Godhead Trilogy
#8123.87 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 1994–1999 Reading commitment Medium James Morrow Last reviewed 2026-11-04
Overview
The Godhead Trilogy is a set of satirical fantasy novels by the American writer James Morrow, published between 1994 and 1999. Its premise is that God has died and left behind a corpse two miles long, the Corpus Dei. Each book has its own protagonist and its own plot, with recurring characters and motifs linking them. Towing Jehovah follows a disgraced supertanker captain hired by the angel Raphael to tow the body to the Arctic. Blameless in Abaddon retells the Book of Job as a lawsuit against God in the World Court. The Eternal Footman places God's skull in orbit above Times Square. The trilogy was completed in 1999.
Comic fantasy, Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Godhead Trilogy James Morrow
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Towing Jehovah | 1994 | 1 | core | 3.87 (3,112 ratings) |
 | Blameless in Abaddon | 1996 | 2 | core | 3.94 (1,023 ratings) |
 | The Eternal Footman | 1999 | 3 | core | 3.78 (604 ratings) |
Three satirical novels, each with a different protagonist, set in a world where God has died and left a giant corpse.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Godhead Trilogy? Godhead Trilogy's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Godhead Trilogy? Publication order, starting with Towing Jehovah. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Godhead Trilogy finished? Complete (1994–1999).
- How much reading does Godhead Trilogy take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Godhead Trilogy ranked? #812 in this site's official ranking, based on 4,739 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #812?
Ranked #812 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.87 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (4,739 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.01 behind #811, Godkiller (The Fallen Gods Trilogy).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 3 books · Complete · 5k ratings · Ranks #812 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length comic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Towing Jehovah (1994)
- Blameless in Abaddon (1996)
- The Eternal Footman (1999)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 1995: won: Towing Jehovah
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 1995: nominated: Towing Jehovah
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 1995: nominated: Towing Jehovah
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Suggestions computed from what Godhead Trilogy and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.87 across 4,739 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 19 universes from the candidate register; 7 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-03
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: James Morrow Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Towing Jehovah Tier 2
- James Morrow official site: Blameless in Abaddon Tier 2
- James Morrow official site: The Eternal Footman Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-03
Rule: Core Canon = Towing Jehovah (1994), Blameless in Abaddon (1996) and The Eternal Footman (1999).