# Recommend me a devilish book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453 "2006-08-27T21:08:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/1 "2006-08-27T21:08:11Z")
No, I mean really. I’m looking for a book about the Devil. I love everything to do with relations between Heaven and Hell, angels and demons, God and the Devil… especially things that present The Bad Guy as not all that bad. I loved **Constantine** , loved **The Devil’s Advocate** (nothing personal for Keanu Reeves), and I want more like it in readable form. Ideally it’d be something shrewdly witty but elegant, not too far into either extreme, though I likely wouldn’t be opposed if caught in the right mood. Anyone know of anything like this? Or can I just commission one of you to write it? ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/2 "2006-08-27T21:27:23Z")
Ask and ye shall recieve. **I, Lucifer** by Glen Duncan > **[I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of... by Duncan, Glen](https://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-Finally-Other-Side-Story/dp/0802140149)** > > I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of... by Duncan, Glen One of my favourite book, and definitly renewed my faith in the devil. Hell, it almost made me believe in God. And having looked it up for you I found out they’re making a movie!!! With Ewan Mcgregor. Who I haven’t like since Trainspotting but I’m willing to consider as Satan. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/3 "2006-08-27T21:29:01Z")
_Good Omens_ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Not a direct God vs. Devil plot, but two of the main characters are an angel and demon who’ve been pretty much exiled to Earth under the guise of “running the branch office”, so to speak. I know that Anthony has a bad reputation, but his Incarnations of Immortality series is very good (at least until the final book). Check out _For Love of Evil_. Anthony managed to keep the squicky teen sex things out of the Incarnations series until the last book, _And Eternity_, so you’re pretty safe from most of the Anthony-Ickiness if you just read _FLoE_. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/4 "2006-08-27T21:30:43Z")
[QUOTE=nevermore] No, I mean really. I’m looking for a book about the Devil. I love everything to do with relations between Heaven and Hell, angels and demons, God and the Devil… especially things that present The Bad Guy as not all that bad. I loved **Constantine** , loved **The Devil’s Advocate** (nothing personal for Keanu Reeves), and I want more like it in readable form. Ideally it’d be something shrewdly witty but elegant, not too far into either extreme, though I likely wouldn’t be opposed if caught in the right mood. Anyone know of anything like this? Or can I just commission one of you to write it? [/QUOTE] Hm, I like the 2 books by Holly Lisle, the first one is available as a freebie ebook [here](http://www.webscription.net/) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/5 "2006-08-27T21:30:44Z")
Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein And . . . A book casting Old Scratch in a new light just came out about a week or two ago and damnit I can’t remember the name of it! I’ve heard great things about it already. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/6 "2006-08-27T21:36:07Z")
How about **Rosemary’s Baby** , book _or_ movie. Or **Faust**. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/7 "2006-08-27T21:44:06Z")
_To Reign in Hell_ has Satan _and_ Lucifer as the good guys ( and has a scene where Lucifer says “Get thee behind me, Satan !” 😃 ) The rest of the book doesn’t mention it. but _March to the Stars_ has a nice little bit on a future version of Satanism : > [@](#): > > "At first the organized opposition to the College was purely secular. The Resistance actually had a clause in its manifesto calling for an end to all religion, always. But the planet was too steeped in religious thought for that to work, and the Tellers, the Determiners of Truth, insisted on referring to anyone in the Resistance as ‘minions of Satan.’ " > “So instead of trying to fight the label, you embraced it for yourselves.” > “And changed it,” Kosutic agreed. “We won eventually, and part of the peace settlement was a freedom of religion clause in the Constitution. But by that time, the Satanists were the majority religion, and Christianity—or, at least, Armagh’s version of it—had completely discredited itself. There’s a really ancient saw that says that if Satan ever replaced God, he’d have to act the same. And to be a religion for the good of all, which was what we’d intended from the outset, we had to be good. The difference between Armaghan Satanism and Catholicism is a rejection of the supremacy of the Pope, a few bells and whistles we stole from Wicca, and referring to Satan instead of the Trinity. It really is Episcopalianism, for Satanists, which makes your bishop comparison even more humorous.” > > \< snip \> > > “One of the big differences between the Church of Rome and Armaghan Satanism is our emphasis on the Final Conflict and the preparations for it,” she continued, her expression now deadly serious. “We believe that the Christians are dupes, that if God was really in charge, things would be better. It’s our belief that Lucifer was cast out not by God, but by the other angels, and that they have silenced The One True God. It’s our job, in the Final Conflict, to uphold the forces of good and win this time.” > She turned to face the prince fully, and smiled at his widened eyes. It was not an especially winsome expression. > “We take that belief very seriously, Your Highness. There’s a reason that Armagh, a low-population planet, supplies three percent of all the Imperial Marines, and somewhere around ten percent of all the elite forces. The Precepts of the Elders call for all good Satanists to be ready for the Final Conflict at all times. To uphold good in all their doings, and to be morally upright so that when the time comes to free God from the Chains of the Angels, we won’t be found wanting.” > > \< snip \> > > “I imagine that Christians are . . . somewhat ambivalent about that approach.” > “We don’t preach,” Kosutic said. “We don’t proselytize. We certainly don’t discuss our beliefs around the general public. And, frankly, we believe that as long as Christians and Jews and Muslims are being ‘good,’ they’re violating the intent of their controllers. So we applaud them for it.” She turned and gave him a truly evil smile. “It really confuses them.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/8 "2006-08-27T21:46:51Z")
Oops. The author of _To Reign in Hell_ is Steven Brust; _March to the Stars_ is by David Weber and John Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/9 "2006-08-27T22:05:36Z")
