I’ve got this book off at my publisher, and we’re still arguing over the title. Everything else looks good, but we can’t agree on this one rather big thing: my editor definitely wants it to be something personal and about me, of all people. So I have an exercise for everyone. Imagine an infidel like me with a book that skewers religion and triumphantly praises the godless way of life. Imagine the cover. There, in big bold print it says…
The __________ Atheist
Fill in the blank. Remember, it’s got to be provocative but positive, catchy and descriptive. I know you’re all thinking “Poopyhead”, but I’m gonna squelch that one right now. No scatology or obscenity, ’cause while it would be fine to be banned for the content, it’s so petty and superficial to be banned for the cover. It should be something that makes you want to reach out and buy it, too.
Oh, and no, you don’t get a cut for suggesting one adjective.
electrabotanical says
emphatic
PZ Myers says
I already thought of “The Fucking Atheist”, which would just fly off the shelves, but I don’t think the NY Times would let it appear on their list.
JustPeachyAndYou says
…
The Unrepentant Atheist
…
ThirdMonkey says
irrefutable
Sean says
The Bold Atheist.
Eamon Knight says
“Tentacled”?
dmaas says
The atheist’s atheist!
nah.\
The commonsense atheist.
Gaebolga says
Either
The Tentacled Atheist
or
The Bearded Atheist
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
scruffy bearded
spiderxray says
The Compleat Atheist, of course.
Peej says
The Ragged-Trousered Atheist
“Clearly frustrated at the refusal of his contemporaries to recognise the inequity and iniquity of society, Tressell’s cast of hypocritical Christians, exploitative capitalists and corrupt councillors provide a backdrop for his main target — the workers who think that a better life is “not for the likes of them” “
Don1 says
Acerbic?
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says
The Non-quiet Atheist.
Stray Cat says
Two come to mind.
Unabashed
Principled
Chris KG says
The Evolved Atheist
Kareth says
These are what pop to mind immediately:
The Unapologetic Atheist
The Atheist They Warned You About
and, of course,
The Bearded Atheist
Therrin says
Unrepentant.
Aleph says
“Squamous”? It has the tentacled, scaly feel… ^_^’
Either that or “tentacular”, I suppose. Which also sounds like “spectacular”, which is fitting.
Eric O says
The Professing Atheist.
Jon says
“Bearded”, “Blatant”, or “Vulgar”
Jebus is my Dog says
Cuddly?
Mr Ed says
The Squid loving Atheist
The mild mannered atheist
The secret atheist
Dan says
The evangelical atheist
The unrepentant atheist
The holier than thou atheist
Gaebolga says
Or perhaps The Eternal Atheist?
AJ Milne says
The Plain-Spoken Atheist.
Glen Davidson says
“Unaccommodating,” “inveterate,” and “tentacled” come to mind–after the banned “poopyhead,” of course. “Uncompromising” might work, but then one might just say “scientific,” too, since your angle is pretty much “give us some evidence.” “Evidence-based,” then, might also be ok, while “empirical” would probably be a bit much.
Glen Davidson
Dar Krum says
I have heard the name “Teddy Bear” from Jen and others on the net as they describe you. Though with all that facial fur you might be a “Prickly” teddy bear. Or atheist.
raven says
No problem. Have you thought about “The F**king Atheist”? The NYT will never figure it out.
RLRuss says
There is but one obvious answer:
The Faithful Atheist
R.G.Daniel says
I second “The Evolved Atheist”
NitricAcid says
Undamned
Paul Davidson says
FRIKKIN’
Investigator says
“Napoleonic”
Zinc Avenger says
I’d go with “good”, as it is accurate, succinct, easy to spell, it would make fundogelicals’ heads explode if “You can be good without god” is an inflammatory statement. It also references the “Good Samaritan” for the biblically-minded – traditionally an enemy but here to help anyway.
Gaebolga says
The Unflinching Atheist
Tardigrada Major says
Expelled or Trophy [TM]
simonus says
you could always do “The Striding Atheist”
ThirdMonkey says
Oh wait…
It should’ve been obvious:
The New Atheist. :)
lcallen3 says
I vote for the Scientific Atheist
Therrin says
Modern.
GaryB says
How about;
The Homologous Atheist?
Paul Davidson says
Umm, how about The FRIKKIN Atheist WITH LASER BEAMS FOR EYES
helene says
unabashed or unrepentant
VLJ says
I like ‘The Assertive Atheist’ but that may require getting permissions…
Assertive is a kinder/gentler word for your style.
I also like ‘The Assertive Anti-theist’
or
simply: ‘God-Bashing’
Den!s says
~***Pharyngulated***~
Dave K says
Impertinent
I think this works in a multitude of ways:
1. intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil: a brash, impertinent youth.
Considering the accusations from the “be polite” skeptical crowd…
2. not pertinent or relevant; irrelevant: an impertinent detail.
Self-deprecatingly ironic.
3. Archaic . inappropriate, incongruous, or absurd.
A little of 1&2.
4. Obsolete . (of persons) trivial, silly, or absurd.
A little of 1&2.
Stephen Wells says
Forthright.
Upfront.
Bearded.
Cuddly.
The Inyourfaitheist.
Randomfactor says
I suppose “Gnu Atheist” is out?
turncoat says
The Rational Atheist
God says
The Wholly Atheist.
pHred says
Informed … erudite = opposite of sales, so what is the opposite of ivory tower ? Can’t use in the trenches… hum
The au fait atheist ?
The Natural Atheist
How about The Buck Naked Atheist?
Okay, that clearly isn’t right!
Alyson Miers says
The Unapologetic Atheist
The Outspoken Atheist
Therrin says
Hypoallergenic.
What do we win if we get it right?
Shripathi Kamath says
The Incorrigible Atheist
The Uncompromising Atheist
The Relentlessly Rational Atheist
I also like #24
required says
I kind of like the idea of the blank space _____ staying, because no single word can encapsulate you (or some fluffy shit like that). Let the reader of your book fill it in in his own mind.
Or failing that, The Flying Atheist.
Kent says
The Roaring Atheist
bromion says
The Firebrand Athiest
A Bad Idea (♀) says
I absolutely love Kareth’s suggestion of “The Atheist They Warned You About”
But to stick to the form.. “The American Atheist”
Izzy says
“The ______ Atheist” is a pretty good title by itslef. I’d pick up a book with that title and curiously flip through it.
Michael Miller says
I think the answer can be drawn from what you wrote above I like the ring of ‘The Infidel Atheist’
jamessweet says
Not sure if you were joking or not, but this is a serious suggestion. Go the Fuck to Sleep debuted at no. 1 on the NYT bestseller list, under the title Go the F–k to Sleep. So there’s precedent here…
curtloose says
The Atheist’s Atheist
Beatrice, anormalement indécente says
The Uppity Atheist has a nice dose of sarcasm in it.
Gaebolga says
I’d second The Expelled Atheist, except that it gives the movie an undeserved place or prominence in the narrative of PZ’s public life.
Randomfactor says
The Experimental Athiest?
LCM says
Indefatigable.
I’ll take my cut now.
ccfoo242 says
The Anti-antidisestablishmentarianistic Atheist
Fancy-Pants McGravitas says
Caustic or ink-spewing
A Bad Idea (♀) says
I think I got swallowed by the filter… my suggestion was American
but I also love Kareth’s “The Atheist They Warned You About,” even if it deviates from the formula.
Hosfross says
the Flaming Atheist
Michelle says
The (AstrinGENTly) Astute Atheist
Deiloh says
IDK
I kinda like The ____ Atheist.
D says
Well, since someone already got the “cuddly”…
Next
Modern
Empirical
Improved
Complete
Timeless
Rev. Bob says
I’m surprised nobody’s suggested my first thought yet:
The Confrontational Atheist
Randomfactor says
The Orthodox Atheist.
NMcC says
Irritating.
Catherine says
forthright.. But I also like “the good atheist”. It will confound the religious and entice those seeking something other than the usual on Sunday.how to be good without god???
