Job: A Comedy of Justice
#10283.78 adjusted 3.79 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1984 Reading commitment Low Robert A. Heinlein Last reviewed 2026-11-03
Overview
Job: A Comedy of Justice is a standalone novel by the American writer Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1984 by Ballantine Books under its Del Rey imprint. Alex, a Christian political activist, is drawn into a new life by Margrethe, a Norse-worshipping cruise ship hostess. Together they face a shipwreck, an earthquake and a series of shifts between alternate realities, all attributed to Loki with Jehovah's permission. Their repeated setbacks lead Alex to identify with the Biblical Job. Later they are separated, and Alex searches through timeless space for her.
Comic fantasy, Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Job: A Comedy of Justice Robert A. Heinlein
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Job: A Comedy of Justice | 1984 | 1 | core | 3.78 (18,907 ratings) |
A standalone novel in which a man and a woman are pushed through shifting realities by the gods.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Job: A Comedy of Justice? Job: A Comedy of Justice's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Job: A Comedy of Justice finished? Complete (1984).
- How much reading does Job: A Comedy of Justice take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Job: A Comedy of Justice ranked? #1028 in this site's official ranking, based on 18,907 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1028?
Ranked #1028 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.78 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (18,907 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.01 behind #1027, Wicked Lovely.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 19k ratings · Ranks #1028 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment comic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 1985: won: Job: A Comedy of Justice
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 1985: nominated: Job: A Comedy of Justice
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 1984: nominated: Job: A Comedy of Justice
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Job: A Comedy of Justice and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Drawing of the Dark Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.93
- The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl Urban fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.91
- Binti Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.90
- Khaled Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.89
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.78 across 18,907 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. 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)
Last reviewed: 2026-11-03
Rule: Core Canon = Job: A Comedy of Justice (1984).