The God Box

by Barry B. Longyear

A less-than-honest merchant in the Iskandar market inherits a little box that will give him anything he needs , which is not always what he wants. It's a spiritual adventure through time and existence.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Humor

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Barry Brookes Longyear was an American science fiction author who resided in New Sharon, Maine.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Untrustworthy narrator, reality-hopping adventure, and an almost snark-worthy box-companion that always gives people what they need.

Not what they want, mind you, but what they need.

Add the Shadow Captain on the way to destroy Korvas and so much more, the Hero archetype to oppose him, and a pretty interesting prophesy setup, and the tale shaped into something a lot more solid than I originally thought it'd be.

Our unlikely hero had to WORK to get it right and I was impressed with his dual journey.

It's more of a classical, moral-driven fantasy rather than a sword and sorcery, mind you, but it shares a lot of the same tropes. And that's just fine. :)

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longyear is best known as a science fiction writer, but The God Box is very much a fantasy novel, straight from The Arabian Nights, and sadly somewhat overlooked. The narrator is Korvas, a likable but perhaps not wholly trustworthy rug merchant and teller-of-tales. It's a very amusing story, and reminds the reader that what they want isn't necessarily what they need, and vice versa. Who'd think that a little wooden box could cause so much trouble?

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books are bad. Some books are great. And some books...are special.

The God Box is special.

It's a fantasy; the story of Korvas, who has been (among many other things) a crooked rug-seller in a great city. His first-person recounting of his adventures while on the run from the bloodthirsty Captain of the city guard and his men is extremely funny, exciting, and in the end, deeply touching. I never fail to have a lump in my throat and a warm feeling as I finish the last page - and I read the book at least a couple of times each year.

As a fantasy, The God Box is top-notch. It has a sheer emotional depth that's simply exceptional. The setting, too, is refreshing and vivid. And it's all packed into a book that's far smaller than 90% of the monster-sized fantasy tomes which are the staple of modern genre fiction.

The story flows well; it's told in first person by Korvas himself to a (literally) captive audience, and a very engaging tale it is.

But it's the idea of the god box itself which really stays with me - and with other people I know who've read the book. It is based, I believe, on a concept that originated in rehabilitation therapy for addicts; addiction recovery is a frequent theme in much of Longyear's later work, since he had to struggle with the issue himself. But The God Box was the first novel in which the subject came up, I believe, and it's handled with a very light touch.

I don't want to spoil the concept of the god box in this review. But as Longyear presents it, it's a fascinating idea: you ask the box for you what need, and give it what you don't want. Fear, for example.

And the funny thing is that it really works! No, I'm not saying that it's really magic (it is in the book, of course). I'm a rock-ribbed atheist, myself, so I'm not going to go all mystical on you. But when I am feeling particularly stressed, or afraid, or sad, I visualize a god box. I give it some of the emotions that causing me pain, and ask it for whatever I need to cope. And to my amazement, I feel an astonishing feeling of calm and peace come over me. I'm not the only one who has experienced this, by the way.

It's just a creative use of imagination and visualization, of course. Perhaps there's a touch of self-hypnosis involved. But who cares? The key thing is that it works.

The God Box was out of print for many years, and it never gained the popularity it deserved. But it's back in print now - unfortunately only in paperback. I'd gladly buy a hardcover edition.

It should also be noted that there's another book with the same name, by a writer named Alex Sanchez. I haven't read it, and have no idea what it's about.

I can't recommend Barry Longyear's The God Box highly enough. It's a real gem, and is a must on any fantasy reader's bookshelf - and should be on the reading list of anyone who likes lively stories, imaginative ideas, and interesting philosophy.

[Chadwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally fun. Totally read it in a day. Will totally forget it.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

reviews.metaphorosis.com

2.5 stars

Rug merchant and con artist, Korvas has had a hard life. It gets no easier when he finds himself suddenly on the wrong side of the infamous Captain Shadows of the King's Guard, nor when a priestess and her cohort attach themselves to him. Least helpful of all is a mysterious and powerful box that never seems to give him what he wants.

Sometime around 1985, I was sitting in the Railroad Square theater, listening to Barry Longyear. Memory is fickle; I don't recall whether I knew who he was - whether I'd already read his long-ish contribution to the Liavek anthology (which I liked a lot). I think he was speaking in advance of a showing of Enemy Mine - his story adapted to a depressingly poor movie. In any case, I ended up with a copy of Longyear's collection It Came from Schenectady - his stock answer to where stories come from. The stories (like the phrase) were funny and unexpected. On the strength of that, I eventually bought The God Box.

Like his short stories, this book is consistently funny and unusual. Korvas is a likeable rogue just trying to make the world a better place - for himself - and his self-centered efforts are charmingly amusing. The writing is smooth, the humor neither too broad nor to subtle. On a chapter by chapter basis, the story succeeds admirably.

