Acts of God - by Kanan Gill

Book Synopsis

The twenty-first-century heir to Kurt Vonnegut, Kanan Gill's debut, Acts of God, is a madcap futuristic romp that dares to question the meaning of existence--with equal parts reverence and hilarity.

Private detective P. Manjunath thinks like fire and works like dust as he sets out to investigate existential cataclysms unfolding all over the globe--not knowing that the ripples in reality he sees are being caused by Dr. Krishna, a scientist in a utopian future and technically the God of their world.

As Manjunath's investigation disrupts God's plans, a Danish police officer attains enlightenment, a lapel pin gives disruptive advice, a sentient wall provides the key to creativity, a pill cures the human condition, and everyone in the world develops a lisp at the same time.

A blend of philosophical provocation, inventive lyricism, humor, and chaos, Acts of God marks the evolution of one of the finest voices in comedy.

Review Quotes

"An astounding performance, this book deserves to be on every relevant awards ballot when this year is over...In this small comic masterpiece, we get the message wrapped in candy-colored insanity and metaphysical fatedness, which make it much easier to swallow."

"Comedian Kanan Gill's debut is an exciting and strange jigsaw puzzle of a novel. Set in a bizarre but totally believable world, Acts of God is a wildly inventive, darkly comic exploration of existence itself."

"If Acts of God channels any influences, it's Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett...Acts of God is undoubtedly funny, and also does what all the best sci-fi does--challenges you to think differently about the world, nay, the universe, around you."

"Incredibly thought provoking but also really witty and engaging."

"The smartest person in the world gets regularly flummoxed by an incompetent private eye in debut novelist Gill's mischievous satire on the ability of simulated life to tackle real problems...Gill flips facile formulations about ignorance being bliss and knowledge being power on their heads by showing how important balance is...It's good fun."

"A brilliantly self-aware and satirical debut, Acts of God confronts all of us with an existential question: What if the creator was actually a mad scientist?"

"Kanan Gill is a naughty, weird genius--which, of course, is the perfect kind of genius to be. And Acts of God is a geeky, hilarious, thoroughly entertaining, and richly imaginative work of fiction. I couldn't help but 'hear' every sentence in the author's voice, which adds much charm to the writing, and every second page elicited a chuckle. But don't let the inevitable laughter deceive you: behind all its lightness is a real talent at storytelling, a bold sense of creativity, and a capacity to hook even somewhat wary readers. After all, as a historian I was unsure about venturing into sci-fi, and certainly found myself thrown occasionally. But in the end, the book proved to be that special thing: unputdownable."

"Kanan Gill's Acts of God is an intriguing--and fresh--take on the classic SF warning against the temptation to literally play God."

"This is an audacious daredevil of a book. Acts of God vaults higher and higher through fireworks of invention and imagination--while somewhere even higher, I thought, the spirits of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut watch and applaud."