Help me ID this light sci-fi about religion, Godlike power and chickens

August 29, 2017 5:24 PM

It must have been one of the many mass market paperback sci-fi novels I picked up through my local library. Don't know when it was published, but I read it in the early 90s. I only remember a few things for certain: (1) The main character was a guy who, for the lulz, had invented his own religion centered on worshipping chickens. (2) Said worship included a ritual where he would wave a live chicken over his head and chant -- and I remember this distinctly: "Oh chubby mother, let me rub-a your belly!"

3) That's virtually all I remember in detail, but the plot of the story is that this guy and his girlfriend somehow get involved in a race to "replace" God. Basically, the entity responsible for creating our planet (maybe our universe?) was stepping down, and all world religions were jockeying to have their representative replace Him. Since the main character was technically the head of his religion, the literal-minded angels in charge of the competition gave him an entry.

4) He wins, and in the end he's basically becoming God 2.0, and as the book ends his girlfriend asks him if he'll make his chicken religion the new global mandate. But the events of the novel have given him a new respect for belief, so he's not certain he'll do that.

Note: It is NOT "Job: A Comedy of Justice" by Heinlein, nor is it any of the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony.

posted by The Pluto Gangsta to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

A Google Books search brings up this, which appears to be a snippet of a review of your book. Does Grand Exalted Rooster of the Interplanetary Church of Cosmic Chickenhood ring a bell?
posted by clawsoon at 5:31 PM on August 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Maybe The Race for God by Brian Herbert?
posted by clawsoon at 5:33 PM on August 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: definitely clawsoon's suggestion. Here's a quote from near the end:

"I must ask you," McMurtrey said before stepping aside. "The mantra that came to me for the religion I created—did you plant it in my mind?"
"'O Chubby Mother,'" Tananius-Ofo intoned, with a gummy smile. "'Let me rubba your belly, let me rubba your belly.'" He laughed boisterously, and his great belly shook. "Let's hurry along" he said. "There is much to discuss."

posted by scruss at 6:19 PM on August 29, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the quick work! I had tried searching for the "chubby mother" phrase already, but it lead to several... irrelevant links. Maybe I should have kept Safesearch on...
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:32 AM on August 30, 2017 [4 favorites]

"Oh chubby mother" (in quotes just like that, on books.google.com) got me nothing. "Chubby mother, let me" (also in quotes, also on books.google.com) led me to Grand Exalted Rooster of the Interplanetary Church of Cosmic Chickenhood, and it was easy from there.
posted by clawsoon at 6:49 AM on August 30, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nope, he got it. I linked to the book in my second answer.
posted by clawsoon at 4:34 PM on August 30, 2017