Fear Uncertainty Doubt says
The Energetic Atheist
The Always-On Atheist
The Give ’em Hell Atheist
The Indefatigable Atheist
The Tireless Atheist
The Persistent Atheist
Noah says
I’d suggest the “Scathing” Atheist, but I have an ulterior motive since I write a blog called the “Scathing Atheist” and could use the random traffic that would generate.
That being said, I still think it would be a pretty descriptive title.
GregFromCos says
My favorite of those mentioned is “The Evolved Atheist”
I’d put forward:
The Thoughtful Atheist
Or
The Faithless Atheist
Ron Sullivan says
The Everyday Atheist
(Daily, Quotidian)
Yer Basic Atheist
The Athiest Atheist
Hideki says
Strident?
You’ll doubtless be accused of it anyway so you might as well (as Sir Humphrey would say) put it in the title where it’ll do far less damage than in the text -.o;
madbull says
something happy/merry cos they think atheists are very sad people with no meaning in life.
CJO says
Intellectually Fulfilled
Richard Sulsky says
Ontogenic
jod says
The Bold Atheist
HerbyIsGood says
The Gnu Atheist
The Proudly Provocative Atheist
Tony Sidaway says
Another vote for “tentacled”. It’s provocative, given the connotations of the term, and has a more prosaic meaning too.
Obijohn says
“The Militant Atheist” It both pokes fun at the absurdity of the term, and fits your no compromise attitude.
Molly says
Knitters are familiar with Elizabeth Zimmerman’s classic “The Opinionated Knitter.”
How about “The Opinionated Atheist”?
. . .or is that just all atheists?
Randomfactor says
The Minnesota Atheist, Youbetcha!
Dylan Lawless says
The Handsome Atheist would be my choice
Failing that:
ethical
faithful
reverent
Valis says
The Squishy Atheist
Zmidponk says
Inspired by the subtitle of this blog:
The Ejaculating Atheist
b00ger says
I’m partial to “Bearded” or “Unapologetic”, although “Poopyhead” was the first thing that popped into my mind (before I read your preemptive dismissal).
If you want to piss off some fundies, I suggest “Militant.” If you want to be repetitive you could be “Godless.”
PZ Myers says
Jebus. This thread is filling up fast.
Lagerbaer says
Fierce
Rude
Proud
Awesome
Littlest (nah just kidding)
Sniny?
Randomfactor says
Hold the presses!
“The Dictionary Atheist.”
Chiltern Fixie says
\delurks
Recalcitrant
J says
Another vote for Bearded here
Ron Sullivan says
I’m betting that the first comment I submitted will show up sometime, and amending thus:
The Athier Atheist
CJO says
Squamous… and Rugose
Hank Fox says
Rumpled
Beloved / Popular
Gnu
Insidious
Laughing
Happy
Digital
High-Tech
Scandalous
Infectious (!!)
Courageous
Unabashed
Kick-Ass
Rudi says
Unapologetic
(I know it’s been said ready but it’s perfect IMO)
Andrew says
Misunderstood?
Celtic_Evolution says
Of the suggestions already made I’m preferential to “uncompromising”..
But I’d also add:
The Candid Atheist
or my personal favorite: The Damned Atheist
cwayne says
“Civil” “Decent”?
madbull says
The Spirited Atheist
though at least one clown will think that you are spiritual.
Blondin says
The Sensuous Atheist
I don’t know why. It just came to me.
brokenSoldier, OM says
I’d say The Inclement Atheist – it fits not only in the context of being rough, stormy, and less-than-merciful, but also in the inherent denial of being a ‘fair-weather’ (re:accomodationist) atheist as well.
asonge says
The Loud Atheist
The Proud Atheist
The Out Atheist
The Village Atheist
speedwell says
The Straightforward Atheist
Meg McG says
If it has to describe you then I would go for Fearless. Because you are fearless about offending or being who you are you have pulled so many out of the shadows and into the light of truth. You’re the William Wallace of Atheism!
Anonymous says
The Indispensible Atheist.
Hairhead says
Um, um, um . . . you can’t say something like “good”, or “principled” or some other compliment, because that would make people immediately think of the antonyms, ie, the “bad” atheist, the “unprincipled” atheist . . . it is a pickly indeed. To be sharp, clear, unambiguous, and nearly-impossible-to-interpret-negatively.
Here are my suggestions:
The Adult Atheist
The Unwavering Atheist
The Integrated Atheist
The Authentic Atheist
The Coherent Atheist
The Mature Atheist
The Honest Atheist
The Patient Atheist
(What is the adjectival form of “candor”? That would be my real choice. “Candor”, lovely word, meaning spontaneous and unflinching honesty.)
The Artless Atheist
The Open Atheist
The Sincere Atheist
The Frank Atheist
The Forthright Atheist
Upon consideration, the ones I like most are:
THE OPEN ATHEIST (“open” as in: open to new ideas and ways of seeing, and also “open” as in out in public view)
THE ADULT ATHEIST
THE AUTHENTIC ATHEIST
There’s my bit.
Ron Sullivan says
For real, though? Just based on personal experience:
The Genial Atheist
Fedor says
Well, obviously:
The Awesome Atheist!
No?
All right, I will vote for “The Evolved Atheist”…
SteveInMI says
Noisy (loud and proud!)
Hungry (homage to Eric Carle?)
Fearless (inaccurate I imagine, but indicative)
Scientific
Thinking
Informative
Feral (I like this one… It suggests you’ve gotten loose in the wild)
Informed
Nemo says
Irascible
I really don’t like this title format, though. However it turns out will make for a less interesting title than “Pharyngula”.
Dofang says
Remember, it has to sell books!
With that in mind, I liked the “Atheist’s Atheist” for being all around provocative.
If a squid reference is preferred, how about “the Inky Atheist”? Or is that too close to “icky”?
But my favorite comes right from my thesaurus: “The Evident Atheist.” Evident meaning “obvious,” while reminiscent of the evidence you insist upon.
Mike Fuellbrandt says
The Blasphemous Atheist (to raise the hackles…)
The Absolutely Right Atheist (again, to raise the hackles…)
The Warrior Atheist (to highlight your combative brand of Atheism)
The Confrontational Atheist (as above)
The Blankety Blank Blank Atheist (for lulz)
Celtic_Evolution says
PZ –
C’mon… you’re really surprised by that? With this crowd?
James T says
The Defiant Atheist!
prognemesiss says
provocative?
the DIVINE atheist
the HOLY atheist
descriptive?
the SANE atheist
the EPIC atheist
truthfull?
the HONEST atheist
the KNOWLEDGABLE atheist
positive?
the DELIGHTFULL atheist
the HELPFULL atheist
brokenSoldier, OM says
I also wanted to throw in my love of the Bearded and Unapologetic suggestions as well!
Grumpy says
Terrific. Radiant. Humble.
No… “Grand High Exalted.”
Doug Little says
I like the Gnu(or New) Atheist personally, but it has already been suggested. So I’ll throw one that hasn’t been suggested into the ring.
The GOATS-ON-FIRE Atheist
Mike says
The Thoughtful Atheist
Markita Lynda, admirer of roadkill says
Rational? Fuzzy? Provocative?
“Atheist Rampant”?
“Atheist Like Me”?
“What the Heck is a Pharyngula?”
Who is this aimed at? Ask four or five of them.
Roger says
The Unmitigated Atheist
maureen.brian says
There’s a lot to be said for ‘cuddly’ but I’ll happily go for ‘plain spoken’ or ‘compleat’ as long as you can persuade the publishers to spell it that way!
Randomfactor says
Off the prescribed form, but I’d read a book entitled “The Atheist Agenda.”
Divalent says
The Non-Faithiest Atheist
b00ger says
Just read the suggestion for keeping the blank line. I’m going to have to throw my vote for that. “The ____ Atheist” is awesome. Would also make for a great introduction to your book about what can go in the blank.
