The Godmakers (1972)

The God Makers (1972) is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. Some later editions used a variant title, The Godmakers.

Publication history

The novel The Godmakers expands upon a storyline appearing in four short stories over a decade earlier:

"You Take the High Road". Appeared in Astounding Science Fiction, May 1958;

"Missing link". Appeared in Astounding Science Fiction February 1959;

"Operation Haystack". Appeared in Astounding Science Fiction, May 1959; and

"The Priests of Psi". Appeared in Fantastic Science Fiction Stories, February 1960.

Plot summary

The story focuses on Lewis Orne, an agent for a government agency which develops 'lost planets.' After correctly identifying a warlike civilization on the planet Hamal, he is drafted into Investigative Adjustment (I-A), which manages dangerous planets. Under the auspices of I-A, he travels to various planets in order to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. At the same time, the priests of the planet Amel, who practice 'religious engineering', set about creating a god, something they have done numerous times before: 'We do not know from what creature or thing the god will be born', the Abbod said. 'It could be one of you.' After resolving a number of dangerous situations, Lewis is injured and has a near-death experience. Following this, his psychic powers develop, and after passing a series of tests he becomes a god.

Reception

Colin Greenland reviewed The Godmakers for Imagine magazine, and stated that "For all his ever-expanding cosmic perspective, Herbert still writes characters who look and sound as if they'd been cut off the backs of cornflake packets."