Unfortunately, while the haphazard nature of Korvas' adventures keeps us guessing, the ending confirms all too well that Longyear was making it all up as he went along. The last third of the book falls apart almost completely, leaving a jumble of badly mismatched pieces. Nothing fits together, and Longyear's proffered resolution simply doesn't work. It's not quite in the "and it was all a dream" category, but it's not much better. That's a real shame, because the bulk of the story is a lot of fun.

A quarter century after my first reading, I retained only a vague memory that Longyear was funny, but the book was not great. I was right on both fronts. I had fun reading the first two thirds, but had I recalled the morass of the ending, I wouldn't have bothered.

Overall, hard to recommend. If you like the journey more than the destination, read this for some pretty fun and funny travels. If you insist on finding some sort of satisfaction or resolution in a story, this isn't the book for you.

[Kate Atonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a brilliant book! An average man with more than the usual appetites and a bit less than the usual honesty finds himself in possession of a small box touched by the gods. Give to it the things you do not need, like hunger and fear, and take from it what you need. The prose is self deprecating and funny, the pacing is action-packed, and the Mythos is well crafted and interesting.

How many times do you need to see the continent split before you believe?

[d · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rubbed my eyes as I shook my head. The gods of commerce play jokes every now and then, and I do not begrudge them their recreations. However, the number of times I have been singled out as the object of their humor often gives me pause.

In The God Box, Longyear tells the story of Korvas, petty scammer. He's been selling magic carpets (read: carpets carried by trained bugs to make it seem like they were moving alone) and scamming people out of their hard-earned money. One day he scams the wrong person, sending him running into the arms of a cult priestess who tells him that due to his one (1!) past kindness, he is to inherit The God Box. It's a nondescript wooden box that takes what you have to give and gives you what you need, physical, mental, or emotional. A bewildered Korvas is thrust into an adventure wherein he has to find the fated warrior that will defeat the world's destroyer, as Fate has appointed him as the Messenger. His world begins flailing between multiple realities and time travel, making him realize that he has parallel multiple lives. Along the way, he encounters his dead-alive brother, a tribe of people who smell bad on purpose, an evil nun... and a gorgeous giantess, who is the appointed Warrior. He falls in love with her but brings her to the chosen place and time for the great battle. However, there is no battle in the end--the giantess marries the world-destroyer. Korvas is returned to the very first scene at the market where he's about to scam someone, but with the wisdom of a journey of a lifetime.

This had an interesting premise at first about how even sinners/scum of the earth had predestined fates and/or the potential to better themselves. There's a tension between choice and predestination: does it really matter who you are? Regardless, I like how this question was addressed. Who cares if it matters? Life's great challenge is to live with yourself, regardless of predestination. In the trials Korvas goes through, he realizes that knowing oneself is acknowledging one's fears and forgiving oneself. Love abounds and no one is ever undeserving of it-even him.

Anyways, the narrative was interesting to start with. I took a star off because the ending spiraled into sentimental nothingness. Perhaps I just don't "get" it, but yep. The ending became a little trite. Like a rejected Dreamworks movie. The battle the entire novel had been leading up to became a wedding and deification all in the name of... I really don't know. Parallel lives and second chances and the choices that lead us to love? Cherish the one life you have, even if it's shit, even if there are parallel lives that are infinitely better or infinitely worse. because this one life is yours, for better or worse?

Regardless, I enjoyed this. The writing is so fun! The dry humor is legitimately funny, and this was a joy to read for the most part. I still call my cats butnuts because of this. I just didn't like how lore was thrown at you, which overwhelmed you and caused me to never really had a full grasp of it; as well as any investment in it. Couple this with the weak worldbuilding, and the fun fantastical elements become lost in a world not characterized enough to hold them fully. Regardless, the concept of the God Box is unique and intriguing and the humor's great, so I still had fun.

QUOTES:

15

Surely there are others who could
amuse
the gods for a bit

17

I suppose if there were a god of justice
with a
realistic sense of proportion regarding humor it would have been
sufficient

17

Of course, I wouldn't
have a tale to
tell if the
gods led more balanced lives

28

The wearing of this talisman was supposed to proclaim to all
men that
I possessed great humility. However, as soon as I placed the talisman
around my
neck, it disappeared! Now what good is that?

28

I suspected that, although powerful and
benevolent,
the gods, if they existed at all, had a mean streak.

