hey Nostradamus!
Hey Nostradamus! is a novel by Douglas Coupland centred around a fictional 1988 school shooting in suburban Vancouver, British Columbia and its aftermath. This is Coupland's most critically acclaimed novel. It was first published by Random House of Canada in 2003...
and Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby (novel)
Eleanor Rigby is a 2004 novel by Douglas Coupland, about a lonely woman at ages 36 and 42. The novel is written as a first-person narrative by the main character, Liz Dunn....
, the text has been referenced as one of the best of Coupland’s career. The book has also had an effect in other creative fields. The Ataris
The Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
have recorded a song based upon “My Hotel Year” with lyrics directly from the story. The anime Ergo Proxy
Ergo Proxy
is a science fiction suspense anime television series, produced by Manglobe, which premiered across Japan on 25 February 2006 on the WOWOW satellite network. It is directed by Shukō Murase, with screenplay by Dai Satō et al.. Ergo Proxy has been described as dark science fiction mystery with...
has also named the 18th episode after the title of the text.
The book also enjoys a life in the academic world. It has been taught at major universities, such as Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. It has also been written upon in the academic study of Coupland’s work, "Contemporary American and Canadian Novelists: Douglas Coupland" by Andrew Tate from Manchester University.
Editions
- ISBN 0-671-87433-0 (1994, hardcover)
- ISBN 0-671-71904-1 (1994, UK hardcover)
- ISBN 0-671-87434-9 (1995, paperback)
- ISBN 0-684-86021-X (1999, UK paperback)
- ISBN 0-7432-3151-1 (2002, trade paperback)
- ISBN 0-671-88715-7 (audiobook)