God Is Dead

If God were to take physical form, come to earth, and then be killed, what would happen to the world? It is this question that Ron Currie, Jr. explores in his collection of short stories, God is Dead.

When God, disguised as a Dinka woman, travels to Darfur to witness the chaos and devastation, He is killed in the violence. As news of His death spreads throughout the world, Currie uses his short stories to examine how and if the world would change in the absence of God. Initially, Currie portrays scenes of shock and suicide overtaking the globe as men and women end their lives, thinking that they no longer have a reason to live. Yet as time passes, humanity attempts to salvage their old existence and begin anew. Life slowly begins to return to normal as human beings try to forget that there ever was a God to believe in. Even without God though, the people in God is Dead reveal their need to have something to believe in, anything that will give their lives purpose. From a group of feral dogs said to have eaten God's body after His death to parents beginning to worship their children, humans become obsessed with finding something to give them fulfillment.

Currie's collection of stories paints a portrait of a world that while completely changed, is not so different from our own. The text offers a probing look at both humanity and the state of affairs in the world today. By pointing out the lengths to which humans go in order to find purpose in life, the author forces his readers to examine the world that they live in and the impact that they are making on it. Though the stories can seem farfetched, the author skillfully describes the emotions and situations of his characters, allowing readers to feel the shock and emptiness of this new world along with them.