What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
A long-held thought experiment: what would happen if religious people discovered that God didn’t exist? What would the implications be for humanity? I’ve grown frustrated by how the debate between religion and atheism has stalled—trapped between blind devotion and smug rejection. In truth, rather than experiencing existence from opposite ends, believers and non-believers are essentially the same. The faithful doubt and the faithless wonder. Both ask the same questions. Why everything? Why anything? Few of us are as convinced as we are convinced we are. Blind faith is hardwired into humans. It’s evolutionary. Entirely rational. It serves a higher purpose than truth itself. Atheists like me may have logic on our side, but we come up short where it matters most. Error 404 explores this idea.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
The main character’s theme song would be Tim Minchin’s “Thank You God.”
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Biographies and comedy fiction.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
The End Of Faith by Sam Harris
The Amateurs by John Niven
The Echo Chamber by John Boyne
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The opening chapter, which began life as chapter three, then gradually elbowed its way to the front.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Be less certain about your answers and more curious about everyone else’s.
