Although the society in the book might seem more like an exaggerated version of our current way of life, what's to say that in a couple of years or months, ours will not mirror the one in the book? After all, we are approaching the millenium. This paper intends to relate the world created by John Kessel to the world we now inhabit; this world where science and religion, for most, are the mental constructs that give us some sense of control over this obscure universe.

The most significant aspect of this fictional society is the belief of a "Second Coming." This shows great similarity to present day society simply because of the huge percentage of Christian followers who also believe in a "Second Coming." The Reverend Jimmy-Don Gilray, a major character in the book, is convinced that God will send a messenger

The beliefs of Gilray and Eberhart although seemingly far fetched may hit closer to home than one would imagine. While Gilray believed in the coming of an extraterrestrial Christ, his counter character Applewhite believed likewise. Christ didn't come to either of them, but if anything one might say that the Heaven's Gate Cult came to Christ (through suicide). While Eberhart believed in the alien, countless alien fanatics in our society have made the shows like Sightings possible. One might tend to believe that Kessel had such comparisons in mind while created this fictional world within the bounded covers of his novel. In general the rather sarcastic title of the book may serve as a messenger of what the future may hold for generations to come or perhaps just the very near future, period.

George Eberhart, who also plays a significant role in the book, is a reporter for the biggest tabloid in the world. He works for an agency whose motto seems to be something like "It doesn't matter if it's untrue, as long as it sells". The society in the book is full of trashy-cheesy news and so is what's on TV. The tabloid television shows in the book, contain what one may call hardcore trash-articles such as: "'Pittsburgh Millworker Eats Himself.' 'Foxhole Fad Sweeps Midwest.' 'Unarius Temple Firebombed.' 'High School Valedictorian on Sex Rampage.' 'Jehovah's Witnesses Torn by Schism.' 'High-Tech Pioneer Founds American Atheist Party.' 'Saucer Men Land at Fatima.'" (p.49) These articles are keenly similar to the ones produced in our society by the tabloid newspaper, Weekly World News. They have been known to produce such unrealistic articles as the following: "Satan's Face Appears in Hawaiian Volcano's Lava", "Tallest Women in the World Marries Smallest Man in the World" and "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse Seen Riding In Mojave Desert". What does the acceptance of such news stories in the mainstream, of both our world and the book, mean? It could mean that the general population's IQ is at its all time lowest, and that people will believe anything as long as it's new and unheard of. Perhaps people have gotten bored with ethics and intellectual rationale. But what does ethics have to do with such scummy news stories? One must consider that the presence of ethics helps us formulate rational thinking and intellect. These stories show that neither is obviously required and this reflects upon the society. The general mentality of the society in the book is best summarized in the following quote: "What's wrong with ethics? Ethic

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mojave Desert, Sightings X-files, City God, John Kessel, Jimmy-Don Gilray, Cult Christ, George Eberhart, Heaven's Gate, Hidden Masters, Gilray Eberhart, society book, heaven's gate cult, messenger arrive, heaven's gate, own world, gate cult, lead followers, january 1, hidden masters, book quote, believed coming,
Approximate Word count = 1715
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)