Die Hölle ist die Abwesenheit Gottes

by Ted Chiang

Aus dem Amerikanischen von molosovsky.

Geschichten, die ein ganzes Universum enthalten: Die Wahrheit über den Turmbau zu Babel; der folgenreiche Erstkontakt mit einer außerirdischen Spezies; die Verzweiflung angesichts des Verlusts eines unersetzlichen Menschen; ein Zeitreiseabenteuer der anderen Art; und ein bestürzender Ausflug an die Grenzen des wissenschaftlich Machbaren ...

Kein anderer Science-Fiction-Autor hat in den letzten zwanzig Jahren auch nur ansatzweise so viel Begeisterung ausgelöst wie Ted Chiang. Kein anderer Science-Fiction-Autor wurde für ein so schmales Werk mit mehr Preisen ausgezeichnet. Nun liegt endlich auch auf Deutsch ein Auswahlband mit seinen Erzählungen vor.

- "Der Turmbau zu Babel" ("Tower of Babylon" / Omni, November 1990) Ausgezeichnet mit dem Nebula Award
- "Geschichte deines Lebens" ("Story of Your Life" / Starlight 2, 1998) Ausgezeichnet mit dem Nebula Award und dem Sturgeon Award
- "Die Hölle ist die Abwesenheit Gottes" ("Hell Is the Absence of God" / Starlight 3, 2001) Ausgezeichnet mit dem Nebula Award, dem Hugo Award und dem Locus Award
- "Der Kaufmann am Portal des Alchemisten" ("The Merchant at the Alchemist's Gate" / Fantasy and SF, September 2007) Ausgezeichnet mit dem Nebula Award und dem Hugo Award
- "Ausatmung" ("Exhalation" / Eclipse 2, 2008) Ausgezeichnet mit dem Hugo Award und dem Locus Award
Quelle: Golkonda Verlag

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Religion, Philosophy, Contemporary

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Ted Chiang is an American science fiction writer. His Chinese name is Chiang Feng-nan. He graduated from Brown University with a Computer Science degree. He currently works as a technical writer in the software industry and resides in Bellevue, near Seattle, Washington. He is a graduate of the noted Clarion Writers Workshop (1989) and has been an instructor for it (2012, 2016). Chiang is also a frequent non-fiction contributor to the New Yorker, where he writes on topics related to computing such as artificial intelligence.

Chiang has published 18 short stories, to date, and most of them have won prestigious speculative fiction awards - including multiple Nebula Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, and British Science Fiction Association Awards, among others. His short story "Story of Your Life" was the basis of the film Arrival (2016). He has never written a novel but is one of the most decorated science fiction writers currently working.

Chiang's first eight stories are collected in "Stories of Your Life, and Others" and the next nine, in "Exhalation: Stories".

Reviews

[BlackOxford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Complete Philosophy of Miracles

I have mentioned elsewhere the surprising dearth of Christian studies about miracles (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). This story by Ted Chiang goes a long way to filling that much needed gap in the market for religious thought. It is just about the most complete analysis of the subject - in a quasi-Socratic dialogue - that one could hope to find this side of the Last Judgment.

Chiang quite correctly prefers the more precise term of ‘visitation’ to that of miracle. This emphasises the role of intermediaries between the infinite, and therefore the infinitely remote, divinity and the finite, and therefore contemptible, universe. These intermediaries are, by long-standing Judaeo-Christian tradition, angels - both good and bad, although the latter are engaged in their own mysterious business not God’s.

Chiang points out several angels by name to remind the reader of the essentially personal character of the miraculous: Makatiel, Rashiel, Nathanael, Barakiel, and Badiel. All traffic easily if somewhat clumsily between Heaven and Earth in the execution of divine correctives to the state of the universe. Admittedly there is frequently collateral damage from their visitations - accidental death, maiming and destruction of property - as a consequence of the somewhat heavy-handed angelic interventions. But even these side effects can be considered a God-send. After all “just living through a visitation made many people appreciate their situations.”

Christians should be pleased that Chiang considers every possible objection to the monotheistic principles of divine benignity, justice and regard for human welfare. Not only are the typical human responses to loss and discomfiture handled fairly and sympathetically (only to be dismissed ultimately, of course, as emotional and ill-considered in light of more informed thought), but there are revelatory glimpses of Heaven and Hell provided as the angelic messengers enter and exit the divine sphere. Occasional visions of the nether world are provided via a sort of glass bottomed boat. All very useful context.