31

generally
made an
mammoth ass of himself

33

I prayed the gods this one time would water their humor with just
a bit of
discretion

37

Syndia believed
I was
redeemable, but it was her profession to believe in miracles

37

The followers of Nanteria were much
like my
father. They believed in goodness obtained by following a path of
honesty and
kindness. Obviously these people have nothing worthwhile to contribute
to the
real world, but they do believe in these gods

40

Ahtma's Fall

54

the forest's sarcasm of a morning

86

Bald mythology

94

It was
enough to
make one grateful to be a mammal

95

That was when I concluded that the
principal
symptom of godhood is smugness

113

evaporated
under the
heat of my loss

117

While she pondered my words, I
deliberated from
whence they had come. They sounded almost profound, and I had no idea
that I
had any capacity for such thoughts

124

the
confidence of the immortal

135

Why would he
not, instead,
find a man who was at least a competent sinner? Surely there must be a burgeoning young prince of evil
somewhere with
the appropriate skills who would like the work and appreciate the
notice

138

Hence, I stood there like a marble study in cowardice

143

I fear I make an unlikely angel."
"Who can argue with the tools chosen by
the
gods? Remember what the great philosopher Zaqaros once said: 'If we
could see
as the gods and choose as the gods, we would be the gods.'"

152

Fear
is how you attempt to control the future. You don't
understand that the future is not yours to control. That belongs to the
gods

154

There were long bone needles through his hair to keep it in
place, and he
ate from the point of a knife

184

as a word limits any thought to which
it is
applied

191

Korvas,
in life it is not necessary that you face the monster with dignity and
carry
away perfect victory. It is only necessary that you face the monster.
All you
can ever do is try. Outcomes belong to the gods

192

Is
life simply a series of trials designed to force the hapless to turn to
the
gods? Now, what would be the point of that?

195

I do not want to defend myself to the beings
who
will make my final judgment by saying, 'Silly me! Wrong again'!"

200

We are all slaves, we are all gods,
somewhere

204

Oh well, I thought, faith that hasn't
been tested
isn't really faith at all; it's just an opinion

209

The gods have repeatedly told me that we invent our own tests and their
consequences

214

Too firm a grip upon what one calls reality, and being too grasping for exact
answers to every little this and that, makes one very dull. More than
that, it
places one in a self-constructed and self-maintained prison

[Apocryphal Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this fantasy somewhat disappointing, though I loved it's initial promise of a god in a box that could guide a character. The 'near eastern' vibe is also something that would normally appeal.

However, this novel didn't really come together for me. The plot surrounding a prophecy (which was actually more than one prophecy, or one prophecy with two versions) was convoluted and, I'm not sure, all that sensical. The world-building was cursory at best, with a hodge-podge of naming conventions from Italian to Greek to Sumerian to, I guess, east Asian, with some actual historical names mixed in with completely made up names. Initially I thought this story was set on earth, but the city of Iskandar in the novel bears no resemblance to any real place that might bear that name. Some of the world-building elements (like the singing down of the butnuts) were just plain silly.
Characterization was midling at best. It seems clear to me the author just didn't take the work very seriously, which might have been ok if the book was funny or biting, but it's not, so it's hard to accept as a comedy or a satire, either. 2/5.

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The God Box after meeting Barry Longyear at a meeting at a convention. The God Box is a good book for Friends of Bill, regardless of their friendship. It's also a good read regardless as Longyear is a good storyteller in his own right. Remember, not everything you want is what you need and not everything you need is something you'd want.

[Justine Cerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow!

This represents the most divine of parables (quite literally). It is now added to my shelf as a very important standard.

[Grace Crandall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The God Box is one of the more interesting fantasy books I've had the pleasure of reading, and I enjoyed it mainly for the narrative voice of Korvas. A petty criminal, Korvas first appears to us trying to sell off his stock of rugs as magic carpets; his constant roguery makes for an extremely fun read, and his habit of understatement is hilarious.
Korvas aside, however, there's very little in the book that's presented clearly enough to love. The plot is a bit confusing, taking place in several different versions of reality and involving a prophecy, a pantheon of gods and goddesses, and a journey through several different lands and cultures, all of which were interesting but not clearly explained. To be honest, 'not clearly explained' covers a lot of the book, though it seems to be written from a fairly agnostic point of view, so this might have been intentional. I found the book's casual attitude towards sex a little disturbing as well.
All in all however, it's an odd, fun and thoughtful read, full of interesting elements and an awesome protagonist, and I enjoyed it immensely :)

[Science and Fiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primarily a Sci-Fi writer, this is Longyear’s only fantasy novel. Kind of goofy, but entertaining like Disney's Aladdin story. Main character falls in love with an eight-foot giantess and we are privy to his thoughts on how they will make children. There’s a village that eats butnuts which makes them stink so bad that other tribes leave them alone. Oh, and there’s a flying lion who gives a ride to the main character.

I’m not really a fantasy reader, one of the few I’ve enjoyed was Silverberg’s Lord Valentine series, and only because there are no dragons or unicorns. So, this one was about the limit of what I could tolerate even for light reading. I did read it twice, but that's enough.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, written in the first person.

The god box is a way for the gods to take what you don't need (your fear, for example) and give you what you need. Of course what you need and what you think you need are often different.

I think it's kind of like saying that whatever happens was meant to be.

Apparently Longyear's (author of Enemy Mine) first fantasy novel. Entertaining.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The God Box by Barry B Longyear (2000)