There’s a truly outstanding comic called **[Lucifer](There’s a truly outstanding comic called Lucifer that’s one of the best series the medium has ever produced, starring a very smart, elegant Morningstar. )** that’s one of the best series the medium has ever produced, starring a very smart, elegant Morningstar. The series has finished in single issues, which have been collected in ten volumes so far and another one or two to go. I’d say many more adoring things about the book, but then I’d risk coming across as one of those annoying glazed-eyed fans. _Constantine_ was loosely based on the far superior series of **Hellblazer** graphic novels ([here’s an older thread that discuss it in more detail](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303353)). Given your interest, I strongly recommend starting with the classic _Dangerous Habits_ and continuing through the Garth Ennis-written books. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/10 "2006-08-27T22:15:38Z")
Though opinions vary wildly on it, I really enjoyed Anne Rice’s _Memnoch the Devil_. (It was the last Anne Rice book that I enjoyed at all.) It spins the biblical mythology from the Devil’s point of view (as told–and shown–by him to Lestat). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/11 "2006-08-27T22:49:50Z")
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman saga has some very interesting stories involving the devil. For short stories, try to find Ray Russell’s “I Am Returning.” Absolutely amazing take on God vs. Satan as a science fiction story that explains the entire battle between good and evil in about 1300 words. A tour de force. In movies, there’s **[Heaven Can Wait](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035979/)**. Laird Cregar’s performance as “His Excellency” is the gold standard. There’s also **Damn Yankees**. Ray Walston is great at “Mr. Applegate.” And the gold standard for a comic version of the Devil is the original **[url=[Bedazzled (1967) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061391/)}Bedazzled**. Peter Cook is perfect in one of the few roles worthy of his talents. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/12 "2006-08-27T22:56:39Z")
Piers Anthony’s _Incarnations of Immortality_ series finishes up with books about “Satan” and “God,” but I can’t recommend them because, like many of his series, it started out promisingly but got lamer with each additional book, and I quit reading before I got that far. Maybe not quite what you’re looking for, but perhaps in the same ballpark, is James Blish’s [The Devil’s Day](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671698605/sr=1-1/qid=1156718862/ref=sr_1_1/002-3563747-3827254?ie=UTF8&s=books). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/13 "2006-08-27T22:59:10Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Piers Anthony’s _Incarnations of Immortality_ series finishes up with books about “Satan” and “God,” but I can’t recommend them because, like many of his series, it started out promisingly but got lamer with each additional book, and I quit reading before I got that far. [/QUOTE] Actually, as I mentioned earlier, _For Love of Evil_ is probably the single best volume in that series. Unfortunately, _And Eternity…_ is without doubt the lamest, so he _did_ end it on a low note. But that’s consistent for Anthony. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/14 "2006-08-27T23:10:30Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Piers Anthony’s _Incarnations of Immortality_ series finishes up with books about “Satan” and “God,” but I can’t recommend them because, like many of his series, it started out promisingly but got lamer with each additional book, and I quit reading before I got that far. Maybe not quite what you’re looking for, but perhaps in the same ballpark, is James Blish’s [The Devil’s Day](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671698605/sr=1-1/qid=1156718862/ref=sr_1_1/002-3563747-3827254?ie=UTF8&s=books). [/QUOTE] I agree. On a pale horse was the only one worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/15 "2006-08-27T23:13:59Z")
\*The Descent \*by Jeff Long. It’s a very interesting take on the myth and history of Satan and his demon minions. And despite the fact it has the same name and sort of the same basic premise, it’s not related to the recent horror movie, The Descent. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/16 "2006-08-27T23:17:46Z")
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, _Inferno_. Bizarre, thoughtful, and interesting retelling of Dante’s _Inferno_, with modern characters. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/17 "2006-08-27T23:34:54Z")
I give a hearty second to _Rosemary’s Baby_. And I don’t know if this is really what you’re after, but C.S. Lewis’s \*Screwtape Letters \*is very readable. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/18 "2006-08-28T00:42:14Z")
Satan- His Psychotherapy And Cure By Dr S Kassler J.S.P.S by Levin. You may laugh, mostly you’ll cry. This is one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. It’s also finely crafted and a hell of a read. Without spoiling- The Prince Of Lies would barely have to lie at all. Such a being would have a supreme mastery of omissions, half truths, and truths chiseled down to a razor edge. Why was Satan thrown out? What are he and God really fighting over? What does Satan really want? What would a human servant of Satan do to advance the master’s plan? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/19 "2006-08-28T00:48:01Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] And I don’t know if this is really what you’re after, but C.S. Lewis’s \*Screwtape Letters \*is very readable. [/QUOTE] It is indeed. IMO It’s the opposite of glurge. I knew I was being taught a lesson and hearing a message, but the story was entertaining and the writing excellent so I didn’t care. NonSpoiler(It’s in Lewis’ foreword)- Lewis describes hell as a great bureaucracy,. Devils who fail to meet goals are eaten by their bosses and competitors. Back To The OP Happy Birthday To Hell by Louis and Sweetman. This is an issue of Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children. The devil is revealed to be as confused about things as you or I. He just wants to belong and to be loved. He doesn’t entice humans to sin. He doesn’t want the sinners he has now. They make macrame. He hates macrame. The story is serious and ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453/20 "2006-08-28T00:49:50Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000EICQUU/sr=1-2/qid=1156726054/ref=sr_1_2/104-3524033-7479952?ie=UTF8&s=books) is a very nice little anthology. And [THIS](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AKY54/ref=sr_11_1/104-3524033-7479952?ie=UTF8) is one HELL of a movie. All hail Walter Huston and Simone Simon! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-devilish-book/370453.md?page=2)