This story is no mere descriptive confirmation of Christian metaphysics. There is an important moral lesson that Chiang clearly wants to impart through his narrative: Looking a divine gift-horse in the mouth is not a good idea. If you feel compelled to inquire about the price of miraculous visitations, you clearly can’t afford them. To make the point explicitly: overt heaven-seeking is only likely to get one to Hell in a hand basket fairly promptly (these seekers can be identified, for reasons Chiang explains with deep understanding, by their ownership of four-wheel drive SUV’s). In short, “everything in life is love, even pain, especially pain.”

No further explanation of the miraculous seems necessary to me. Chiang has said everything that’s relevant and needed.

[Cecily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Which would you prefer: a judgemental God who causes suffering to sinners, or a reality where there is no justice at all?


Calvin: “Do you believe in the Devil... dedicated to the temptation corruption, and destruction of man?”
Hobbes: “I'm not sure man needs the help.”

This short story is a rational exploration of supernatural belief. As an earnest teen, I remember being told that “Hell is the absence of God”. I think it was meant to be more unsettling than fire and brimstone. Perhaps it was, but only for as long as I strived to believe in God. Like many sincere would-be believers I couldn’t get past the issue of why a loving, omnipotent, and omniscient God allows suffering at all, particularly of the righteous (Theodicy).

Angels intermittently visit this version of earth, trailing miracles and accidental tragedy in their wake, and people are sometimes glimpsed ascending to Heaven or descending to Hell. Even the non-devout see and acknowledge this, and the authorities collects stats. People seek patterns and meaning in these apparently random events. After each one, “scores of people became devout worshippers… either out of gratitude or terror”. The occasional fallen angels always answer the inevitable questions about God with “Decide for yourselves”.

Neil Fisk is a rationalist who doesn’t blame God for his minor congenital leg deformity. He marries the devout (belief) but not especially religious (church) Sarah, and is utterly devastated when she dies in an angelic accident. He knows she has gone to Heaven, so wants more than anything to come to love God so that he will eventually be reunited with her.

He attends a support group for those blessed or bereaved by the visitation that killed Sarah. It’s like an Alpha Course studying The Book of Job.


William Blake’s illustration, Satan Smiting Job with Boils (Job 2:7).

Job was a devout, wealthy, healthy man, blessed with sons. He lost everything, and was ostracised by all, who assumed God was punishing him for sins unknown to them. (Really, it was just a test of faith, to settle an argument between God and the Devil!) He railed against his unjust suffering, but ultimately accepted God’s greater power, and was rewarded.

In contrast, Neil is a good man, but not devout. He doesn’t want to be angry at God; he just wants to love him. But how can he? It’s like a kidnapper demanding unconditional love as ransom.

The ending packs a punch. I’m not sure what the devout will feel about it.


For other stories in the collection, Stories of Your Life, see my review HERE.


Image sources
Satan Smiting Job with Boils: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Calvin and Hobbes Discuss the Devil: http://theologyandchurch.com/wp-conte...

[Virginia Cavanillas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. One of my favorite sci-fi shorts ever. I love the author, I love the way this Novella is written and I love the idea. Original and disturbing.

The existence of God has been scientifically proven and people know heaven and hell are real. But is it God a merciful being, or is he not? You know he exists but do you want to have faith in him? Love him? Because if you don’t you are going to hell. And what if your beloved partner goes to heaven but you don’t love God so you’re going to hell? Are you sure you want to spend the eternity separated? Wow... makes you think, right?

This world is amazing, disturbing, chaotic. Religion doesn’t mean what it means in our world because religion here is tangible. You know how things are, the point is how to live your life according to that since your behavior in life is gonna mark your death.

I don’t want to keep going, if you like science fiction, do yourself a favor and read it. It won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards so...say no more...

Reviews for Book Lovers

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

6.0 stars. One of my all time favorite short stories. I had not read any of Ted Chiang's work before readign this story and now I am trying to get everything he has ever written. This is a powerful, emotional story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Award for Best Novelette. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps, he thought, it would be better to live in a story where the righteous were rewarded and the sinners were punished, even if the criteria for righteousness and sinfulness eluded him, than to live in a reality where there was no justice at all.

