Lucifer by Alexander Kosoris

Local Thunder Bay author Alexander Kosoris has just released his debut novel entitled “Lucifer”.  “Lucifer” is a darkly comic novel about the life of everyone’s most feared entity, when he was simply another angel working in the Research and Development department for God’s corporation in Heaven.  All is going well for Lucifer as he works diligently on his role in the developing the human personality for the “creation” project.  It’s not that he doesn’t have problems; he’s a little antisocial, fidgety and shy. Slender with red hair, Lucifer doesn’t have flair of the important angels like Nathaniel or Michael from marketing, but he believes everything is okay.  His world changes when he is summoned to God’s office on the ninety-six floor, and asked by God to rebel.

Once he accepts God’s request, change happens rapidly for Lucifer. His first attempt at rebellion, “casual attire day” at work, doesn’t go well, but as Lucifer strives to fulfill God’s request, he begins to grow and evolve.  The separation between Lucifer and the other angels, including his friend, Raphael become evident as Lucifer starts to ask questions and challenge the status quo.  Despite moments of what could be madness as he experiences new emotions and radical thinking, the reader finds it easy to sympathize with Lucifer as he struggles follow God’s request, all the while feeling he’s grown past the need for God.

At 167 pages, it is a quick and enjoyable read but it still proposes some interesting questions about faith and the traditional creation story. Questions like “why did God put the “tree of Good and Evil” in the Garden of Eden?” or “if God is omniscient why didn’t he know that Lucifer would rebel?” among other imponderables will quickly pop to mind. The novel follows in the comic tradition of Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” or “Lamb” by Christopher Moore and I look forward to Alexander’s next effort.