Paul says
True
Couragous
Honest
Tiger
zernk says
Sniny
speedwell says
I said straightforward, which is good, but forthright is even better.
required says
Harry Potter and the Atheist of Azkaban
The Vampire Atheist
The Dirty, Sexy Atheist
Just trying to sell copies.
Eric says
The Ornery Atheist
happy says
happy
Spontaneous Generation says
The Neighborhood Atheist
The Chosen Atheist
The Non-Theist Seeking Atheist
The Swooning Atheist
The Family’s Atheist
But really, it’s hard to beat “The Evolved Atheist”
gregfromcos says
You could also go ironic and make it:
The Quintessential Atheist
Otranreg says
I also like the idea of leaving the blank space blank. Let every reader take a felt pen and put whatever epithet they find fitting.
It is a way to inconspicuously smuggle in the dirty words (say, ‘fuck’ is on the top-10 most used words list, so ‘fucking’ will be coming to very many people’s minds first or second).
It would be a great blog post topic: ‘What’ve you got on your “Atheist”?’
It could also be a place to put autographs on.
However, it could be too postmodern, for the book.
Fedor Steeman says
All right…
The Audacious Atheist
Mike Fuellbrandt says
The Devil’s Atheist
Adviser Moppet says
The Teddybear Atheist.
davidb says
Unaccommodating
David B
Anri says
“Defiant”?
“Biological”?
(or maybe “Bio/logical”?)
“Crusading”? (Nah.)
“Prosaic”?
Moggie says
The Thesaurus Atheist.
NAL says
The Reasonable Atheist
The Thoughtful Atheist
The Moral Atheist
The Atheist
The Atheist’s Advocate
The Sensible Atheist
The Reasoned Atheist
The Essential Atheist
The Extreme Atheist
The Atheist From Hell
The Provocative Atheist
Sisu says
I totally agree.
Fulfilled
Happiest
Compleat (as someone suggested upthread)
Proud is good, too.
Paul says
Unashamed
b00ger says
@115
Candid
Acronym Jim says
“The Vociferous Atheist.”
With the tage line,
“A Theists Worst Nightmare.”
Markita Lynda, healthcare is a damn right. says
Uppity is pretty good, too.
ppb says
The Unexpurgated Atheist
Molly says
@Hairhead
I do like “Honest.”
Casting a vote for “The Honest Atheist.”
DKeane says
Why does this need an adjective? How about just “The Atheist”
PrimevilKneivel says
The Educated Atheist
The Cranky Atheist
The Fed-up Atheist
or how about
The Atheist
shoeguy says
I favor dropping the blank and just calling it “The Atheist”. Failing that, “The God Damed Atheist”.
Notorious?
sjefskjekkasen says
ok short brainstorm..
The
infuriating
irritating
delicious
blunt
intravenous
sticky
laughing
guffawing
lovely
atheist.
hmm, is the title supposed to apply to PZ personally or “any” atheist?
As for the other suggestions, evolved is pretty good, and a little more serious sounding than my brain appearantly can muster
GJames says
“Pharyngulated” is the obvious word. But Dennis already suggested that. How ’bout no word. Just “The Atheist”?
Michael Russell says
The Quotable Atheist, since this book will be quote-mined from here to eternity.
Or just take your favorite epithet that you’ve been called by an apologist and plug it in. That way, unthinking theists will pick it up thinking it a slam and you’ll get extra sales from the flock.
Roel says
The In Your Face Atheist
Blondin says
The Attack of the 50 Foot Atheist!
G says
How about The “Goats on Fire” Atheist?
Jenzee says
Irreducible
Dofang says
Or “the Frustratheist”
Roy Preston says
The Atheist’s Atheist
Celtic_Evolution says
No True Atheist?
J.E.S says
The Scrupulous Atheist
Faithless says
Given PZs last line, this one just jumped up in my mind:
The UNCUT Atheist
raynfala says
The Atheist’s Atheist?
(yeah, I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, either :^)
Chuck_C says
So “The Happy Monkey” has already been ruled out?
Therrin says
Referential.
This is very distracting.
Gaebolga says
Agh! Damn you, Doug Little!
Damn you to hell!
Markita Lynda, healthcare is a damn right. says
Nothing based on an in-joke. Something positive, energetic, inclusive.
Forthright.
Chris says
The “Biologically Ejaculated” Atheist.
Also, I kinda like leaving the blank in there.
The ________ Atheist. Maybe a cover design with a bunch of scribbled out suggestions below the title, or a subtitle in smaller print that references Pharygula. Or both.
Ben says
I think you’d be nuts to call it anything but “Pharyngula.”
bric says
r e b a r b a t i v e
Randomfactor says
The Peer-Reviewed Atheist.
The Test-Tube Atheist.
The Punctuated Atheist!
potira says
The Hellbent Atheist?
Doug Little says
Has The Unapologetic Atheist been suggested yet?
bailey says
Redeeming, as in The Redeeming Atheist
SC (Salty Current), OM says
Public
Intrepid
Huggable :)
Jackdaw says
Thought “The Angry Atheist” as a first attempt, but prefer “The Impassioned Atheist” as more apposite…
Fancy-Pants McGravitas says
“The Non-Faithiest Atheist” is a winner.
Celtic_Evolution says
Maybe you should put up a poll, PZ??
*ducks*
Roger says
The Unredacted Atheist
The Absolute Atheist
The Unillusioned Atheist
The Imperative Atheist
The Unmitigated Atheist
The Necesssary Atheist
The Atheist’s Atheist
…
Doug Little says
Gaebolga @177,
So is that a vote for GOATS-ON-FIRE then?
UpAgainstTheRopes says
The Activist Atheist:
A Practical Guide to Combating Belief
BBGun says
Defiant
CanadianChick says
Just remember – I’ll boycott the book if they use the publisher’s title – at least the one you told me about in Portland…
DH suggests “flabbergasted”, “undaunted”, “rational”
Contradictory
Unabashed
Professional
Professorial
Non-Dictionary
Tweedy
Hank Fox says
PZ:
Get someone to total up the suggestions, and put the top ten to a vote.
Then name it something else entirely.
Be the INDEPENDENT atheist. :D
Beatrice, anormalement indécente says
The Irreducibly Complex Atheist
DoubtingT says
“The optimistic atheist” has a nice ring to it.
EvoMonkey says
Deliberate
Vigilant
Provocative
Firebrand
Or maybe Cheapsakate – “Oh, and no, you don’t get a cut for suggesting one adjective.”
At least, throw a free book to the person who suggests the winning title.
Hairhead says
Here are a few more (and thanks for the vote for the Forthright Atheist)
The Evenhanded Atheist
The Genuine Atheist
The Ordinary Atheist
The Reputable Atheist
The Self-Respecting Atheist
The Straightforward Atheist
The Trustworthy Atheist
The Upright Atheist
This is fun!
Steve says
Cracker?
I’m not an american so I don’t know how seriously you guys take that word. Is it like the n word or more like damned?
Cracked?
Cracking?
THE Atheist?
The cuddly atheist? (My wife’s suggestion)
Classicc says
I had something in my mind but it is way behind 165’s suggestion:
“The In Your Face Atheist”
It captures your rather “direct” tone.
required says
THE Life and Times of PZ Myers, a Portrait of an ATHEIST
See what I did there?
Gaebolga says
The Glamdring Ahteist?
tark says
Trying to find the most appropriate and descriptive ….
I lean toward
“The Adamant Atheist”
but I think I like
The Observable Atheist
just a tad better.
Or maybe….
The Unrepentant Atheist
works best of all.
Tark
Tax Religion.
