Life After God

This initial story chronicles a somewhat gloomy road trip a father takes with his child in order to pay a visit to the child’s grandfather in Prince George, British Columbia. A contemplation of life’s adversities and a pending divorce, the short story features the two characters’ parallel narratives of development in which both father and the child are at frail and liminal points in their lives. Thematically, the story touches upon the almost classic theme of an adult prematurely exposing a child to the harsh realities of life – in this story being alcoholism and the bitterness of a divorce, as one critic has noted.[2]

This story is told in two parts. The story is told by a lonely person living in a hotel, and his interactions with some of the others that live in the hotel. In the first part, Cathy, the narrator analyzes his relationship with his neighbours, Cathy and Pup-Tent, as well as his relationship to Cathy. The second part, Donny, tells the tale of the narrator's relationship with Donny, a hustler, who lives a very dangerous lifestyle. A frequent stabbing victim, Donny lives for the thrill of the dangerous lifestyle. He doesn't seem to care about his well being, but still values his life.

The narrator of this story is a lonely man, who pays a visit to his parents’ house. While there, he finds himself watching television. He sees a report about how they are planning to kill off Superman. This news leaves the narrator heartbroken. The narrator contemplates the ability to fly and what it will mean if the one truly good person in the world is gone.

Another story told in two parts. The first part, Thinking of the Sun, is apocalyptic. Nuclear episodes and war cause a cataclysm that ends the world. These episodes are the only non-fiction in the book and come from Coupland's own life. Flashes of light replace the sun, and those who are alive to see it are reminded of their delicate existence. The second part, The Dead Speak, is a collective letter from those who died in this nuclear war. It gives revelations of their last moments on earth. It also relays the message that the living should move on, as the dead are in a new place and have changed souls.

A letter from a father to a daughter, this story is a tale of the father's love. The father tells the daughter about his honeymoon, her conception, and he contemplates on the major life changes taking place in his life. It is a story about love in the religious vacuum.

Dedicated to Michael Stipe from R.E.M., this is the story of the narrator's trip through the desert. He is alone, but not lonely, even on his birthday. The narrator has experienced the deepest depth of loneliness. He stole syringes and steroids, to deliver to a celebrity trainer. The story is a road story, told as the character travels down Interstate 15, and the journey does not quite go as planned. A chance encounter with a desert man changes his outlook on life.

The female narrator of this story wonders about her life and the sequence of events that make it up. She first tells a story of a dog that died of a broken heart after its owner's death. The story itself follows the narrator's trip to possibly find her sister, Laurie, who ran away from home while the main narrator was still young. Laurie had become a drug addict. She explores the feeling of loneliness throughout the tales.

1,000 Years is the tale of a group of childhood friends. It is the longest story in the book. It is narrated by a character named Scout. The story illustrates where each character's life takes them, and their individual searches for meaning. Scout moves away from society, and into the wilderness. He is searching for meaning, or religion, or a connection to God. One researcher has noted that the characters in this story hold "a tacit resentment against the parent generation for" the neglect of not having instilled in them a measure of faith and that this "story in particular, can be read as thematizing the young generation's quest for an alternative narrative of faith."[3]