Customer Reviews

The Race for God

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The first handful of pages in this book interested me enough to decide I'd follow through with the rest of it. What a mistake that was.

This book is nothing but the author's method of treating us to his personal opinions of religion. It shows mainly through the dialog. The characters only have personalities until they start talking about religion, at which point they all become exactly the same character (with the exception of the religious zealots, whose arguments are quickly and soundly trumped, for no reason other than that the author doesn't like them). Once the author starts one of his religous rants, all the other characters fall in line and do as their told.

Long before you reach the "surprise" at the end (O NOES! God isn't really what most people think of him! Whatever shall we do?!) you'll know exactly what's going to happen to every character and event, because it all hinges on the authors overly-apparent religous opinions. Once you've figured out what it is he wants to happen to make his point, you'll know exactly what DOES happen.

This book starts with a comedic situation (Interplanetary Church of Cosmic Chickenhood) but quickly drifts to cynicsm about all religions. It's basic idea is that one religion is as good as another, and none of them are worth much except as a means for individuals to accumulate power. Herbet's portrayal of God is a disappointment, but the reader is well-prepared for the let-down by the time that point in the book is reached. The author creates a few interesting situations, e.g. an almost indestructable android, but can't deal with problems the android creates, so he simply shuts him off or leaves him walking up a cliff at the end of the book. In summary, anyone expecting that the title is an indication of philosophical insight is sure to be disappointed.

Have you ever read a story that didn't seem like a story but instead felt like an author telling you his views on life, the universe and everything (apologies to Douglas Adams who is a fantastic author)? Talk about being beaten over the head with an opinion! This should have been a essay instead of a novel - and a bad essay at that. I'm sorry but this was a great idea that was simply not executed well at ALL.

This short work (394 pages) by Brian Herbert (son of Frank Herbert of Dune fame) is a great collection of all the knocks, dings, doubts and catch phrases of organized religion. These concepts are very important and when brought out in a comedic fashion can be a good start for discussions of "God", religion and why things are the way they are. Instead of hitting you over the cranium with these issues, he disguises them in the form of a story about "The Race for God".

This book gives much food for thought about organized religion and the different forms it takes.

Some of the issues addressed include:
-Why are many of the major religions similar yet they do not accept that?
-What is lawful to one religion may be unlawful to another and vice versa.
-The books used by all religions were written by men and thus are susceptible to misinterpretations and incorrect printing over the ages.
-If there were only one religion, would not that be a dead give away that there was one God.
-If there is only one-way to God, does not that eliminate quite a few people who never had that chance?
-Can God create a rock that even he cannot lift? If so, does not this negate his omni powerfulness?
-Does God only rule this universe?

"The Race for God" does however, have some issues of its own. The ending is quite unfulfilling and offers a few more questions than it answers. The set up of Gutan's character could have been more succinct and less graphic. Otherwise it was a novel worth reading that created or rehashed some good ideas in this reader's feeble mind and thus deserves a 4 star rating.

Sam Hendricks, author of Fantasy Football Guidebook and Fantasy Football Almanac 2009 (releases 1 May 2009)

far better than any attempt made to further his father's cause;
i was able to read this and enjoy Brian as a writer.

It actually kept me wanting to read more. Which is something that happens less often now a days. Some of the stuff included in the story was a bit jarring and could have bene taking out all togethter (Robot with a howitzer for a penis) and the story would have remained the same. Other than that nothing really bad about the book.

Brian Herbert's amazing characters, from all different fields of reality and imagination, bring to life the one true doubt that has plagued and been so wonderfully covered up by humanity: religion.
It also deals with the sexual part of our human nature, examining enough to make you think for a moment where your own thoughts are coming from: your head, or the page.
From the necrophilic, Harley Gutan, to the Grand Exalted Rooster himself, Evander McMurtrey, Herbert enlists you in a race to visit Tananius-Ofo, the home planet of God.
And maybe, if you're lucky, you'll even hear a yapping voice screaming, "O Chubby Mother, Let me rubba your belly...."