Anonymosity says
The Masticating Athiest
Kieran says
The Atheist’s Atheist
The friendly atheist
The Squidlike atheist
A is for Atheist
The last Atheist
The first atheist
The sober atheist
The fishy atheist
The pill popping atheist
The short arse atheist
The cuddly fuzzy teddy bear atheist
The Omega Atheist
The Ichthys Atheist
The Zebra fish Atheist
The Teaching Atheist
The Blogging Atheist
The slimline Atheist
The iconclast Atheist
The thinking persons atheist :)
Howlin' Wolf says
The Way Too Cool Atheist
The Take No Prisoners Atheist
The Won’t Back Down Atheist
Ophelia Benson says
It’s bloody difficult. Frankly they all sound boring, including the long list I came up with.
Are they really set on The Adjective Atheist? It’s boring.
bebe says
“Wholly” was pretty clever. “Athier” made me laugh. Hard.
But I really like the happy-go-lucky vibe, something like “frolicking” maybe. I also like “The Armed Atheist”, since it plays off the tentacled theme. Not that most casual book-shoppers would know that.
StarScream says
#59 beat me to it. I’ll second that.
Blondin says
Pharyngula, the Book!
This kind of implies there might be a Pharyngula, the Movie!
-RT says
common
Dhorvath, OM says
Exposed.
Gaebolga says
@Doug Little #191:
Yah, you betcha!
cody says
The Ostrobogulous Atheist.
Though leaving the blank could be interesting, and RandomFactor’s suggestion The Atheist Agenda catches my attention a little—I can imagine religious conservatives mistaking it for some sort of insight into the origins of their [misplaced] perceived persecution.
Kriss says
unplugged
or
ruthless
ACN says
cephalopodic?
abeo says
The Professing Atheist
The Professor Atheist
Seriously, it’s what makes you so great — you’re an esteemed professor and researcher, AND you’re a take-no-prisoners firebrand. :)
Also ‘Professor’ is a nice play on words. :)
Robert B. says
I like “forthright” and “impertinent” but in the name of brainstorming:
The Courageous Atheist
Qwerty says
Since you’ve called yourself a dickhead:
The Dickheaded Atheist.
But it’s probably too close to That Fucking Atheist.
Or like the man’s man:
The Atheist’s Atheist
or
The Eucharistic Destroying Atheist?
Or
The Anti-Wafer Warrior Atheist.
Dan says
The Edible Atheist (it is a cooking book, right?)
Me says
My vote is:
The Unrepentant Atheist
Which has already been offered above. It has the best ring to it.
abeo says
The Professing Atheist
or
The Professor Atheist
Seriously, it’s what makes you so great — you’re an esteemed professor and researcher, AND you’re a take-no-prisoners firebrand. :)
Also ‘Professor’ is a nice play on words. :)
Brownian says
Call it L’Athée and you’ll have every pretentious freshman in North America making sure his copy visibly peeks from his ever-so-casually-left-slightly-open schoolbag.
Kieran says
The citizen atheist
The activist atheist
The streetwalking atheist
The dungeon keeping atheist
The devlopmental atheist
The straight atheist
The questioning Atheist
Al says
The Valiant Atheist!
Gaebolga says
You could call the kid’s version of the book Go, Atheist, Go!
Jayvel says
How about The Created Atheist”; who knows, it could increase sales by fundies buying it accidentally.
EvoMonkey says
The Goats-on-Fire Atheist
wildstrawberry says
Barbate: sounds a little like “barbed”, but means “bearded”.
Bristly/Bristling: referencing both rhetoric and facial grooming
Jen says
Another vote for “Bearded”…
tark says
I seem to want to throw in ….
The Forthright Atheist
and
The Forwarding-Thinking Atheist
as well.
Tark
Longtimelurker says
I have to agree with these two:
The Atheist They Warned You About
Or just leave it blank, and as another has said, let the people fill it in; it would generate popularity due to the very unique title, and also open an avenue to many interesting threads on what people named theirs.
Also, why not anti-theist over atheist? Obviously you’re more of the former; is it more of a sales thing? Has the public now equated atheist to mean anti-theist?
Bill Gleason says
So many good suggestions. You will still be in a quandary deciding.
I haven’t seen it yet, so I will add:
convinced
Best,
Your colleague, Bill
Whaddya think of the new guy?
mechanoid says
I would like to suggest a portmanteau of the words “abominable” and “indomitable”.
Indomitable – Impossible to subdue or defeat.
Abominable – 1. Worthy of or causing disgust or hatred : detestable | 2. Quite disagreeable or unpleasant.
I think it nicely encapsulates some truths and misconceptions of atheism in one word.
The Indominable Atheist
tark says
I guess The Fundamental Atheist is too much of a clunker, eh?
Tark
required says
The Visible Atheist (with dissections of you)
The Uncaused Atheist
The Poor Man’s Atheist
Qwerty says
The Wafer Warrior Atheist.
mikeg says
I think “The ______ Atheist” leaves the conversation open- as in the whole ‘dictionary’ definition debate- which PZ is very passionate about. I like the the ‘blank’ because it may attract those who otherwise wouldn’t pick up the book, to read it. As a literary device, I think it is clever. It makes the reader check their notions at the door, and actively engage with the text, if the author is a strong enough writer (which PZ is, no doubt).
So, I agree with everyone who likes it.
Randomfactor says
The Descent of the Atheist
The Viking Atheist
Or just
Atheist. (The shorter the title, the bigger the font size.)
Tony Jebson says
The Ascerbic Atheist
Ed Oleen says
May I (poolitely) suggest “The bioLogical Atheist”?
Yes,the second word is capItalized in the middle…
After all, you ARE a biologist, and you are supremely Logical (most – well, at least some – of the time…)
tark says
The Reality-based Atheist ….?
Tark.
Beatrice, anormalement indécente says
Oh, I got another one: The Striking Atheist
(because of the double meaning : attract attention and from the verb to strike – which I think would be appropriate and descriptive)
Doug Little says
3 votes for GOATS-ON-FIRE.
required says
The Avuncular Atheist
Howlin' Wolf says
The “I like Bacon” Atheist
The Crackergate Atheist
Diane says
Crusty? Plain-spoken?
Hairhead says
And a last few, on a recurring theme which nobody seems to have thought of yet . . .
The Uncensored Atheist
The Unexpurgated Atheist
The Uninhibited Atheist
The Unabridged Atheist
The Whole Atheist
The Instinctive Atheist
The Natural Atheist (That’s how we’re all born, after all!)
The Unreserved Atheist
The Unsuppressed Atheist
The Mundane Atheist.
Whew! That’s all. For now.
And thank, you PZ, for allowing us to participate in your conspiracy!
ThirdMonkey says
Really?!? Over 250 posts and nobody has suggested:
The Baby Eating Atheist
riffraffinthezoo says
premeditated
GregFromCanada says
Actually “The _________ Atheist” is a pretty good title, especially if the cover is printed glossy with a matt finish over the “______” part (so readers can fill in their own name for you).
It’s provocative because it allows the reader to have both a pre-conceved idea about the author (you), that may change after they read the book, or no idea, giving them an opportunity to decide later.
It could also be amusing to see what people do write in the blank spot when seeing the book in used book stores…
Steve says
I know it was already suggested, but “activist” strikes me as a winner.
Gaebolga says
Atheism, the Book?
Zyaama says
…rabid teddy bear…?
Qwerty says
The OMG Atheist.
f-bot says
What else could it be other than irreverent?
Thorne says
My first thought was, “Unapologetic”.
Then I saw, “Evolved” and was going to vote for that one. Very catchy and throws another slap into the face of Creationists.
Then I thought, that sounds like you’ve completed your evolution, which doesn’t seem right.
So I vote for, “The Evolving Atheist”.
marta says
I think it has to be “The New Atheist”, too.
bailey says
The Proselytizing Atheist
Matthew says
The God-Fearing Atheist
The No Holds Barred Atheist
The Spineless Atheist
The Cephalopodian Atheist
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Atheist
The A in Atheist
Brownian says
I can’t believe a post titled “What would you call me?” hasn’t been trolled to death.
Given that, have you considered yourself the serendipitous atheist?
