Omphalos

3/5

This was a difficult one to complete and rate, simply because to me the conclusion felt like Chiang's message of support for atheism. Obviously this then becomes a deeply personal read that will likely be a different experience from reader to reader.

The plot is rather straightforward as archeologist Dorothea Morrell shares her experiences at the end of each day in prayer/ conversation with God. On an Earth with Chicagou among other places creationism is scientifically proven through the growth rings in trees and lack of navels in the mummified preservations of primordial humans. However when a profound paper is published in astrology, a field long thought to be completely exhausted, Dorothea among other devout religious individuals are left to question their creator's grand design, and whether they are even a central part of it.

In an almost inversion of Hell is the Absence of God, Chiang effectively justifies an atheist worldview by discarding a universal creator and instead stating that volition (free will) is evidence of our own individual divinity, free from a plan. This was my reading of the story, though I would be curious to hear others as articles online range from agreeance to seeing that Chiang is more widely criticising anyone who believes in there being no free will. Despite all this, I appreciate Chiang's efforts to push different ways of thinking forward in his texts that could be seen to contradict one another but from a wider view just ensure that he has a story for every person out there. The question is, is this one right for you?