An interesting story, to say the least. It's almost entirely allegorical in nature in that it is a presentation of ideas on the motivations for divine devotion, religious pursuit, and the nature of God. It's classified as a science fiction story though a more applicable label would be 'alternate Earth' or even weird fiction. The setting is one of modern earth where God's work is evident and visible as angels present themselves to people in the divine light of heaven. Their presence is so powerful and damaging to the corporeal plain that it causes chaos and havoc even while they are imparting divine blessing. In one such event, the catalyst for this story, the angel Nathanael appears in a heavily populated shopping district, restoring sight to the blind and healing a paraplegic, while eight others are killed in the ensuing destruction, including the protagonist's wife.

In this reality where the actions of spiritual beings are vehemently obvious, it is also possible to see people ascend into heaven or descend into hell upon death, so there is no ambiguity regarding someone's afterlife. In addition, on occasion a manifestation of hell will allow living people to see into that dark eternity allowing a glimpse of an eternal reality which isn't too dissimilar from their earthly one. People are not being tortured, or being burned in hellfire, but are existent in an eternity entirely devoid of God's presence. This presents many with the question as to why hell is a worse choice than heaven, and wonder why you would pursue 'the carrot at the end of the stick' just to get to heaven. Truly, some who see their relatives die and descend into hell choose to commit suicide so as to be reunited with them in hell.

Some thoughtful ideas are put forth as various characters contrast and compare the nature of God, the reason for devotion, the varying viewpoints on what it means to be devout, and why. The protagonist, Neil Fisk, shows us a rather shallow and naive approach to God, one where selfish desires motivate him to either pursue God in the interest of being with his wife again, who he watched ascend into heaven at the point of her death, or to write it all off and find fault with a supposed loving God who would take his 'greatest blessing from him'. He finds himself in a dilemma upon which his eternity rests: Is it possible for him to love a God who 'took his wife' so that he can 'earn his way into Heaven', and be reunited with her?

There are some things that are difficult for me to ignore or look beyond in order to enjoy the story on a pure entertainment level. The entire story displays an extremely juvenile viewpoint on devotion to God, though those roots are strongly planted in the cultural worldview. My primary difficulty is that, in this fictional world, the discussion is not whether or not there IS a God; His presence is known through the visitations of His angels and the revelation of hell; the question that people now discuss is why they should love Him at all. It's a frightening reversal of query and one that shifts everything into the realm of 'how can I earn my way into God's favor'. In other words, it's a works-based devotion that gains you heaven, while those who aren't devout enough are sent to hell. I actually think this shift in questioning, from the existence of God to the 'why choose to love God' is the story's greatest asset in terms of premise and exposition, but by far its most dangerous, and is adolescent in terms of execution. An example would be a quote that comes from late in the story:

God is not just, God is not kind, God is not merciful, and understanding that is essential to true devotion.

It is a false representation of God as a sort of distant and cold being who grants heaven to those who earn it, which is completely hypocritical to the essence of the idea presented here where people are being sent to heaven or hell. If He's not just, or kind, or merciful then He's just acting arbitrarily, which eliminates the very necessity for heaven or hell within the biblical context, and in presenting God in this manner it eliminates the necessity to pursue God at all which undermines the entirety of the story from within.

Another option regarding this quote is that we have unreliable narrators or imperfect viewpoints from characters who are struggling with their own faith and view of God, which in a story like this would be understandable. The problem is that no alternative to this particular statement is ever presented, giving it free rein as some form of parabolic truth extracted from the character's experiences. It presents God as a being who is acting entirely on His own disinterested merit within His own creation, as if He has some alternative plan other than the salvation of mankind, or, perhaps, no plan at all. The final option is that it's an attempt at expressing God's unconditional love as an abstract concept that distills any meaning from it and replaces it with arbitrary adjudication. None of these options are theologically, or even logically, sound, and unravel the fabric of the story making any meditations on the nature of devotion and God within this universe superfluous.