Kieran says
The wise man atheist
The trophy atheist
The scholar atheist
The viking atheist
The gopher atheist go gopher’s!
The fifth atheist( thief of time TP)reference to the fourhorsemen?
bribase says
+1 For the Natural atheist
Mattand says
Spinning off of Spontaneous Generation at 141: The Friendly Neighborhood Atheist. Mainly because I’m a huge Spider-Man nerd.
Ryan Cunningham says
Blasphemous
(Doesn’t sound great, but you should put your unapologetic blasphemy right up front in the title!)
Qwerty says
It’s almost time for PZ to pick 10 favorites for an unscientific online poll.
Celtic_Evolution says
I agree with Ophelia and others… as fun as this little exercise is, the format seems completely unimaginative…
I understand the reasoning for the 3-word, quick hit title… provocative, easy to remember, simple… meant to sell… I get it. But still… it’s just so… blech…
I’d much prefer something more… YOU… like:
“Accomodate THIS: a progressive guide to Gnu Atheism”
or
“Poll Crashing and Frakkin Crackers: a modern Atheist’s view”
steve oberski says
The Atheist Next Door.
The Accidental Atheist.
The Unexpected Atheist.
The Atheist and the Sea.
The Zombie Atheist.
The Happy Atheist.
The Lord of the Atheists.
The Atheist in the Rye.
Angels and Atheists.
Atheists and Demons.
The Atheist Conspiracy.
Waiting for Atheist.
Brave New Atheist.
grumps says
The Experimental Atheist
tark says
The Sniny Atheist might be a bit too specialized…
Tark
Kevin Anthoney says
It’d have to be a pretty spectacular adjective to make that title stand out. I’d look for something else.
Howlin' Wolf says
The “I Fart In Your General Direction” Atheist
Molly says
Seems like lots of us are throwing out “unrepentent” and “unapologetic.” If it came down to a choice between thoes two, which are essential synonyms, I’d go with “unapologetic.”
Doug Little says
Looks like unapologetic is quite popular.
Algernon says
Count me in with the folks who really like the blank space.
Then the cover could have a little poll beneath, like:
The ________ Atheist
a) Bearded
b) Evil
c) Humanist
d) Internet’s Most Hated
People have such wildly conflicting opinions of you.
Randomfactor says
The sQuidnunc Atheist.
Tardigrada Major says
Foxhole
Reed says
The Unleavened Atheist
Because you’re not “lightened or softened”. Plus there was something about a cracker…
TV200 says
Determined?
Though, I remember a while back, there was an interview where you jokingly threw out “Well, that about wraps it up for god”. A title I would love to see in real life.
Randomfactor says
The Viral Atheist.
otrame says
Don’t have time to read the whole thread ATM, but I vote for
Happy
abeo says
Also…
The Unfazed Atheist
The Affirmed Atheist
The Affirmative Atheist
The Assured Atheist
The Fearless Atheist
The Audacious Atheist
The Purposeful Atheist
The Abiding Atheist
The Arthropod’s Atheist
Not Yo’ Grandma’s Atheist
bluebrother says
The Usual Atheist.
At first I liked it, then I didn’t, then I decided I did.
Ray Fowler says
The Christ-like Atheist
(strategy: book sales soar as Christians buy the books just to burn them).
required says
The Confessions of an Atheist
The Understated Atheist
Sven says
I agree with PZ:
The _______ Atheist
is a good title.
Ophelia Benson says
Wait…
The Vertebrate Atheist.
andrew says
Simplicity is the key:
The Good Atheist
or
The New Atheist
or
The Atheist
Glen Davidson says
Fracking? (veiled reference)
Glen Davidson
Brian says
The Floccinaucinihilipilificating Atheist?
(Just trying to stand out.)
Hypatia's Daughter says
Not as good as some above, but: The Atheist Next Door
pinkboi says
How about being part ironic, part true –
The Kind Atheist
See, it’s unkind to let stupidity and lies destroy lives. So you are the kindest atheist of all.
Howlin' Wolf says
The Joy of Atheism
UpAgainstTheRopes says
the Village Atheist
Multicellular says
The Chocolate Atheist
Or in your case The White Chocolate Atheist
Because everybody loves chocolate.
luketunmer says
How abort “The Busy Atheist”. I am always amazed at the sheer number and length of posts on this blog.
Ophelia Benson says
The Vertebrate Atheist is good because it’s not boring. It doesn’t make sense, so it gives that little jolt that prevents boredom. Then of course it stands for having a backbone. Plus it sounds faintly sciency but in kind of a sarcastic way.
Paulino says
Sassy?
kijibaji says
The Elemental Atheist
EvoMonkey says
That Blankety-blank Atheist
The Damned Atheist or The Damnable Atheist
A Blog Warmed Up in Hell
Celtic_Evolution says
UpAgainstTheRopes #295
Hah!
Ophelia Benson says
Plus it’s silly because all atheists are vertebrate. Silly is anti-boring.
Matthew says
The Foxhole Atheist
Hank Fox says
Unmistakable!
bbgunn says
The Irreducible Atheist
DavidK44 says
Why not double-down on it, and make it plain to everyone where you stand:
The Godless Atheist
Michael Swanson says
The ______ Atheist looks great in print, with a “let ’em figure it for themselves” attitude. That’s good. But! It will run into serious trouble when people talk about the book. You know they’ll end up calling it “The Blank Atheist” (with a handful calling it “The Underscore Atheist”) and I don’t think either of those are positive titles.
Glen Davidson says
Undesigned.
Glen Davidson
skepticlawyer says
I suggested this over at Ophelia’s place, but you may like it here:
The Contented Atheist.
Nothing is more irritating to people who would have you burning in Hell for eternity than a life of quiet joy. That, more than anything, suggests you don’t need their pablum or their nostrums.
Walter says
It has to be:
The Pharyngula Atheist
It is a winner.
Walter
John Lennox says
The Irreverant Atheist.
Kieran says
The Internet Atheist
The grandfather of the internet atheist
the gandmaster atheist
The Doyenne atheist
The Pzed code atheist
The conscientious atheist
The kegger atheist
The Ale Atheist
The hale atheist
The Minnesota chainsaw atheist
classicc says
Are religion-related words good for that purpose? If the title contains something about apologetics/faith/evangelism/holyness then it would just open the door to the silly “that’s the atheist’s bible” crap.
I would suggest to go with something that hints that you’re cynical, also, if the book is aiming for the NYT list the adjective shouldn’t be that complex…
Adam says
CUDDLY!!!
Tony Lloyd says
The Tries-to-be-a-monster-but-ends-up-being-cuddly Atheist
HP says
Another vote for The Compleat Athiest. The Isaak Walton snowclone makes it memorable, and the notion of “completeness” refutes the suggestion of some God-botherers that atheists have some kind of hole in their heart where the Jesus goes. You are complete without God.
dnarnaptn says
The consummate atheist
“Consummate” (Adjective): Showing a high degree of skill and flair, sometimes with a beard.
Multicellular says
Thought of this as I submitted my first response:
The Expelled Atheist
aarrgghh says
phred beat me to it, but i’d shorten it: “the naked atheist”
TrineBM says
I vote for:
The sniny atheist
The curious atheist
The questioning atheist
The insisting atheist
The well-rounded atheist
The argumentative atheist
or
The everyday Atheist
Kieran says
The metazoan atheist
tark says
The Abiding and Unbowed Atheist
The Concerned Atheist
The Spirited Atheist
The Free-range Atheist
Tark
Tax Religion.
Ophelia Benson says
Fierce
Passionate
Fiery
Celtic_Evolution says
317 posts in just over one hour… that’s gotta be a record…
Jenny Wren says
I like The Atheist’s Atheist.
My favorite suggestion so far though is The Atheist’s Agenda. (Yes, with the plural form. Sounds more personal that way.) But it needs a little shopping-list thingy underneath to show that we just we are just regular people who maybe expect a little more critical thinking from ourselves and each other.
