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The Second Incarnation of Beelzebub
"I wanted to start a new religion. I don’t know exactly why I chose Judea and Galilee in the early days of the Roman Empire. It felt right. I was looking for maximum effect.” Thus begins the new semi-autobiographical account of the Life of Jesus by his Arch Holiness Lord Beelzebub, the Lord of the Department of Hate, the Supreme Commander of the first, the fifth and the seventh armies of Hell. Powerful forces were arrayed against him: the Romans, the Jews, the Apostles, the Shin Butt, the Priesthood, the Hittite Banking Cartel, the Krill, the Goddess Ishtar, Lucifer the Satan, even Yahweh himself – each with their own agenda. In Beelzebub’s own words
“It didn’t turn out at all as I intended.”
A harsh and cynical, moderately hilarious satire of the Life of Christ. Long overdue.
This book is not suitable for minors.
“It didn’t turn out at all as I intended.”
A harsh and cynical, moderately hilarious satire of the Life of Christ. Long overdue.
This book is not suitable for minors.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
38 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Anthony O'Connor
5 books34 followersI grew up in a small town in rural Australia. I studied mathematics, physics and computer science at the University of NSW in Sydney, Australia. I worked in IT and Software Engineering for many years, on a wide variety of systems and applications - mostly in Australia, but also in the United States and the UK.
I have always read very widely. The classics, modern SF, history, philosophy, mythology, AI, the singularity, mysticism, modern physics, logic, mathematics et al. My favorite writers are David Foster Wallace, Charles Bukowksi, Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Ian Banks, Vernor Vinge, and Peter Watts. I am interested in everything.
I have written a series of novels on a variety of themes:
— The Department of Hate - A Love Story.
— The Second Incarnation of Beelzebub.
— The Assassination Game.
— 101 People to Kill Before I Die
One semi-fictional, sarcastic user's guide:
— The Extended Reality Web, 2037. A User's Guide.
And a factual biographical piece:
— The Fire in the Maze
I own and run a Virtual Reality Games business, Mad Magpies Studio, with one VR game on Steam so far:
— Flying Carpets Over Shark Infested Waters
and others in progress, notably
— Monster House Time War
I am very interested in quantum computing.
I have written a couple of sims ( soon to be available on GitHub ) and I am engaged in a small research project. Maybe there is a book or two on the way on non-locality and entanglement.
I am even more interested in transfinite computing but obviously this is more or less hypothetical. See the fictional User's Guide.
I have always read very widely. The classics, modern SF, history, philosophy, mythology, AI, the singularity, mysticism, modern physics, logic, mathematics et al. My favorite writers are David Foster Wallace, Charles Bukowksi, Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Ian Banks, Vernor Vinge, and Peter Watts. I am interested in everything.
I have written a series of novels on a variety of themes:
— The Department of Hate - A Love Story.
— The Second Incarnation of Beelzebub.
— The Assassination Game.
— 101 People to Kill Before I Die
One semi-fictional, sarcastic user's guide:
— The Extended Reality Web, 2037. A User's Guide.
And a factual biographical piece:
— The Fire in the Maze
I own and run a Virtual Reality Games business, Mad Magpies Studio, with one VR game on Steam so far:
— Flying Carpets Over Shark Infested Waters
and others in progress, notably
— Monster House Time War
I am very interested in quantum computing.
I have written a couple of sims ( soon to be available on GitHub ) and I am engaged in a small research project. Maybe there is a book or two on the way on non-locality and entanglement.
I am even more interested in transfinite computing but obviously this is more or less hypothetical. See the fictional User's Guide.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 9, 2015
I Loved it, laughed all the way through. My only complaint is that it was a bit short. I wanted more.
A devastating critique of Christianity, smart, savagely funny - with a few harsh words for other religions and institutions. I will never look at the Buddha or the US Federal Reserve in quite the same way.
Beelzebub/Jesus is a complex and interesting character. On the one hand a selfish, ruthless, raging psychopath, intent on mass murder in order to accomplish his goal of becoming a God. On the other hand full of righteous indignation, appalled by hypocrisy at all levels and ready, willing and able to mete out his own crude form of justice.
As for Mary Magdalene, the potential love interest, let me just say, along with every other male character in the novel 'Whoa what a babe!' I have no idea what she sees in Beelzebub/Jesus, and the novel does not make this clear. But that's women for you.