With that said, assuming suspension of any belief in the structure of such a world, the fictional alternate world setting and the various specks of embellishment that Chiang uses to augment his story are interesting enough, particularly the 'Light-Seekers;' individuals whose only aim it is is to be caught in a shaft of heaven's light during an angelic visitation so that they will fully be able to love God by experiencing Him. This approach is, of course, a means to force themselves to love God by experience rather than by choice, so it is not at all genuine, and the statistics, as recorded by the story's authorities, show that every 'Light-Seeker' who dies in their attempt to see heaven's light in this way ultimately goes to hell. An interesting anecdote to the story and one that attempts to characterize the world, and God, though only muddies the logic of these dirty waters further. If "God isn't just, or kind, or merciful," as the narrator suggests, and He's acting entirely arbitrarily, then what does it matter if these people attempt to force themselves to love Him? If God is purely unattached adjudicator of people's destinies, the "Light-Seekers" would at least present Him with individuals attempting some kind of "connection."

Certainly, Chiang is commenting on people who try to "cheat the system." It's unfortunate for him that he's created a fictional world where there is no system at all. God is just there, doing whatever He wants. The only lesson that can extracted from the narrator's "moral" about "understanding true devotion," then, is "devotion to the self." Instead of seeking devotion to a supposed "loving God" who isn't just, you may just as well devote your life to yourself. This then pits every human in the story who "learns" that "lesson" against a disinterested God who does as He pleases. Is that the ultimate result of the protagonists journey?

To that I ask, "what's the point?"

As a short story and a work of fiction, it's interesting enough. It's not Chiang's writing that is my personal sticking point, but the ideas it uses to create an inconsistent view of God that does not even allow for his own fictional world to exist. It takes some biblical truths and crafts a fictional setting in which to tell a story, which is the viewpoint that budding readers should approach it with. There is little in the way of theological truth here, and plenty in the way of ambiguous pretenses. It asks some familiar questions: why do some suffer and others do not; how do we find our identity in God; why does God heal some and not others; why should we choose and/or love God, etc. The questions and their position in the story are fine as a means of narrative progression and character exploration, but as responses to people's real world questions regarding these matters the outcomes and answers here are illogical, false, and most importantly dangerous.

It's available to listen on the link provided on the book's page here on Goodreads, and is just over an hour in length.

[Negativni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Fisk se pomirio s time da ide u Pakao, Raj mu se činio nedostižnim poput bogatstva ili slave. No, jednog dana njegova žena pogine kao usputna žrtva jedne anđeoske posjete i tako automatski završi u Raju. Neil sada pod svaku cijenu želi u Raj, a zna da je jedini način da mu to uspije ako zavoli Boga (ubojicu svoje žene) svim svojim srcem...

Janice Reilly je rođena bez nogu jer je anđeo posjetio njezinu majku pred kraj trudnoće i deformirao joj nerođeno dijete kao dio Velikog božjeg plana...

Ethan Mead je oduvijek mislio da Bog ima neku posebnu ulogu za njega, no ni nakon posjeta anđela koji je bio otkrivljenje za sve oko njega nije bio siguran koja je ta uloga pa nastavlja s traženjem...

U alternativnoj stvarnosti gdje su kršćanski bog, anđeli, raj i pakao stvarni, Chiang opisuje mnoge nelogičnosti krščanskog vjerovanja, kako bi čak i magična ozdravljenja mogla imati negativne posljedice i postavlja najbitnije pitanje od svih da li možeš voljeti boga svim svojim srcem ako znaš da je on stvarno odgovoran i za sve loše stvari koje se dešavaju.

Chiang je u bilješci o ovoj priči napisao da je prvo želio napisati priču o anđelima kao likovima, ali nije uspijevao, a onda je razmišljao o patnjama nedužnih i o tome kako religijske poruke jednima pomažu, a drugima su pogrešne ili čak uvredljive. Iako se na početku čini ciničan, Chiang nastoji biti nepristran jer ne želi odbiti vjernike koji bi trebali pročitati ovu priču i razmisliti o sustavu vjerovanja koji prakticiraju. Ipak u većinu religijskih dogmi ugrađena je i zabrana same sumnje u postojanje boga, a ako je nešto nepošteno to se opravdava tako da mi kao smrtnici ne možemo razumjeti kompleksni božji plan.

Tako u vijestima možemo vidjeti ljude koji zahvaljuju bogu što ih je poštedio dok je ostatak putnika poginuo. Oni očito "zaboravljaju" da je onda bog mogao pomoći i svima ostalima. Ne vide koliko je njihova vjera u osobnog spasitelja sebična. Nekima i iznenadna bolest samo ojača vjeru, iako ne vide razloga zašto ih bog kažnjava. Evo jedan naslov s jednog portala: Kršćanin oduševio vjerom: Rak je najbolja stvar koja mi se dogodila! Ispod toga komentar autora članka: Ovako izgleda čovjek koji se miri s Božjom voljom!