Or Your Friendly Neighborhood Atheist. It would remind people that atheists are everywhere and fairly ordinary, really.
Or, conversely, The Atheist in Your Closet, if you want to be scary. ;)
paulmc says
The Logical Atheist
The Rational Atheist
The Biologic Atheist
The One True Atheist
The Mythical Atheist
The Wadjameanyourenotan Atheist
The Wholly Atheist
The Happy Atheist
Erp says
Slight change in word order:
The Atheist Errant
The Atheist Crusader
or if you really want to stir things up
The Atheist Jihadi
(Jihad means striving)
More seriously
The Atheist Advocate
AndrewD says
American
Ophelia Benson says
Atheist Dentata.
Anri says
“Cromulent”?
Brownian says
I don’t think I’ve ever known PZ to floccinaucinihilipilificate.
you_monster says
The Smug Atheist has a nice ring to it. And it would really piss of those theists.
Blue says
The Take-No-Prisoners Atheist
The Suffers-No-Fools Atheist
another says
The Liberated Atheist
Nicholas says
The Unrepentant Atheist
tark says
The Tireless Atheist
Antiochus Epiphanes says
The Perfectly Cromulent Atheist
Hairhead says
Okay everyone, I’ve got it, I’ve got the title which will make the godbot’s heads explode AND which encapsulates much of what PZ has written on atheism . . . .
The Loving Atheist
Ha ha!
Any votes?
Ophelia Benson says
Superatheist
Spideratheist
Batatheist
Howlin' Wolf says
The Pain In The Ass Atheist
The Avant-Garde Atheist
The NASCAR Atheist
satan augustine says
My preferences out of those already suggested:
-The F**king Atheist. This one is hard to top.
-The ______ Atheist.
-The Atheist Atheist.
I initially liked all of the following: The (Good/Evolved/Atheist’s) Atheist, but decided they all sound too pompous, in the same way that the Brights sounds pompous: The Good Atheist suggests all other atheists are bad, The Evolved Atheist suggests all other atheists are unevolved, and The Atheist’s Atheist just sounds over-the-top pompous.
Ant Allan says
What was it you called yourself on that Canadian atheists’ video? A raging atheist? There’s your title!
/@
Ophelia Benson says
I third “cromulent” – I don’t suppose they’d go for it though.
Beatrice, anormalement indécente says
What about The Free Atheist?
It’s short and simple, has a positive ring to it and sort of hints to the freedom from religion.
(Even though I still think The Striking Atheist is a brilliant suggestion ;) )
Pineapplejuice says
The Horrible Atheist
On the Cover should be a picture of you with a squid on your head. I think its funny and people would think “What is supposed to be so horrible about this guy?” and then they will open the book…
Ophelia Benson says
Flaming. Lotsa double meaning there.
Steve says
Perhaps simply “The Atheist” will suit PZ.
SC (Salty Current), OM says
Atheist Poster Boy
(Get it? Get it? …Sorry.)
MoonShark says
“Forthright” was among the first in my mind. It sounds direct and constructive, without the possible smarmy connotations of calling yourself “honest”.
Jeffrey Folger says
Liberated
Kieran says
The pontifical atheist
The singular atheist
The expelled atheist has alot going for it plenty of fodder on the web and you just know the DI won’t be able to keep quite
prognemesiss says
we forgot the most obvious answer:
the [INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE] Atheist
Ophelia Benson says
Crucial point! Well spotted. Avoid anything reminiscent of The Brights at all costs.
Physicalist says
Knee-jerk responses (before looking at anyone else’s comment): “Proud” or “Unappologetic.”
But neither sounds very good. “Apoplectic” sounds good, but doesn’t carry quite the correct connotation.
It could just be “New,” but that would take the book in definite direction.
OK, here’s my vote (for the moment): “The Snarky Atheist.“
tytalus says
I’d go with ‘peculiar’. Or perhaps ‘Cthulhoid’.
Ophelia Benson says
Carnivorous.
Celtic_Evolution says
Phil Plaitt might object, but how about:
The Bad Atheist
Brownian says
Actually, I suppose It’s a frackin’ cracker counts.
Easy peezee: then go for The Embiggening Atheist.
Mattis says
The Bog-Standard Atheist
The Occidental Atheist
The Koselig Atheist
Abelard says
… a duck!
Myron says
How about “The Positive Atheist”?
tark says
The Modern Atheist
The Mainstream Atheist
The Protagonist Atheist
The Unmitigated Atheist
The Stalwart Atheist
Sorry, I am having too much fun with this ….
cag says
To go completely off track, how about
“The Religion Hunter”,
“God’s next enemy”,
“Goodbye, god”,
“Religion
isfor dummies”,“Challenge your assumptions”.
“The Delusion destroyer”
Having atheist in the title will be a turn-off for a large part of the population.
Sreepad says
Choose anything that starts with the letter ‘A’, so that we have an alliteration. ‘Adamant’ and ‘Arrogant’ seem appropriate, based on your blog persona.
Kevin nyc says
The Happy Atheist?
The UnFlinching Atheist
The Unforgiving Atheist!
The Hirsute Atheist – that’s the best
sjefskjekkasen says
The Alpha Atheist
The World Atheist
I think the suggestions which doesn’t borrow religious terms are better..
moonkitty says
The Insolent Atheist. Has a nice ring to it.
(I’m probably not the first to suggest it, but I just don’t have the time right now to scroll through 300+ comments.)
fsamuels says
I like Unrepentant. So have 7 other people at this point.
Howlin' Wolf says
The Primordial Atheist
Brendan Davis says
The American Atheist
The Inquisitive Atheist
The Relentless Atheist
The True Atheist
The Righteous Atheist
The Splendid Atheist
The Evolved Atheist
The Godless Atheist
The Friendly Atheist
Larry Clapp says
The True Atheist. (From your primary question about religions: Is it true?, and alludes to “no true Scotsman”.)
The Fact-based Atheist.
The Evidence-based Atheist.
The Evidentiary Atheist.
The Pharyngulated Atheist.
Tentacled. Cthuloid.
The Flying Spaghetti Atheist. Give the old “I was touched by His noodly appendage” a whole new meaning. :)
The Proven Atheist.
The Unrefuted/Unrepentant/Unrequited Atheist.
The Outspoken Atheist.
And finally … The Loud Atheist. ;)
spulido99 says
Bump “strident” FTW!
Celtic_Evolution says
my concern, were I PZ, would be that whatever name is given this book, using this format, might become a permanent moniker… especially with the media that you might use to publish the book.
You will likely end up becoming “The Uncompromising Atheist” (for example), by name. Are you good with that, PZ?
Hairhead says
Remember, “The Loving Atheist” is simply a variation of “The Fucking Atheist”
And of all my suggestions, The Forthright Atheist keeps coming up. Cool!
John Cato says
Ooo, has anyone taken Squamous yet?
Somite says
Irredeemable
Not that I think us atheists need to be redeemed. I just like how it sounds.
teawithbertrand says
The Affirmative Atheist
Blondin says
The Hirsute Atheist
The Atheist from the Black Lagoon
The Little Atheist Who Could
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to Atheism
The Atheist’s Guide to the Universe
The Little Atheist on the Prairie
Dude! Where’s My God?
Frankly, My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn!
Dennis says
I think “The Reasonable Atheist” as it implies that you are being reasonable not angry and that you can be reasoned with. I’m not sure that the loons would understand it as we do though but they’re going to switch off on the mention of atheist and probably aren’t your largest audience?
Jeff Pedigo says
The Almighty Atheist
It’s apt, it’s alliterative, it’s punny, it’s the perfect title.
SplendidMonkey says
Egalitarian
Universal
Comprehensive
Apeiest?
Kieran says
The evolved atheist
The creationists nightmare, the cuddly atheist
The Cthulhu Atheist
The Cunning Atheist (Blackadderalso another TP quote)
The reducible atheist
The Firebrand atheist
The charasmatic Atheist
Celtic_Evolution says
erm… I meant “promote” the book in 374… not “publish”.
