Good Omens CD by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK, I got nervous starting this because it seemed it could lead to Heinleinesque (SIASL) levels of blasphemy. But despite the heterodoxies, this was hysterical as a parody of all the end times horror stories told by Hollywood and the likes of Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, and Blue Oyster Cult (!). It skewers gnosticism and “last days” literalism.
It also makes a profound statement that the ultimate war will not be between heaven and hell but between humanity/earth and both the other places. This will seem to be one of the heterodoxies, but it should be given more credit. We will judge angels. We won’t conquer heaven exactly, but we will inherit it. And heaven will enjoy all our special drinks, novels, and all the rest of the stuff we make. (The angel character needn’t have feared he would lose those.)
The main thing the authors can’t seem to settle on is human nature. On the one hand they make it clear that humans are more depraved than demons. On the other they make out that being human is an alternative to being either angelically good or demonically evil.
The message about fate and prophecy was wonderful. Reminded me of the end of Tim Powers’ The Anubis Gates or Terminator Two.
Outstanding humorist novel.