ABANDONED. Sci-Fi book series circa 1981? concerned finding existential answers to life, couched in the space travel genre - at least a couple men and a woman (for the usual "love interest" angle) on the trip. Final book introduced God as wimpy.

[Michael]

The "book" is actually a science-fiction book series (like Asimov's "Foundation") of perhaps 5 books by a single modern author, suggested to me by co-worker. I read them all around late1982. It concerned finding existential answers to life, couched in the space travel genre - at least a couple men and a woman (for the usual "love interest" angle) on the trip. The final book introduced God as a rather wimpy guy who didn't have many existential answers to the questions raised by these space travelers. Sorry I don't recall more about these books. Thanks for your help!

[Andy]

Could you be looking for the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series? The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ?

[Melanti]

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

I think they meet God in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and then they read the final message to creation in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

[Alexis]

Just to clarify: the main characters of the book (Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Tricia McMillan (better known as Trillian)) encounter the Ruler of the Universe in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. He appears to be an ordinary man who lives in a shack with his cat that he calls "The Lord." That might be where the confusion stems from. The Ruler does indeed answer questions in what appears to be a completely myopic manner, but it all seems to work out.

A main theme throughout the tetralogy is the search for the Answer to the Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Depending on which compilation you had, it could contain:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, the Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

as the main tetralogy as well as

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe
and/or
Mostly Harmless

Like I said, it depends on the compilation. Excellent books, excellent author. Check out his Dirk Gently books as well if you enjoyed HHGTTG.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Midnight at the Well of Souls series, possibly?

[Michael]

Melanti wrote: "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

I think they meet God in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and then they read the final message to creation in [book:..."

Hi, Alexis. Thanks for your post. The books I read in 1982 (and perhaps into '83) were not Hitchhiker's Guide compilation, as I have this book (and 2 of the works by Adams weren't published until later). The series I can't recall was more serious in tone than Adams's Hitchhiker. "God" didn't have many answers in the final book.

[Michael]

Melanti wrote: "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

I think they meet God in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and then they read the final message to creation in [book:..."

Thanks, Melanti, for your reply. The books in question are not Adams's Hitchhiker's series books. See my reply above to Alexis.

[Alexis]

Just checking that there wasn't a computer named "Multivac" involved? Seems too simple, but have to ask.

These were full-length novels, not short stories?

Is the god in question the Abrahamic god?

[Peter]

Were the human characters traveling in cars and trucks along an interstellar highway? If yes, has to be the series by John DeChancie that begins with Starrigger.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

The Return of Nathan Brazil is the last book in the series that I suggested.

Nathan Brazil is "god" and he appears in one of the earlier books (I think it's the one that I tagged, the first book in the series, Midnight at the Well of Souls and is "unmasked" as god in that one.)

Although Peter's suggestion is also a good one.

There's also the Tarot books--God of Tarot but I don't remember if they actually find god or not in this one. It's been a few decades since I read it.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Michael, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Abandoned.