20 works of upbeat science fiction to brighten your day

Job: A Comedy of Justice (Cover image via Del Rey)

17. Job: A Comedy of Justice

Fair warning: this 1984 Robert A. Heinlein novel is perhaps not suited for the Biblical literalists out there. In general, Heinlein was well known for creating controversy as much as he was for creating some of the longest-lasting tropes in the genre.

Job: A Comedy of Justice follows Alex, who begins as a young Christian activist. He hooks up with Margrethe, a hostess on a cruise ship, in more ways than one. Together, they endure a series of worldwide catastrophes generated by none other than Loki, the Norse trickster god. It’s all good, cosmologically speaking, as Loki has Jehovah’s permission to go hog-wild on humanity and the Earth.

Marga and Alex work their way back towards Kansas, though they are constantly sidetracked by alternate realities and odd misfortunes. Eventually, Alex starts to suspect that he is some sort of modern analogue to Job.

Eventually, the Rapture happens. Alex goes to heaven, but discovers that the pagan Marga isn’t there. That makes heaven less delightful for the young man, especially considering that this heaven is meant to go on for all of eternity. With that kind of lonely forever populated by disdainful angels stretching out before him, Alex can’t deal.

So, he sets off on another journey to find his girlfriend. He crosses through hell and goes even further in his quest to meet up with Marga again. Along the way, Heinlein strongly implies that hell is much more fun, or at least more interesting, than heaven.

For all of the the gloominess of the apocalypse, Job is a surprisingly upbeat and funny book. If you can stand a little blasphemy, it’s worth checking out.