SC (Salty Current), OM says
Atheistic Ejaculations from a Liberal Biologist?
Ron David says
I can’t believe the obvious hasn’t been offered:
“The Angry Atheist”
Embrace the slur. Spin it about.
Martin Burn says
The Crocoduck Atheist
Epinephrine says
I might suggest:
The Agonistic Atheist (NOT agnostic)
To be agonistic is to try to overcome in argument, or in general, being combative. As well (in pharmacology), an agonist triggers the response that a receptor normally would have*, so that an agonist generally increases the response (since you can have the endogenous agoniist as well as the exogenous agonist present) – an agonist or agonistic atheist might then be someone that promotes or stimulates atheists.
*excluding those annoying inverse agonists.
Blondin says
If Man Evolved From Monkeys Then Why Are There Still Bananas?
TheAtheistBiker says
Triumphant
pj says
Fiery
Fierce
NAL says
The Unladen Atheist
The Intentional Atheist
The Universal Atheist
The Almighty Atheist
The Atheist From God
The God Damn Atheist
The Atheist Who Damned God
ChasCPeterson says
cromulent
Josh, Official SpokesGay says
“Eight-armed”
Then we can call you Octatheist.
DukeTG says
Unrepentant came immediately to mind, but I’m not sure I like it on further reflection.
Why do you need an adjective at all?
Can you just be “The Atheist?”
Murray says
I would like to put a vote in for “The God Damned Atheist”.
nigelgomm says
Upright ?
(or maybe even Erect.)
ChasCPeterson says
note to self: search, then suggest.
anteoo says
I like both The evolved Atheist as well as The created Atheist but I would vote for The good Atheist since it is one ‘o’ more than “god”. Also “oo” can be seen as eternity so it would be like The forever Atheist.
Or maybe for something completely different: The evolved Pharyngula’s creating Atheist? Nah.
Criamon says
I quite like “The Atheist They Warned You About”.
Ray, rude-ass yankee says
How about:
The Excellent Atheist,
The Militant Atheist, or
The Freakin’ A Atheist (with the middle “A” as the red atheist A, of course)
Cheers & Happy Monkey,
Ray, rude-ass yankee
prospect151 says
LEAVE IT BLANK!!!!
“The Atheist”
Because PZ is THE atheist
Gord O'Mitey says
The Anti-theistic Atheist
The American Atheist
The Apollonian Atheist
The Asseverating Atheist
The Atticistic Atheist
The Unapologetic Atheist
mikeg says
Irreducibly Complex Atheist?
Gnu?
(Un)Common?
Howlin' Wolf says
The Articulate Atheist
Kieran says
The Justin Bieber Atheist!
I can’t believe
The journeyman atheist
The unforgiven atheist
The hardest working atheist
The luachmhara atheist
Android B says
I like either “Furious” or “Devout.” In a perfect world, however, it would clearly be “BadAssMuthaFuckin.'”
RubiconAZ says
Unapologetic
Honest
Bearded
Cuddly
stubee says
Born Atheist
minusRusty says
Hank Fox above said Kick-Ass, which is what I thought of when I first read the post, but maybe Kick-*ss would get it by the censors.
-Rusty
Douglas Pew says
The first thing that came to mind is your expression when debating or being interviewed by creationist.
The Exasperated Atheist.
Why? Because it’s irritating and exhausting to have to constantly debate the same faulty logic over and over.
Imback says
The Dino-riding Atheist
The Fully Erect Atheist
AER says
The Fighting Atheist
As a central voice in the Good Fight, I think you’ve earned this title.
Keep in mind that choosing a self-descriptive title like this is dangerous. Make absolutely sure that whatever you go with is something you’re willing to be referred to as for the rest of your life.
Imagine Colbert or John Stewart introducing you to a national audience as: “Professor. PZ Myers, The ____ Atheist!” Make sure it’s not something you are going to cringe at or feel apologetic for in 10 years.
God says
The Creative Atheist.
P.S. I like The Good Atheist, but the fundamentalists will feel cheated when they realize you’re still alive.
Alison says
Content
Fulfilled
Free
Sacred
dirk says
The Steampunk Atheist. Just because everything seems to be steampunk these days.
greylocks says
The problem with The __________ Atheist, although I like the spirit of it, is that there’s pretty much no way to do that on the cover of a book. The ______ will look like a dividing line if you do this
The
_______
Atheist
which is what the cover artist will want to do. The alternative is to put it all on one line but that makes the print smaller. Either way, on the spine the underscore will probably look odd.
I like possibilities such as “The Happy Atheist” or “The Contented Atheist”.
I don’t think there’s any marketing upside into using words like “Unrepentant”, “Scientific”, “Rational”, etc as these strike me as (a) assumed if not outright redundant and (b) preaching to the choir [sic].
EvoMonkey says
The Terrestrial Eukaryotic Homeothermic Vertebrate Bipedal Atheist
or just
The Telluric Evolved Atheist
Eric Saveau says
The Purpose-Driven Atheist.
It accurately describes you, the way you live your life, the way you shape your advocacy, the behavior of much of the Horde, and has the added advantage of recognizably echoing someone who will be annoyed at you for doing so :-)
trilobyte says
The Tenacious Atheist
From the dictionary it seems as if it is written for something with many tentacles:
1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often followed by of ): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory.
3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.
Kieran says
I like the expelled atheist, the evolved atheist, the atheist, the good atheist has a certain ring to it. The god dman atheist is also a keeper. The little atheist on the praire, nice!
Kevin Anthoney says
The construction “_____ of a _____ atheist” might be worth playing around with. Or something like “Random Ejaculations from an Unrepentant Atheist”.
Epzen says
The Mischievious Atheist
The Little Atheist That Could
The Misbehaved Atheist (or Misbehaving)
The Likely Atheist
and so on…
bigknuckledraggingjarhead says
How about:
Cracker Slaying
Wafer Impaling
or
Crackergate hehehhee
Kieran says
Has unrepentant been done? The unrepentant atheist
Staniels says
You should go with “That Damned Atheist”
The Rat King says
Pride and Prejudice and Atheists.
William Bell says
Gnu Atheist.
William Skyvigton says
The Blissful Atheist
The Happy Atheist
The Joyful Atheist
The Ecstatic Atheist
The Merry Atheist
The Jubilant Atheist
lesterballard says
Has The Fuck You, Religion Atheist been mentioned
alara says
How about “The Righteous Atheist?” Although, I’ve become partial to “The Bearded Atheist.”
eric says
The Hirsute Atheist.
You get the folks who would buy “The bearded Athiest,” plus all the folks who don’t know what hirsute means.
Blondin says
What Did You Do In The War on Christmas, Daddy?
electrabotanical says
The How-do-we-know-if-he-is-a-witch Atheist.
Ray, rude-ass yankee says
How about GNU? That’s used a lot on this blog, was it coined here?
Cheers & Happy Monkey,
Ray, rude-ass yankee
uncle frogy says
the THINKING atheist
the PRACTICAL atheist
uncle frogy
Bob says
Dogmatic or Enlightened
Physicalist says
If you heed the calls of those telling you to drop the adjective altogether, I suggest taking it a step further and dropping the article as well:
Atheist, by P.Z. Myers.
I like the blank idea, but perhaps it’s too difficult to enter into catalogs/databases? “The Atheist” sounds too third-person-y.
My favorites from the thread: “Scientist” “Evolved” “Smug” “Impertinent”
Howlin' Wolf says
The Porpoise Driven Atheist
Therrin says
It’s heading for locked status faster than the trolls take notice.
Ohhhh good thinking, do get on that circuit!
Also,
Benippled.
csmiller says
If it is, as you’ve said, like Dawkins, but more forceful, then you could subtitle it Dawkins’ Bulldog.
Eric Houg says
“Cranky”…No, wait, that’s me.
Waffler, expert on waffling says
The Other Atheist?
