This is kind of an academic curiosity. I’m not looking for a circlejerk or books that just say “God sucks, lol.” As an atheist I enjoy literature in general, including some books that say “Atheism sucks, lol” (Dostoevsky’s Demons, for example). Authors of any belief or lack thereof can write a great book, and I read them all.
What I’m more curious about is finding examples of how atheists represent themselves, their experiences, and their various ethical and moral views in fiction.
It doesn’t need to be a self-justifying apologetic, or a bombastic takedown. If there are atheist versions of “God’s Not Dead” I’m not really interested.
Obviously there are lampoons of religion like Good Omens, or more explicit philosophy like Thus Spake Zarathustra. What have you found that’s in between?
I haven’t read the His Dark Materials series, but it’s on the list.
by FaceOfDay
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His Dark Materials was going to be my suggestion – I’d also add Pullman’s book The Good Man Jesus And The Scoundrel Christ. I found it a really interesting take on religion and the bible.
How atheist?
The Girl Who Owned A City, by O. T. Nelson
Breed To Come, by Andre Norton
The Science of Discworld III: Darwin’s Watch, by Ian Stewart, Jack S. Cohen, and Terry Pratchett
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
I was going to suggest the His Dark Materials series.
But since you asked for something that religious people want to burn…how about The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie?
It is quite literally a book that religious people all over the world have burned.