Interviewing the author of Alex Webster and the Gods  

David Dent

David Dent: Science fiction and fantasy have always been obsessed with the nature of godhood. The idea came to me in 2002 after reading an article in the Atlantic Monthly on the explosion of new religious movements. The article noted that there were about 10,000 religions competing for our souls and that some sociologists use the idea of a religious economy or spiritual marketplace to explain what helps a religion succeed in gaining followers. One could say that Darwinism had its start in the heavens. Because the capitalist marketplace is the dominant metaphor, if not mythology, of our age, I thought it would be interesting to examine a world where gods are the producers of religious services, competing to meet the demands of humans.  

VBRN: How did you arrive at the idea of Yahweh as the first capitalist? 

David Dent: About the same time that I was considering ideas for my book, I was also taking a course in world religions. During one class the professor asked about the nature of god as presented in the Old Testament. Rather than responding from a theological perspective, I considered it from a modern reading of the Bible, asking, What kind of business leader was Yahweh? This was not by chance because my career at that point dealt with issues of corporate governance and management.  Interestingly, I found that one can argue Yahweh’s management style evolves from an entrepreneurial, hands-on deity to a maturing manager who, overtime, introduces more sophisticated management and control methods to achieve his goals. The cause for these changes is that Yahweh, like any good manager, learns from experience. His evolution is similar to that of many entrepreneurs who create new ventures and navigate them to successful organizations. In Yahweh’s case, his brand dominates the religion market, with Christianity taking about a 32 percent share worldwide. In other words, Yahweh’s story is not unlike that of Bill Gates or Henry Ford, evolving from a temperamental, even eccentric, entrepreneur to the avuncular, but distant, Chairman of the Board. And the idea tied in beautifully with the notion of a religious market. Arguably, Yahweh is the world’s first and oldest capitalist and, to this point, most successful. 

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An interview with the author, Judy Gruen

Lauren Smith: Tell us about your latest book:  

The Women's Daily Irony Supplement

• When Bad Contractors Happen to Good People
• Forward This E-Mail or I'll Break Your Kneecaps
• Clutched by Purse Fever
• Reading This Warning Label May Kill You
• The Motherboard Has Blown
• Post-Bar Mitzvah Stress Disorder
• And much, much more! 

It's a book that most women, and even a surprising number of men, are enjoying immensely.

Lauren Smith: Where did you get the inspiration for it?

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Interview with Helen Barer, author of Fitness Kills 

Fitness Kills

Lauren Smith. What inspired you to create a work of fiction?

Helen: One day, after a visit to a 'fitness ranch' in Baja California, I thought it would be fun to take myself back there in fiction. It was such a classic set up for a mystery: we all arrived on Saturday and left on Saturday;  there were only 100 guests, so in the course of the week we all became instant intimates; it was exotic and completely different from my 'regular' life. And it was a rich mine for jealousies  and competition. Something like a cruise ship. There's a magnet that I've had on my refrigerator for years: "It's never too late to be what you might have been." George Eliot wrote that.  And I'd always dreamed of writing fiction. 

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Black's Adventure

Annmarie Rex: BLACK'S ADVENTURE IN THE BIG SCARY HAIRY WORLD

Do you ever get picked on? Do you ever feel like you don't fit in? That is exactly how Black felt. So, he took off on a wild adventure. Black travels the world in search of a place where he place where he belongs. Where does he go? What does he see? Who does he meet along the way? Read and find out... Does Black ever find where he belongs? Children will identify with Black's character. His story warms their hearts and offers hope to any youngster who's ever been made fun of. On his journey he meets many different animals and learns some valuable lessons about coping with his feelings, handling his problems, and making friends. 

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