Likovi se doimaju živima, njihova razmišljanja i motivacije uvjerljive, a sama radnja teče brzo sve do zadovoljavajućeg završetka.

Dakle, još jedna odlična Chiangova priča koja će mi dugo ostati u sjećanju i nakon koje ga konačno stavljam na listu omiljenih pisaca.

[Valerie Baber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic, thoughtful exploration of religion, it's purpose and possibilities. It's also a message about society, psychology and unconditional love. At first, it appeared to be a cynical view, but as I read, I detected more neutrality and it actually revealed itself to me as a diplomatic and moving story that motivates people from all beliefs to reexamine the meaning of their practices.

[reherrma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine der wenigen Kurzgeschichten-Bänden, die ich gelesen habe und ich sehr genossen habe.
Insbesondere die Geschichten "Der Turmbau zu Babel" und die Titelgeschichte sind mir ein eindrücklicher Erinnerung geblieben, es sind skurile und orginelle Geschichten von wunderbarer Poesie.
Ted Chiang ist wirklich einer der besten SF-Kurzgeschichten-Autoren, die mir in letzter Zeit untergekommen ist

[Starch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is the relevant excerpt from my review of the collection Stories of Your Life and Others:

Brilliant. An existential tale set in a world in which Christian mythology is evident, with visitations by angels being a common occurrence (often with terrifying consequences) and the departure of the soul into heaven or hell easily witnessed by the naked eye. People's lives aren't much better than our own, because God's actions are as chaotic and puzzling as ever. The conclusion is both realistic and inspiring, succeeding where the book of Job had failed (minor spoiler): God isn't just, God isn't kind, and he doesn't care about you at all. Even so, the mere act of worshiping God with unconditional love can make life the most wonderful thing in existence.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Ted Chiang's "Hell is the Absence of God," God exists. Souls go to Heaven or Hell. Angel visitations are commodified, with statistics tracking miracles and casualties. Inspired by the Book of Job, the story explores the arbitrariness of divine intervention, where virtue isn't always rewarded, raising questions about faith, religion, and theodicy.

Pascal's wager advises belief in God as the safest bet. Yet, we struggle to accept the existence of evil in a Universe seemingly orchestrated by an omnipotent God. What would a truly benevolent world look like--no sickness, no murder, no natural disasters, no wars, not even death? The Bible is full of violent events--which even inspired Damien Leone's Terrifier franchise--but God's decisions in these stories are rarely questioned. Is theodicy the right question?

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus believed in the interconnectedness of all things--good and evil, health and sickness. Without experiencing one side, we cannot truly appreciate the other. This further challenges the case for a benevolent God because paradoxically, without suffering we probably wouldn't be debating whether God is benevolent or not.

We might assume that God's judgments are arbitrary because people we perceive as saintly are subjected to something objectively terrible. Carl Jung's concept of the Shadow and the Johari Window show us that we may not fully understand ourselves, let alone others. This raises the question whether we truly know someone when we don't even understand ourselves completely, which means there are complexities we cannot totally comprehend.

In the story, many characters seek miraculous shortcuts to Heaven. However, it suggests that true salvation may not lie in passive acceptance of divine grace, like God instructed Noah to build the ark, and then continue humanity rather then providing it ready-made. This suggests we should rely on our faculties and personal agency alongside divine intervention to find purpose in live.

In conclusion, "Hell is the Absence of God" seems to suggest that we should have unconditional love and devotion to God, and active engagement with the world. While Karl Marx dismissed religion as "opium of the people," it may serve as society's binding glue and a comfort in tragic situations. Perhaps it doesn't matter whether God exists, or is benevolent, but what matters is that religion helps people endure the tragic arbitrariness of life.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted Chiang is great at crafting worlds which function by different fundamental rules. This adheres wonderfully to that expectation. This is like as if an atheist had written C S Lewis' "The Great Divorce". Religion is objectively and obviously real. God is omnipotent, demands love, is not just or merciful, but is benevolent sometimes. Hell exists, but is not much different from Earth in most respects. The story follows the actions of a non-devout man who was married to a devout woman. She was (spoilers) brutally killed in an angel visitation, and went to heaven. Now the only way for him to ever see her again is to genuinely love her murderer-- God.