A superb cast of supporting characters. My favorite would have to be the Shin Butt - Judean Internal Security - Strong and ruthless but with an underlying Keystone Cops feel about them. They're all out to stop him and the results are as hilarious as they are deadly.
The novel makes many obvious - and some not so obvious - references to Monty Python's Life of Brian and is in much the same vein, though darker in tone and the language is a lot rougher. When Beelzebub/Jesus meets his end he does not smile or sing the song. There is no bright side.
Absurdist comedy at its best with an underlying cynicism and savagery that is at times almost disturbing.
A devastating critique of Christianity, smart, savagely funny - with a few harsh words for other religions and institutions. I will never look at the Buddha or the US Federal Reserve in quite the same way.
Beelzebub/Jesus is a complex and interesting character. On the one hand a selfish, ruthless, raging psychopath, intent on mass murder in order to accomplish his goal of becoming a God. On the other hand full of righteous indignation, appalled by hypocrisy at all levels and ready, willing and able to mete out his own crude form of justice.
As for Mary Magdalene, the potential love interest, let me just say, along with every other male character in the novel 'Whoa what a babe!' I have no idea what she sees in Beelzebub/Jesus, and the novel does not make this clear. But that's women for you.
A superb cast of supporting characters. My favorite would have to be the Shin Butt - Judean Internal Security - Strong and ruthless but with an underlying Keystone Cops feel about them. They're all out to stop him and the results are as hilarious as they are deadly.
The novel makes many obvious - and some not so obvious - references to Monty Python's Life of Brian and is in much the same vein, though darker in tone and the language is a lot rougher. When Beelzebub/Jesus meets his end he does not smile or sing the song. There is no bright side.
Absurdist comedy at its best with an underlying cynicism and savagery that is at times almost disturbing.
May 3, 2020
Must read
I found this book to be exceptionally interesting and in parts highly amusing. Anthony O'Connor has done a fantastic job of engaging the reading with characters that really are simply unforgettable
I found this book to be exceptionally interesting and in parts highly amusing. Anthony O'Connor has done a fantastic job of engaging the reading with characters that really are simply unforgettable
August 26, 2014
Based on the blurb, I expected Monty Pythonesque satire, but what I got was time traveling Mormons, alien probes, soul sucking, telepathic Krill and mythological godesses. So much for a more or less accurate novel/satirical retelling of Jesus's life.
The premise itself is brilliant. What if Jesus was not the son of Yaweh, but an incarnated demon from hell, trying to gather a large enough following so that he can gain godhood, just like Buddha before him. Unluckily for him, many of his fellow, and Yaweh himself are conspiring against him, sometimes in hilariously outrageous ways. As I said, a brilliant outline.
But do you know what killed it for me? The aliens. The constant references to American 21. century culture, the multiple POVs and the anecdotal storyline. Besides, the interesting tension between Mary Magdalene and Beelzebub was never was never fully resolved. I know, it's supposed to be that way, but still, I would have preferred... something...
As I said, this didn't quite work for me because I expected a different kind of book than what I got. If you enjoy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Time Bandits, Quantum Leap and making fun of televangelist and other religious con artists, this just might be the book for you. BTW: I enjoy all those things too, but individually, not rolled into one book.
Oh, and I shouldn't have to tell you: This is not a book for people who take their religion too seriously; yours or others, because this book makes fun of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam alike.
2+ stars.
The premise itself is brilliant. What if Jesus was not the son of Yaweh, but an incarnated demon from hell, trying to gather a large enough following so that he can gain godhood, just like Buddha before him. Unluckily for him, many of his fellow, and Yaweh himself are conspiring against him, sometimes in hilariously outrageous ways. As I said, a brilliant outline.
But do you know what killed it for me? The aliens. The constant references to American 21. century culture, the multiple POVs and the anecdotal storyline. Besides, the interesting tension between Mary Magdalene and Beelzebub was never was never fully resolved. I know, it's supposed to be that way, but still, I would have preferred... something...
As I said, this didn't quite work for me because I expected a different kind of book than what I got. If you enjoy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Time Bandits, Quantum Leap and making fun of televangelist and other religious con artists, this just might be the book for you. BTW: I enjoy all those things too, but individually, not rolled into one book.
Oh, and I shouldn't have to tell you: This is not a book for people who take their religion too seriously; yours or others, because this book makes fun of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam alike.
2+ stars.
