Imagine, for some logical reason, that Nietzsche’s declaration of “”God is dead”” actually came true.

God has taken human form in the hot desert of Africa. Sad and alone, God is murdered at the hands of the Janjaweed. Word spreads pretty fast and the world rapidly delves into chaos. Religion is disbanded, people begin killing themselves or worshipping their children for lack of a better idol and, of course, there are the alcoholics who hold onto the myth that God is still alive. Eventually, the world is in all-out, savage war.

Ron Currie Jr.’s vision of a future without God is pretty bleak. The book itself is cut into several short stories with varying perspectives, each one increasingly bizarre and disturbing. Although it’s mostly full of helpless people trying to survive in such a mess, clinging to God-knows-what for survival, and plenty of disparaging events, there are rare moments of hope and humor. Currie creates such an enigmatic, devastating planet that it’s painful to draw parallels to today’s world.

Nevertheless, the way the world works today must coexist with the idea that God exists. Unnecessary war, corrupt government, suicide, alcoholism and murder are all aspects of our world, just not to the extent portrayed in the novel.

Perhaps unintentionally, Currie has crafted a tale depicting the need for humanity to have God. It seems as if God’s only role here is the belief in his existence, not his actual existence. If we currently exist in a way that doesn’t need God and God seemingly isn’t helping us out, why does he exist? At any rate, if Nietzsche was right and we really have killed God and Currie’s book is any indication of reality, we’re better off not knowing.

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‘God is Dead’
Viking Adult Publishing
192 pages
5/5 stars