Anyway just read/listen to it. Tt its really short and its awesome. Audio version is free on podcastle: http://podcastle.org/2009/02/06/pc040...

If you'd prefer a .mobi text version and cant find one, PM me.

[Sauerkirsche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insgesamt sehr ungewöhnliche Science Fiction. Ich kann mir vorstellen, dass einige die mit diesem Genre normalerweise nicht viel anfangen können, sich mit den Geschichten von Ted Chiang anfreunden können. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass sich hier sehr viel auf der Metaebene abspielt und ich nicht alles greifen konnte. Letztendlich bin ich nicht sicher ob die Kurzgeschichten mochte oder nicht. Fasziniert haben sie mich auf jeden Fall.
"Die Geschichte deines Lebens" hat als einzige vier Sterne bekommen. Eine wirklich interessante Idee, sich auf die Sprache und Schrift der Aliens zu fokussieren. Nicht umsonst gibt es in der Sprachforschung die Annahme, dass Sprache dein Denken und deine Warhnehmung formt. Diesen Aspekt hat Ted Chiang wirklich hervorragend aufgegriffen und umgesetzt. Da mein linguistisches Wissen leider rudimentär ist, habe ich vieles nicht recht verstanden und musste die vielen Fachbegriffe und Bedeutungen erst recherchieren. Es lohnt sich jedoch, da ich hier eine ganz andere Begegnung der dritten Art erleben durfte.

[molosovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stories in this collection where my first job as a translator for a professional publisher. I am very pleased and honoured about the opportunity to work with such fine material.

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would have hit me harder if I were more religious than I actually am.

[Hazem Walid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angles descending from heaven and entering the mortal realm lead to miracles and disasters, humans can observe the visitation, and see hell sometimes, knowing where their loved ones end up at..

“It was an unexceptional visitation, smaller in magnitude than most but no different in kind, bringing blessings to some and disaster to others.”

What will happen if miracles can really be observed by humans, we can see angles, we know for sure that God is here, will we be all believers, and what does believing mean in this situation, we do not believe in the sun.
The real problem is the world still works with the same principles, logic, and whatnot, but the realm of God is not working in the same way, the collision between the two, leads to humans trying to comprehend how to go through it, try to make sense, try to understand, try to filter everything through the mind it is not a simple task, and that is our human curse.
(Two parallel lines that should never meet, at least with logic.)

"Perhaps, he thought, it'd be better to live in a story where the righteous were rewarded and the sinners were punished, even if the criteria for righteousness and sinfulness eluded him than to live in a reality where there was no justice at all.”

Story starts...
Neil lost his wife to one of these visitations from the angle Nathanael and he knows his wife Sarah end up in heaven, and Neil regardless of what is around him is not what you can say a devoted believer, so he needs to come to love God if he is going to reunite with his wife, but it is not this simple as his motivation is corrupted.

“In Heaven, they would both be different, and their love for each other would be mixed with the love that all the saved felt for everything.”

Neil’s life is intertwined with two other people Janice Reilly, is a devoted believer that preaches the word of God, but when she encounters a visitation from the angle Rashiel, and receives a miracle that will turn her life upside down, for most people this miracle meant that she was in the right way or she passed the test, but she does not feel like that. She feels the miracle may be a mistake or the true test, but she is sure that she needs to understand why all people that they need a miracle, she is the one that got it, and what will happen to her purpose in life that she thought she already knew.

Also, Ethan Mead had a part in this story, A man who feels that he had a special role in God’s plan ever since his childhood, he waits for a sign and when he witnesses the visitation of the angle Rashiel he knew it was going to change him, and whatever happens, it will have a meaning, something like that should have a meaning right? Or he is going to force the meaning?
This short story was something, in 34 pages the author was able to deliver some great ideas, build a cohesive world, and make you care about the fate of these characters and let you think, and wonder.
A read from the author of two short stories and this is the third. One I am going to read it again Tower of Babylon, the other one was good but did not click with me like the other two, it is called understand.
At the end of this, read and think about what if hell was just the absence of God…or the absence of a loved one.
“Hell, after all, was not physically worse than the mortal plane.
It meant permanent exile from God, no more and no less.”

