What in God's Name A Novel

Imagine God as a lazy CEO who spends his time playing golf, trying to reunite Lynyrd Skynyrd, and fixing NASCAR races--instead of stopping wars, preventing floods, and ending famines. Imagine that the millions of human prayers made each day are largely ignored after being faxed to the harried and over-worked angels in the Prayer Intake Department. Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the mismanaged celestial corporation in the sky. Craig and Eliza in the Miracles Department are two of the only hard-working angels in the entire operation, slaving away over their computers to bring potential miracles to fruition down on Earth. But when God decides to retire and open an Asian-fusion restaurant, he reports that he'll be destroying Earth and killing all the humans--that is, unless Craig and Eliza can answer one prayer before Earth's scheduled Armageddon. The two angels are determined to save the planet, but it won't be easy: the prayer they've chosen requires getting two college acquaintances--both painfully shy and anti-social--to kiss. Frustrations abound as the doomsday clock ticks down its final hours and Craig and Eliza try to hold on to the notion that they're making a difference in people's lives--and that Earth is worth saving. Simon Rich tells an endearing tale with wit, hilarious dialogue, and great insight into both humans and the heavens. Readers will be sending off prayers of thanks for the unearthly delight of WHAT IN GOD'S NAME.

Simon Rich has written for "Saturday Night Live," Pixar, and "The Simpsons." He is the creator and showrunner of "Man Seeking Woman" (FXX) and "Miracle Workers," (TBS), which he based on his books. His other collections include Hits and Misses, Spoiled Brats, and Ant Farm. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.