Sean Williams

I’m very excited to be holding a copy of 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists, a collection of essays edited by Russell Blackford and Udo Schuklenk featuring such luminaries as Michael Shermer, James Randi, A. C. Grayling, Joe Haldeman, Jack Dann, Susan Blackmore, Gregs Benford & Egan, and many, many more. Including me. Woohoo!

I posted a while back about my piece “Doctor Who and the Legacy of Rationalism” (Rassilon/Rationalism--geddit?) in which I dissect several old stories to demonstrate how watching them led me away from the idea of god, rather than towards it as several recent evangelists suggested it ought to go. Researching it gave me a great excuse to go back and read some of the novelisations mouldering away on my top shelf. They remain as fun as ever.

The essay and the book are out now. Paperback is listed at US$29.95, which is a bargain compared to the hardback (US$89.95) and money well spent at any price. It’s published by the very respectable Wiley-Blackwell. The gorgeous cover is below. Tell your godless heathen friends!

Voices of Disbelief is (or soon will be) a book edited by Russell Blackford and Scottish bioethicist Udo Schuklenk containing statements and short essays by prominent atheists, humanists, and skeptics explaining why they do not believe in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim God or embrace any kind of religious belief.

I'm very excited to be one of them. My piece "Doctor Who and the Legacy of Rationalism" was accepted this week. Thanks to everyone in the community who helped with the research. A great deal of thought that went into it. My opinion of recent Who storylines has been somewhat mollified, as the essay in its final form will show. When it comes out (from Blackwell, probably next year) I'll post a much earlier draft here for anyone interested in comparing the two.

The editors were inspired to create the book by "the aggressive role currently being played by religious organisations and their leaders in attempting to impose their values, beliefs, and specifically religious moralities on others--whether the issues relate to gay rights, medical research, AIDS policy, the availability of abortion, and a whole range of others." If they can succeed in making the views of their contributors available to a large audience, then that can only be a good thing.



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Listening to: Gui Boratto - Beautiful Life

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."

Albert Einstein, 1954, in a letter being auctioned this week.

If I had a few easy grand lying around, I'd be tempted.