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short story included in the book Stories of Your Life and Others, this one is one of my more favorite stories in this collection. Another thought provoker, which many of the stories in this book seem to be, it explores a world where God is proven to be real, angels do exist and appear to the general public frequently, causing both miracles and mayhem at each appearance, and hell is also real and can often be seen by those still living. Souls also visably go to heaven or go to hell when someone dies, so all friends and relatives know where there love oned will spent eternity. In such a world, how would people react? Would people be more believing and have more faith? Or would just as many people still end up in hell?

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason Ted Chiang's "Hell is the absence of" reminded me of Stanislaf Lem's Non Serviam. Why? They are totally different stories which raise the same point: if God actually existed would it really make any difference at all, or would the same people believe and the same people get along without him? Would the same questions about the meaning of the universe still be raised. Chiang does that here in a particularly vivid way by letting angels visit earth in violent events causing much collateral damage, and by permitting sneak peeks into hell and heaven. As usual the story is handled with a firm voice and superb confidence. Chiang is to be compared with Lem and Borges, no kidding, he is really at that level.

[mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

so this is another short story that i have no idea how i feel about, only that i recommend it

[Danyel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful piece of flash fiction by Ted Chiang. In this short story, the existence of Heaven and Hell does not require faith as Angels visit earth and you can see souls ascend towards the light or darkness. The story captures the "issues" that arise from angelical visitors.

[max theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

jesus fucking christ. stories with some of the most fascinating worldbuilding that use said worldbuilding to wind up and hit you in the religious issues with the force of a mike tyson punch. i need a stiff drink

[Heather Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of Chiang's stories. It's also available in the Stories of your Life compilation.

[Raoul G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting short story that reminds me of a whole lot of things.
First of all it reminds me of multiple Sufjan Stevens songs, but mostly of the Song From the Mouth of Gabriel. Let me show you some of its lyrics so you can understand why:

Desperate measures lead to death
From the mouth of Gabriel
Who died in his sleep when the world
was a very big mess, a very big mess;
He saw too much

From now on I will look away from every accident
That may or may not come my way

So basically what some of Sufjan's songs share with this short story, is the appearance of angels (and not just angels in general, but quite specific ones, as they are named specifically) and the happening of accidents and the search for their meaning.

The second thing that I was reminded of by this short story is another story told by the Christian author C.S. Lewis, which is called The Great Divorce and which is also sort of an allegory talking about heaven and hell. In his story, the basic idea is that those who are in hell are there by choice, and those who truly desire to be with God get to be with him, namely in heaven.
The same is not true in Hell is the Absence of God.

In Ted Chiang's short story, the main character is trying to get to heaven, but not to be with God (at least initially). He wants to get there to be reunited with his deceased wife, without which his existence is rid of any meaning. The interesting thing about this world that the author imagines is, that the existence of God, angelic beings, heaven and hell is certain. More than that, after people die, many times it happens that other people see whether the soul of the dying person goes to hell or to heaven. Interestingly, in this world there are still many people who are not following God, so to say, even though his existence and the existence of heavenly reward for belief in him is obvious to all. How are they obvious? Let's say they are made obvious by angelic visitations, and miraculous healings that happen in their wake, and which happen so frequent and visible that they are beyond doubt. In spite of the premise of the story, the author presents us with people who struggle to make sense of these miraculous happenings, and others who either in their confusion, in their anger, or even in indifference refuse to put their faith in God.

It is interesting to see how such a parallel universe could look like, in which the existence of the supernatural and of the afterlife is beyond doubt, and it makes me wonder how my faith would look like if I knew for certain that God existed and what the eternal consequences for our lives would look like.

[Daniel Pomian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a well written story - interesting, not boring, some good ideas are put forward, some good questions are raised.

I like the idea of the hell being the absence of God - but I cannot reconcile the idea of God as it is described here: "God is not just, God is not kind, God is not merciful, and understanding that is essential to true devotion." - although, it makes sense if by God I understand 'the Universe' ... (as Spinoza)

And I cannot reconcile the idea of an eternal punishment - where is the love, the forgiveness, the understanding of God?

From this story, I understand that a human being, a human soul can be and actually is more open to Love , Forgiveness and Understanding than God is (which should be absurd) - as a human being can still love God after being sent to Hell, and can still Forgive Him.

