Customer Reviews

The Infernova

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This is a fantastic bit of satirical epic poetry by a very gifted writer. The book is written in rhyming verse, which may scare some readers, but having personally read very little epic poetry prior to this, I did not find it difficult in the slightest. It is a satire of Dante's Inferno, written within an atheist worldview - instead of homosexuals and adulterers in this symbolic hell, it is populated with scam artists, televangelists, and those who use religion to exploit the intellect of others. Alenthony makes it clear that the story is a symbolic dream from a computerized future - he does not create a true "hell" of eternal suffering for real people, for such a concept is barbaric and outrageous.

First, the writing: I thought the literary quality of the writing was brilliant. The verse and rhyme scheme was authentic and clean. With the possible exception of literally only 1 or 2 spots out of thousands, I never felt like the rhyming was forced or contrived - it flowed seemlessly like a Homerian epic.

Second, the story: Again, I genuinely thought the story was brilliant parody and satire. Alenthony constructs a clever structure for his 9-level hell, starting first with those guilty of crimes of the intellect, and slowly descending (no pun intended) from there.

The punishments devised for each type of crime were clever and sharp, perfectly matching the crimes in symbolism. For instance, the shades of those who propound conspiracy theories are forced to endure becoming pulp in a paper mill, their bodies becoming the tabloids they used to publish and circulate.

Third, the ideology: While I do not agree with all of Alenthony's personal worldviews, I found the ideology of the book to be well in line with modern secularism/agnosticism/atheism. For those sorts of readers, this book comes highly recommended. Some of the attacks on theology are oversimplified, and some of the theological characters in the book are, at best, parodies of the original, but the book is epic poetry, not biography. It's purpose is to entertain while educating.

The book is not a polemic against religion. Rather, it is an apologetic for rationalism, science, and intellectual honesty.

In the end, I really thought it was a fantastic book. Not every reader will agree with all the ideologies, but within the frame of reference of an atheist worldview, I thought it was excellent. The writing was truly and legitimately brilliant from a literary standpoint, the structure and development was clever, and the symbolism and "message" was clear and poignant.

The Infernova is really unlike any other book on religion that I have ever read. It goes through the various arguments for rejecting religion and mystical thinking by means of a story told in verse.

The story is of course based on Dante's famous Inferno, where Dante and Virgil take a journey down among the various sinners in hell. But in this book, a new vision of hell is described where the damned are the ones that really deserve to be there: the irrational and mystical sorts that have held back human progress for so long.

Mark Twain is a great choice as the literary guide that accompanies the author among the televangelists, terrorists, racists, astrologers, and others. The organization of the various levels is really clever and well-thought out.

If there is one weakness, it is that this book is not going to persuade many religious readers to change their views. Atheists and agnostics will love it, though, since it is an irreverent and entertaining read.

A lot of people will be SCANDALIZED at the idea of a Muslimah who reads the book of an atheist. I don't care. I was raised by people who taught me to THINK FOR MYSELF above all things, and I understand the "stance" of atheism and would give my life to protect their ability to be free from religion.

That said, this is simply a damn fine book! The poetry is absolutely divine (oops, sorry!) and in combination with the humor, is a treat that I'm reading for the 2nd time and recommending to anyone who'll listen.
If one is already familiar with Dante Alighieri, there's even more to like about this book; but it isn't necessary. However, if you've gotten this far in the review, I'd say read Dante, then read Alenthony. Or vice versa.

Read S. A. Alenthony!


(No. I'm not a paid spokesperson. I promise. :-D )

ABluePearl

I have to admit that I was skeptical -- a book in actual verse is a hard thing to pull off. Alenthony made it work, and I read it cover to cover and enjoyed it, In fact, it was good enough to read twice -- I will probably read it again a few months.

Although I don't think they influenced Alenthony, well-read individuals will find echos of Philip Jose Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go (Riverworld series) (where all humans that ever lived were resurrected in a similar way but in an entirely different context, and that also prominently feature Mark Twain) and to Niven and Pournelle's Inferno and Escape from Hell bilogy, which are a Christian apologetic, providing a rationale for the existence of Hell in a Universe supposedly created by a loving God (in Dante's time God wasn't expected to be strictly loving, and apocalyptic eternal punishment was not seen to be as philosophically contradictory as it is today).

Alenthony's work, on the other hand, is derived directly from Dante -- it accurately preserves the verse form, the structure, and the story theme. It is a near perfect rewrite of the original Inferno in a strictly modern, rational frame. It is, therefore, a much more ambitious work than the prose story told by Niven and Pournelle -- and is much more philosophically honest. In fact, it could be viewed as a reply to their apologetic, which in my opinion fails to be credible, especially in the second book.

