Alan Lightman

Mr. G Alan Lightman

“As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe.†So begins this playful and profound novel, the story of Creation as narrated by God. Bored with living in the shimmering Void with his bickering Uncle Deva and Aunt Penelope, Mr. g creates time, space, and matter—then moves on to stars, planets, consciousness, and finally intelligent beings with moral dilemmas. But even the best-laid plans can go awry, and Mr. g discovers that with his creation of space and time come unforeseen consequences—like the mysterious Belhor, a devious rival. An intellectual equal to Mr. g, Belhor delights in provocation: he demands an explanation for the inexplicable, requests that intelligent creatures not be subject to rational laws, and maintains the necessity of evil. As Mr. g watches his universe grow into maturity, he begins to understand how the act of creation can change the Creator himself.