While God cannot save a human soul as God does not love and it does not forgive a human soul which is sent to Hell.

What is the point , purpose , reasoning of such a God?

And this is how the book ends:

"Neil still loves Sarah, and misses her as much as he ever did, and the knowledge that he came so close to rejoining her only makes it worse. He knows his being sent to Hell was not a result of anything he did; he knows there was no reason for it, no higher purpose being served. None of this diminishes his love for God. If there were a possibility that he could be admitted to Heaven and his suffering would end, he would not hope for it; such desires no longer occur to him.

Neil even knows that by being beyond God’s awareness, he is not loved by God in
return. This doesn’t affect his feelings either, because unconditional love asks nothing, not
even that it be returned.

And though it’s been many years that he has been in Hell, beyond the awareness of
God, he loves Him still. That is the nature of true devotion."

[Dustin]

The podcast featuring this exciting short story is available HERE:

http://podcastle.org/2009/02/06/pc040...

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting novelette and not what I expected. It appears to be a critique of Christianity, primarily regarding the question of why God allows bad things to happen. In this world, there is no doubt that God exists thus salvation is granted through devotion to God, not faith. Angels appear frequently and perform acts that bring about miraculous healings, blindness by heavenly light (which results in automatic salvation), and often deaths at the hand of whatever natural disaster accompanies their descent. Fallen angels also occasionally visit and answer questions of God and heaven with “Decide for yourselves. That is what we did. We advise you to do the same.”

The main character, Neil, loses his wife in one of the angels’ visitations and ventures to see the heavenly light so he may see his wife again in heaven, as he has never truly loved God and knows he cannot learn to do so by his own means. He is successful and immediately becomes overwhelmed with the love and glory of God:

“Neil thought of the grief that had driven him to suicidal recklessness, and the pain and terror that Sarah had experienced before she died, and still he loved God, not in spite of their suffering, but because of it.”

However, the seemingly indifferent and inconsistent God deems this insufficient:

“So minutes later, when Neil finally bled to death, he was truly worthy of salvation. And God sent him to Hell anyway.”

The story ends with Neil in Hell and says this:

“Neil even knows that by being beyond God's awareness, he is not loved by God in return. This doesn't affect his feelings either, because unconditional love asks nothing, not even that it be returned. And though it's been many years that he has been in Hell, beyond the awareness of God, he loves Him still. That is the nature of true devotion.”

Not sure what to make of this.

[ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

me and die girlies auf everything in life is love even pain especially pain

[Charles Loelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell is the Absence of God is, in my opinion, Ted Chiang's best work and one of the best science fiction stories I have ever read. On second thought, calling it science fiction is wrong on two counts, not only is it not quite science fiction, it is also one of the best stories I have read without qualification.

In short, he creates a world in which God exists, and then thoroughly takes it apart. In some sense an attack on God in both raising questions about why God doesn't show up and what might happen if he had, and perhaps just "what if religion were true?" In many ways, however, the story is just a story which is the best compliment of all. Its characters are fairly complex given the time to develop them, and the setting is superb. The ending is powerful in its own right, darkly funny, and even sad.

Highly recommended.

[Rufus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. It's certainly a new literary experience for me. If all those religious magic-realism stuff in Garcia Marquez's 'Hundred Years...' were to be compiled into one story universe and its logic followed to their conclusion, it would be the setting of this story.

I liked the very personal tone. You feel the conflicts and motivations of the characters immediately. In the face of assured eternity, where there's no longer doubt that heaven and hell exists, all that matters is the attitude one has. This is what I got from the story. Camus. Myth of Sisyphus.

Overall a great read. Philosophical, sad, and a sincere meditation on the issue of faith.

[Srikkanth G · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first reaction, what the hell did I just read?

Angels visiting from heaven is described in more science fiction manner. Reminded me of a saucer descending from above causing havoc for many and smiles for few.

I just didn't get the whole stuff of angels and Gods and stuff like that. It's not for me and at to top it all, the guy seemed to have fallen in love for the god. What's the metaphor here? I couldn't figure it out.

One good thing is that the story doesn't drag and move quite fast.

[Christian West · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing short story set in a world where God, heaven and hell are provable, and angels move through the world causing miracles as they pass.
The plight of Neil, whose wife is killed by exploding glass when an angel appears, is both moving and realistic.