Brought to you by OBS staff member Annabell Cadiz. Read Annabell’s review of Logic of Demon’s here.
Annabell: Logic of Demons is a very complicated and intricate story. How did you come up with it?
Goodman: Logic of Demons is the story of a very desperate man’s attempt at finding his way around the afterlife. Unfortunately for Devin, his afterlife experience isn’t very pleasant after murdering his wife’s killer. Through the help of a couple of Angels and a teenage girl, he eventually redeems himself, but enlightenment doesn’t come easy for the poor guy. Many people who’ve read the novel sympathize with Devin, but at the same time “want to strangle him” for acting so impulsively. However, in this version of life after death, where Hell is an office and heaven is taken over by religious zealots, nothing is as it seems. Thus, the flaws of our main character are highlighted in the story though his actions. In life, he acted on impulse, so it made sense for me to have him act in much the same way after death. Devin’ primary goal is reuniting with his wife Bridget, but he doesn’t realize the magnitude of his decisions in relation to his primary objective until late in the novel. For this reason, Logic of Demons takes readers on a myriad of adventures, from time travel to a civil war in heaven, with Devin as our guide. Eventually, we all find out what happens to Nadine’s soul in the process. My time as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab and City National Bank, as well my experiences as a high school history teacher for Hamilton High in Los Angeles are represented in the novel as well.
Annabell: You discuss sex trafficking, the afterlife, rape, depression, and religion throughout the novel. What made you choose to write so in depth about such heavy stuff? Do you believe in God? What’s your view on the afterlife?
Goodman: Logic of Demons is written from an agnostic point of view. Although I’m culturally Jewish, I don’t believe any religion on the planet has a monopoly on God, the afterlife, or morality. In fact, I wrote my novel to highlight the absurdity of how religious leaders justify certain moral views. For example, the topic of gay marriage brings up far more discussion and debate in our country than genocide or human trafficking. But, if morality is the basis of religious thought, then which matter do you think offends the Almighty more – the enslavement and slaughter of millions, or if Bob and Mike get married? However, to people who interpret their holy book in a certain manner, it’s an issue that evokes tremendous emotion; even more emotion than poor people not being able to afford HIV medication. In my opinion, these types of people blatantly display a sophomoric viewpoint of good and evil. In Logic of Demons, I wanted to show what could happen to heaven if religious fundamentalists had their way with the afterlife. I also wanted to convey that human behavior, not a person’s interpretation of a holy text, is the prime determinant of whether we live a righteous or wicked life. This is the basis of my view of life after death. If God exists, he has greater issues to worry about than if you donated 10% of your income to the Church or if I eat bacon in the morning. Primarily, I wanted to write a novel that was socially and politically relevant.
Read the complete interview here.