The satire (and rational worldview that painstakingly reveals who the real sinners are in our modern society -- those that pursue and promote unreason in all its forms, including but not limited to religious unreason) is meticulous and dead on the money, and the verse is (amazingly enough) quite readable. But one of the unremarked gems in this book isn't technically part of the book -- its Introduction. In the Introduction, Alenthony tells in a few paragraphs the chilling story of his own birth into a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the science behind his Rh-factor incompatibility with his mother. On the day he was born, his life and future well-being were threatened by his parents utterly irrational interpretation of a single passage in the Bible, one that caused his father to forbid the hospital staff to transfuse his newborn baby son and thereby save his life, his health, his brain from damage that can range from crippling to fatal. If the rest of the book were terrible (and it isn't) it would be well worth purchasing just to learn how his life was saved and how he devoted his life (and this creative work) to rationalism as a consequence.

This book is both a testament to rationalism and the modern scientific worldview and a piece of deep personal testimony -- the word sent back from the front of the war being quietly conducted against the irrational and dangerous religious worldviews that influence everything from political decisions to personal decisions in ways that make no sense at all. I strongly recommend it.

rgb

Even if you're not familiar with Dante's "Inferno", I think you'll be able to enjoy the delightful cynicism that Alenthony so masterfully weaves into this work. The constraints of the writing style alone - a structure uncommon in modern popular writing - could have been an awkward stumbling block, but instead are used to add a feel of legitimacy.
This is really a fun read, even if the subject matter (I'll call it "simulated damnation") may seem a tad dark. Sometimes, as with this work, it's quite fulfilling to see the rotten get theirs!
While this book might appeal most to those without religion, I think that anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously at all times can enjoy this.
Very clever, at times humbling, and always enjoyable.

I'm a big fan of Dante's "Inferno" (I especially like the Dorothy Sayers translation) and so I approached this work with a little trepidation. What Alenthony has done is quite extraordinary, and I can heartily recommend this book. It is witty and clever--but not that sort of distracting "too clever by half" sort of witty that throws itself up in your face every so often. The selection of Mark Twain as the traveling companion is inspired, the description of hell as a simulation intended to teach is inspired, the fate of of purveyors of BS is poetic and funny...I can't say enough good about this book. I can provide a niggling, trivial criticism about how a section in the center third flags just a bit, getting bogged down as it does in perhaps overuse of manure as a metaphor for nonsense. But there is so much to appreciate in this accessible, fun volume that any criticism seems like a mere quibble in the face of the overall accomplishment. And I was pleased to see C.S. Lewis dealt with, but not too harshly, for I, like Alenthony, suspect Lewis to have been a decent and sincere man who let his emotions override his reason and carry him away from otherwise crystalline thought. One warning--something I noticed from going from "Infernova" to a regular prose book as I read over the weekend: After about an hour or so reading Alenthony's wicked and apt verse, the prose work seemed especially...well, prosaic. Final thought: If you just can't be bothered to read an epic poem, at least spend a little time with Alenthony's introduction, which is poignant, strong, telling, and accessible.

"The Infernova" by S. A. Alenthony ISBN 978-0-9819678-9-9
Review by Chris Phillips
The subtitle, "An Infidel Reinvents Dante's Hell", is an accurate description of this epic poetic work. Alenthony has taken the premise that modern science has removed the reason and the reasonableness of religion and religious practice and after much effort produced a work comparable to Dante's Inferno. The introduction does much to explain why Alenthony takes this viewpoint. Alenthony artistically illustrates his beliefs in this book.
With the premise of secular humanism without the name, Alenthony writes 34 Cantos describing what he sees in a dream with a special conductor/guide (Mark Twain). His journey takes him through the representation of Hell as Alenthony reinvents it. Along the way there are some very interesting cameos and guest appearances, including Albert Einstein, the author's personal hero, to Mary Baker Eddy and, the author's dilemma, Ellen Jean White, through the gods and goddesses of ancient times.
Although the literary element of "terza rime," as Dante used in "Inferno", does tend to take over the discourse, the ideas portrayed are entertainingly discernible. The logic behind each ring of Hell and each encounter is often paramount to the Canto as in the dreamer's conversation with Descartes:

"...One final quote of mine, please let me tell;
`It is not enough to have a good mind;
the important thing is to use it well.'
To this good maxim I sometimes was blind.
So think hard, doubt, and reject the unclear,
And with your bravest face on, you will find
a brighter star by which the wise might steer..."

The choices of punishments are at the worst, appropriate, and at the best, sublimely rich and eloquent. If the reader needs more guidance, each Canto carries a brief, usually one word description of the type of persons inhabiting that section of Hell. Canto IV is described as "Intelligent Mystics", for example.
The amount of work evident in the book reveals a dedication to the art of literary practice. Alenthony's consistent maintenance of the rhyming pattern as well as artistic coining of words highlights the passion in these lines.

The book is highly recommended to all readers. Those interested in the religious and philosophical ideas will appreciate the wit and scything humor of the tale.
Published by Blackburnian Press, PO Box 385591, Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 ([...]) (11.66 USD SRP/Amazon $11.66 USD) Reviewer received book from the publisher.

Where do the nonreligious go when they die? "The Infernova" is a take on the classic Dante's Inferno with a more secularized spin, in which Mark Twain guides the narrator through the layers of this new sort of hell. "The Infernova" is a fine and entertaining satire discussing the many problems of the world today, and offering a unique critique of modern religion. "The Infernova" will delight many a reader.