CountFloyd says
Insistent.
NullPointer says
The Everyday Atheist
The Neighbour Atheist
Jen says
Cantakerous?
KG says
It’s obvious this should be settled by that infallible scientific method: the internet poll. PZ, pick out 10 suggestions at random and let everyone vote, as many times as they like and using any method they like! May the best bot win!
My suggestion: how about “The Travellin’ Atheist”. That has the advantage of being accurate, and a nice down-home aw-shucks feel to pull in the rubes ;-) Or “The Wondering Atheist” – in that you wonder how anyone could possibly believe what the religious do.
&drew says
The demonic atheist.
The Horned Atheist (perhaps too Wiccan?)
The diabolic atheist
The archfiend atheist
The Naysaying atheist
The Athel Atheist
Reed Braden says
* The Irascible Atheist
* The Grand High Pooh Bah Atheist
* The Naturally Selected Atheist
* The Pharyngulated Atheist
* Are You There Cthulhu? It’s Me, PZ.
and my favorite:
* The Obstreperous Atheist
Dictionary.com:
ob·strep·er·ous [uhb-STREP-er-uhs]
adjective
1. resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.
2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children.
Howlin' Wolf says
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Atheists
Blattafrax says
“The _________ Atheist” with a cover-full of suggestions.
or
“The sniny goats-on-fire Atheist”
or
“The Pharyngula Atheist
#389
Because if the bananas were not still, then “fruit flies like a banana” wouldn’t be even slightly funny. If that’s not funny, then a sense of humour cannot distinguish humans from monkeys. If we can’t tell monkeys and humans apart, then we can’t have evolved very far from them.
Does that help?
tark says
The Long, Dark, Teatime of the Soul Atheist
Sorry, seemed to have strayed away there for a bit…
The Beckoning Atheist
The Triumphant Atheist
The Unemcumbered Atheist
ChrisKG says
No one has mentioned “Iconoclastic”.
MoonShark says
The Selected Atheist?
I also kind of like Kent’s suggestion of The Roaring Atheist.
But overall I’m not a fan of the format. Maybe something different, like “Viking with a Microscope” or “The Gentle Berzerker” or “Kraken with a Keyboard”.
Daffyd ap Morgen says
“The Jolly Atheist”
“The Bacchanalian Atheist”
“The Saturnine Atheist”
“The Self-Made Atheist”
“The Cunning Atheist”
Mono T T says
The well-tentacled atheist
meaderborn says
The Undaunted (or Dauntless?) Atheist
I also like The Indefatigable Atheist, because it describes you so well!
Blondin says
I, Atheist
The Atheist Chronicles
The Prairie Home Atheist Companion
(might attract legal action from Garrison Keillor)
Confessions of an Atheist
The Atheist Supremacy
My Sooper-Seekrit Plan for Godless World Domination
Atheism for Dummies
Religion for Dummies
Physicalist says
I don’t really like it, but it’s so obvious it should probably be said:
The Blogging Atheist.
khops says
The Insatiable Atheist.
William Bell says
The Gnu Atheist.
The Pharyngulated Atheist.
The Cthulu Atheist.
The Cat-Hating Atheist.
DonDueed says
I offer these… sorry if there are any dupes, I didn’t notice them but I admit I skimmed some of the entries above mine.
The Candid Atheist
The Confessing Atheist
The Naked Atheist
Or, breaking the template,
The Atheist Primer
(Remember that’s pronounced “primmer”, not “prymer”.)
cwayne says
The Educated atheist
M. says
Unrepentant is pretty good.
Also “Fortright,” or “Direct.” But Unrepentant is probably the best, IMHO, with the double-entendre included.
Howlin' Wolf says
The Well-Tempered Atheist
The Wit and Wisdom of PZ Myer, America’s Atheist.
Andrew Parker says
The Confident Atheist
BCReason says
The Unapologetic Atheist
DonDueed says
And, just one more…
The Affable Atheist
Surely, it’s appropriate. I mean, you can be affed, right?
Blondin says
The Life and Times of Paul Zachary Myers – Vol II
Ploon says
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Atheist. With a subtitle: Don’t Panic.
Brain Hertz says
“Tentacled” is what came to mind before looking at the comments, and it looks like a lot of other people were thinking the same thing.
Jeff Duncan says
The Unashamed Atheist.
Slock says
The idiot guide to being an atheist.
May already be taken.
EvoMonkey says
“On the Origin of an Atheist by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of a Favoured Blogger in the Struggle for Life”
or just shorten that to “On the Origin of an Atheist”
Physicalist says
Well, since Pharyngula is “Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal,” perhaps you should go with:
The Ejaculating Atheist.
codex1181 says
My vote:
Fully-Formed
Natural
Irreducible
Irrepressible
Undenialable
Uncompromising
Uncut
tark says
Have I missed anyone tossing in …
The Rational Atheist ?
or
The Consummate Atheist
Rob says
How about The Argumentative Atheist. Doesn’t really roll of the tongue, but I should get extra points for the alliteration!
Dean Buchanan says
The Progressive Atheist!
Might grab the attention of some left-wing woo-woo heads. Plus it captures science, positive emotions, and PZ’s political leanings.
nigelTheBold, Pure as the Driven Snow says
The Non-Prophet Atheist.
vmg says
The RELENTLESS Atheist
The Invictus Atheist
The Dauntless Atheist
Cannon Angel says
Something that’ll really twist the brains of creationists, especially evolution-denialists – “The Primate Atheist.”
Plus the pun potential of the secondary and archaic definitions.
Gaebolga says
How about The Breaded Atheist?
‘Cause everyone loves fried stuff, and at this point, anything can be fried….
RodFx says
The CrackerJack Atheist
Spero Melior says
I would vote for “The Naked Atheist”. It evokes both “The Naked Ape” and “The Naked Civil Servant”. It also might help sell a few books (if you put someone else’s picture on the cover).
Rich Woods says
I’d have to go with gofang’s suggestion (#120) of The Evident Atheist.
In addition to the reasons already stated, I reckon that title could also have the practical advantage of getting the attention of people who aren’t quite sure what the adjective might mean in that context. You could well have a chance to speak to a few thoughtful fence-sitters that way.
@Celtic_Evolution (#325):
Yeah, but half of it’s being set by Ophelia alone!
Yvon Roussel says
The Barking Atheist
The Incontournable Atheist
anters says
Is it just me, or did PZ actually tell us what the title should be?
The Provocative but Positive, Catchy and Descriptive Atheist. :)
lexaequitas says
Atheist Triumphant
The Ejaculating Atheist (hey, it’s right there in the blog title!)
The Living Atheist
The Stalwart Atheist
The Fifth Horseman, leader of the cavalry
Tom Contos says
The Commonsense Atheist
Rob says
Didn’t see that the Argumentative Atheist was already suggested. How about “The Intractable Atheist”.
chigau (*) says
467 comments in under 2 hours.
Is that a record?
raymoscow says
How about The Da Vinci Atheist? Those books always sell well.
Brig says
I like “The Happily Apoplectic Atheist.” I second “Good” and “Evolved.”
brian t says
How about “The Vital Atheist?” (“Vital” has multiple meanings.)
marcia says
The Persuasive Atheist
A biologist rattles the religious while convincing the masses.
———–
from Latin persuādēre, from per- (intensive) + suādēre to urge, advise]
Sam Spooner says
The Salubrious Atheist
Abelard says
Sorry…I couldn’t help the monty python and the holy grail reference (#361) after hearing everyone offering their suggestions.
Borb says
The Evolved Atheist.
Big Apple says
The Truly Strident Atheist
SonOfSLJ says
The FRIGGING INCREDIBLE ATHEIST.
The HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION ATHEIST.
The NO FUSSIN’ AROUND ATHEIST.
The HOOPY ATHEIST (subtitle: Who Really Knows Where His Towel Is)
The GODLIKE ATHEIST.
The ALL-CAPS ATHEIST.
Yup. Looks good to me.