June 18, 2022
10 Are you a Christian if yes go to 20 if no go to 30
20 Stop reading!!!!
30 Are you religious if yes go to 20 if no go to 40
40 Are you easily offended if yes go to 20 if no go to 50
50 Do you have a dark and twisted sense of humor if yes go to 60 if no go to 20
60 click on spoiler tag
This is a book I really liked but I would recommend to no one.
20 Stop reading!!!!
30 Are you religious if yes go to 20 if no go to 40
40 Are you easily offended if yes go to 20 if no go to 50
50 Do you have a dark and twisted sense of humor if yes go to 60 if no go to 20
60 click on spoiler tag
This is a book I really liked but I would recommend to no one.
November 13, 2015
I found this novel completely irreverent and absolutely hilarious. Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down without finishing it. The author's interests--"the classics, modern SF, history, philosophy, mythology, AI, the singularity, mysticism, modern physics, logic, mathematics et al."--are well-represented in this satirical novel. It's insanely clever and highly readable, although I would like to see it edited/proofread for things such as tense changes and punctuation. For the latter reason, I gave it four rather than five stars. I will, nonetheless, be reading the sequels!
June 20, 2015
Humorous and Highly Entertaining
This book made me laugh out loud several times. Well-written and thought out, definitely recommend for a quick and engaging read. Obviously, as per the description, may be offensive to the highly religious, but otherwise, worth picking up.
This book made me laugh out loud several times. Well-written and thought out, definitely recommend for a quick and engaging read. Obviously, as per the description, may be offensive to the highly religious, but otherwise, worth picking up.
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September 9, 2017
Funny
I accepted this book. Free and clear. To be honest this book hit on some points that I myself find very strange and almost funny. I had some thoughts of my own that "go against" what is preached and written in the bible. Too many inconsistencies. So I actually suggested this book to others. A good read and funny too.
I accepted this book. Free and clear. To be honest this book hit on some points that I myself find very strange and almost funny. I had some thoughts of my own that "go against" what is preached and written in the bible. Too many inconsistencies. So I actually suggested this book to others. A good read and funny too.
May 8, 2018
My one star rating is not due to some Christian motivated vendetta against the novel or author. I hold no religious beliefs nor do I feel superior to those that do. For there is no absolute truth, there is only what you believe and from my perspective believe whatever you want.
Despite a great line up of characters, an innovative plot and a humorous riff on the Life of Brian aliens, the book is written in one voice. It gets tedious and boring real quick.
For example: the Jesus/ Beezlbub (2nd in command of Hell) character meets Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, and King Herod, as in the original story. All he says to each of them is, "Fuck off asshole." Not original. Likely more in line with the author's own character than what his fictional character would say if the author chose to go deeper with it. He never does and so the book stays flat, one dimensional and even juvenile at times. All the female characters are either "so hot" or "ugly." Unfortunate, since the plot holds so much potential.
My plan was to read both books in this series. Having read this one, I can't bring myself to read the other regardless of its inviting title; The Department of Hate - A Love Story.
Despite a great line up of characters, an innovative plot and a humorous riff on the Life of Brian aliens, the book is written in one voice. It gets tedious and boring real quick.
For example: the Jesus/ Beezlbub (2nd in command of Hell) character meets Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, and King Herod, as in the original story. All he says to each of them is, "Fuck off asshole." Not original. Likely more in line with the author's own character than what his fictional character would say if the author chose to go deeper with it. He never does and so the book stays flat, one dimensional and even juvenile at times. All the female characters are either "so hot" or "ugly." Unfortunate, since the plot holds so much potential.
My plan was to read both books in this series. Having read this one, I can't bring myself to read the other regardless of its inviting title; The Department of Hate - A Love Story.
January 10, 2025
EXCELLENT PREMISE…
The idea of the book was interesting. I found it a little simple and it was almost like a frat book in Jesus time. The writing was simple and used current teen and young adult themes for setting up the scenes. I honestly couldn’t finish it.
The idea of the book was interesting. I found it a little simple and it was almost like a frat book in Jesus time. The writing was simple and used current teen and young adult themes for setting up the scenes. I honestly couldn’t finish it.
September 22, 2017
The 2nd incarnation of Beelzebub
You get 1 star for effort. I didn't read it. It's not a farce it's a total put down. As a Christian I didn't want to!
You get 1 star for effort. I didn't read it. It's not a farce it's a total put down. As a Christian I didn't want to!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews