What would you call me?


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.

Comments

  1. Brownian says

    The ______ will look like a dividing line if you do this

    \frac{The}{Atheist}

    Still kind of cool, but since you’ve only got one term in the bottom multiplied by a zero (for number of gods believed in) your formula is—

    The Undefined Atheist!

    No, wait, that’s dumb.

    When I was five or six, I had a tiny toy horse trailer with two plastic horses. One was white, and the other black. I named them ‘Whitey’ and ‘Blackie’ respectively.

    So I’m no help at all in this.

  2. Steve Schlosnagle says

    Definitely “+1” for “The Strident Atheist”.

    I guess that Dawkins gets referred as such most often, but strident’s definitions of “having or making a loud or harsh sound” and “urgent, clamorous, or vociferous” fit so perfectly!

  3. Diehard_TH says

    The Atheist’s Atheist (first thought)

    The 42nd Atheist (too obscure?)

    But to be honest,

    The _______ Atheist is fine, and the idea of adding either the purchasers own comments or some scribbled suggestions is awesome.

  4. Randide, ou l'Optimisme says

    Count me as another vote for “The _________ Atheist.” Spoken; “The Atheist.”

  5. Chris says

    I vote for either “The Atheist They Warned You About” or “The Evolving Atheist”. Possibly “The Good Atheist”.

    I do like “The _______ Atheist” but I agree with whoever said it above that while it would look good in print it would make the book difficult to talk about.

  6. Big Apple says

    Actually let me add more into that:

    “The Truly Strident Atheist: and theists thought Dawkins was shrill and strident…”

  7. Gregory says

    Go for a blank space, indicated by an underline. That exemplifies the most significant thing about atheism as a “dogma”: you are responsible for filling in the blank with your own reason and experience, without the need for some other outside authority figure to tell you what belongs. Atheism is what you make of it, no more and no less.

  8. says

    earlier this year when you were at the Anti-Superstition Party you told some of us the title you wanted. I don’t remember it right now, but it had something to do with Douglas Adams. I think you should go with that one. But if you really need it to be, “The _ Atheist” I have a few suggestions:
    The ___ Atheist
    The Baby Eating Atheist
    The Atheist Who Nailed The Cracker
    The Most “Militant” Atheist of Them All
    The Atheist Creationists Fear

    That’s all I got for now.
    -Staks

  9. Blondin says

    The Omnivorous Atheist

    Everything You Wanted to Know About Godlessness But Were Afraid to Ask

    The Truth About Religion They Don’t Want You to Know!

  10. NAL says

    The Courageous Atheist
    The Modern Atheist
    The Modest Atheist
    The Earthly Atheist
    The Inevitable Atheist
    The Uncalled Atheist

  11. Acronym Jim says

    If you want to play around a bit with the word “atheist,” how about “The Scourge of a Theist.”

  12. says

    Actually, Someone suggested one that I really like:
    The 42nd Atheist

    People will wonder what that is all about. Plus it keeps with the Douglas Adams theme you mentioned.

  13. tark says

    The Engaged Atheist

    The Rise of an Affirmative Atheist (Atheism?)

    Let’s make it a movement!

    The Conscience of a Progressive Atheist

    The Guide to Productive Atheism

    The Inevitable Atheist

    This last one rings well, and is spot on, methinks…

  14. Joe Fogey says

    The unchained atheist (or the atheist unchained)

    The atheist that came out of the pit

    The atheist your mother warned you against.

    The Fireside Atheist

    The Atheist’s Home Companion

  15. 'smee says

    Alert
    Amiable
    Authentic

    Bad
    Bad-ass
    Belligerent [not]
    Bellicose [not]
    Blogging

    Chordate
    Cuddly
    Calm
    Convincing
    Committed

    Daily
    Dutiful
    Darwinian
    Devoted

    Engaging
    Everyday
    Eternal
    Elegant

    Friendly
    Fiendish
    Formidable

    Gnarly
    Gnostic

    Human
    Hairy [smile]
    Holistic [grin]

    Inveterate
    Immutable
    Intelligent

    Joyous
    Jumping

    Kindly
    Kraken [sorry — misprounounce it as Crackin’]

    Lonely [not]
    Long-distance
    Lively
    Lovely
    Lite
    Loathsome
    Lovable
    Last [as in – there should need be no more after this, since everyone will be post-atheist!]

    Minnesotan
    Male
    Modest
    Macro-
    Manly [yikes]

    Nice [c.f. Agnes Nutter!]
    Normal
    Natural
    Native

    Open
    Overt
    Outré
    Out

    People’s
    prolific
    Personable
    Polite
    Personal
    Post- [see last]

    Quiet
    Quick
    Quotidian [not – but atheism should be!]

    Rude
    Right
    Riotous
    Raving

    Sound
    Strait-forward
    Sensible
    Silent [not]
    Simple
    Strong
    Solid

    Timely
    Towering
    Titanic
    Timid
    Torrid

    Unwelcome
    Unwashed
    Unruly
    Uppity
    Unrepentant

    Vocal
    Victorious
    Venal [if you were positioning opposites]
    Violent [strawmen?]

    Working
    Wired [on blogging]
    Winning
    Well
    Wanted
    Wise

    X? [hmmm]

    Zeroth

    [I seem top have run out of steam]

  16. Mattir-ritated says

    Given that you clucked disapprovingly at us homeschoolers today, I vote for

    The Clucking Atheist

  17. says

    The Liberal Atheist

    It hits every conservative hot button

    Can there be a byline that says, “As seen in the movie Expelled”?

  18. Loqi says

    World’s sexiest.

    I was considering submitting “abrasive,” but I think just leaving the blank line there is fucking brilliant.

  19. Mike D says

    “Irreverent”

    Since this will be the winner, I don’t want a cut, just a nice mention. Oh, and maybe some cool bashing from my favorite antagonist concerning a local issue that makes my head explode daily.
    You see, I live in Indiana-tucky, and seemingly 80% of the license plates read “In God We Trust.” Whoa is me. I simply can’t stand it.
    Just who the fuck are “we” anyway?

  20. rcane says

    “Unrepentant” implies there might be something to repent for, which leads me back to the obvious word that everyone is shying away from:

    “ANGRY!” – Anger is an appropriate response to most of the things we’re constantly talking about. Embrace the ANGER! :)

  21. cicely, Inadvertent Phytocidal Maniac says

    I think that “Good” or “Happy” speak to the mis-perception of atheists as evil and depressed. My own contribution to the heap:

    The Well-Adjusted Atheist.

    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.

    I like this idea. Why choose only one epithet? Dare to have ’em all!

  22. hazur says

    I only read up to the 100 suggestion and like many of them, so this is mine: “The _______ Atheist” + all (or many) of the above as background. I’d add ‘point and laugh’ if nobody did yet.

  23. frackincracker says

    Is there a one-word adjective that means “smells like formaldehyde”? Probably not. Never mind.

  24. Tim says

    The Open Atheist, if we must have but one adjective.

    But bear with me- TAKE THEM ALL.

    Have a Big Open area in the middle of the cover between The and Atheist. Enclose it with parenthesis at the outermost edges, and fill it with all the adjectives you want in there. Strident, open, rational, cantankerous, fluffly, etc. etc. etc.

    As for the ‘official’ title? That’s where you get clever. The (Adjective) Atheist.

    Pegging you down to just one would be doing you a disservice.

  25. dobbinriddle says

    Dan Barker’s recent book is call “The Good Atheist”.

    How about a variation on “The ______ Atheist”? Put one of those disks in the cover so the reader can choose from several of the best choices.

  26. MoonShark says

    Obviously it should be titled “Escape from the Planet of the Cursed Undead Heart of the Vengeful Bride of the Son of The Atheist That Will Not Die! (Except for Someday)”.

    Or barring that, maybe “Return of the Atheist from the Black Lagoon, Pt. IV: PZ’s Revenge”
    or
    “Night of the Atheist, A True Tale of Blood-Chilling Infant Barbeque”.

  27. grolby says

    I read the first few entries in the thread, then saw it was really long, so if this has been suggested, oh well.

    “Uncompromising” lept out at me as a good one, but I humbly suggest a slight modification to the past participle:

    “The Uncompromised Atheist.”

  28. dzus says

    The Rational Atheist
    The Natural Atheist
    The Habitual Atheist
    The Orthodox Atheist
    The Typical Atheist

  29. MudPuddles says

    OK, if we’re going strictly with the “The _ Atheist” format, then here’s some provicative suggestions:

    “The Naked Atheist” (as a play on The Naked Ape – in which case “naked” means uncovered / laid bare / unconcealed)

    “The catholic Atheist” (catholic purposely with a small ‘c’, meaning ‘open-minded’, ‘comprehensive’, ‘universal’, ‘liberal’, ‘unprejudiced’ etc)

    “The Impeccable Atheist” (or “The Consummate Atheist”, in either case taking the meaning ‘absolute’ or ‘total’)

    “The Unfinished Atheist” (because you’re not dead yet, and hopefully there’s more to come!)

    If you would consider a sub-title, how about:

    “I’m a Realist, Get me Out of Here!”

  30. Erulóra Maikalambe says

    Everything I think of has been said already. Therefore I suggest, The Previously Described Atheist.

  31. raymoscow says

    Perhaps we should just recycle your blog’s subtitle:

    The Randomly Ejaculating Liberal Atheist

  32. Steve Schlosnagle says

    As a tribute to (mostly to ride on the gravy train of, hey this is a marketing problem…)
    “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

    How about:
    “Atheism and the Art of Tentacle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Evidence”

  33. says

    It can be fun to play with names from other genre. Like self defence books. Then you get the words like “master of atheism”, “the ultimate atheist”, “definitive atheism”, “essential of atheism”… But they are not piratey enough.

  34. says

    “The Atheist They Warned You About” followed closely by “The Atheist”. If you must stay true to the format, “The Unrepentant Atheist”.

  35. noastronomer says

    My suggestions would be ‘Annoying’ or ‘Dangerous’ (Darwin’s Dangerous idea).

    But I like the idea of keeping the blank best.

    Mike.

  36. Howlin' Wolf says

    The A Factor – The Thoughts of an American Atheist

    The “A” should be the stylized capital italic red A

  37. MoonShark says

    “The Unquiet Atheist” struck me as awfully good, regardless of whether that was actually Prof. Dawkins’ suggesting it.

  38. Greg Laden says

    The famous atheist …is correct

    The infamous atheist …. is obvious but not complementary

    the good ones that are not spectacular are:

    The renowned atheist ….

    The influential atheist

    The leading atheist

    The well-known atheist

    More spectacular:

    The applauded atheist

    The acclaimed atheist

    The behemothic atheist

    The widely-lauded atheiest

    The dynomite atheist

    The formidable atheist

    My personal favorites:

    The inestimable atheist

    The undiscountable atheist

    The pharyngulating atheist

  39. Tony says

    (granted, I haven’t read all of the comments, so forgive me if any of these are duplicates)

    1. Abominable
    2. Hopeful (not as controversial, but definitely positive)
    3. Purpose-driven (Take that, Rick Warren!)
    4. Transitional (as in transitional form in the evolution of humanity)
    5. Irreducible (Eat it, Michael Behe!)
    6. Ragamuffin (spoof on Brennan Manning)
    7. Insolent
    8. Righteous
    9. Impertinent (tho this can also mean ‘obsolete’ which you certainly are NOT)
    10. Audacious

  40. says

    How about “The Cracker-crumblin’, cyber-pistol-wieldin’, poll-crashing, pharyngulatin’, fund-raisin’, debatin’, tenticle-wavin’ Atheist?

  41. danielschealler says

    I see Cthulthoid is already out there.

    Personally, I prefer Cthulthic. Has a better ring to it.

    Otherwise, I have to put a +1 under ‘The Unquiet Atheist’.

    My brain was fizzing over with ideas until I read that one… Then it all just died. I’ll never top that one.

  42. Roughdraft274 says

    Don’t pick anything making you sound faithful or religious. That’ll just give the religious another chance to spout out how it’s atheism is a religion because they don’t believe in God (It’s silly but they do it anyways.)I’d pick something having more to do with your resolve, your logic, your reasoning skills etc. before I’d pick something like “evangelical”.

    I’d love to read the book before suggesting a title but here goes:

    The Reasonable Atheist
    The Unabashed Atheist
    A Book for the Thinking Man: The _____ Atheist
    The Neighborhood Atheist
    The Atheist Next Door

    Good luck on the book PZ. Will look forward to reading it.

  43. Hercules Grytpype-Thynne says

    Unrepentant sounds good to me.

    I’d suggest Curmudgeonly, but Google informs me that Curmudgeonly Atheist is already taken (by someone with an entirely postless blog).

  44. Beatrice, anormalement indécente says

    It might be ’cause it’s rather late here, but I would find The Atheyest funny, as a nod to the frequent renaming PZ as Meyers, not to mention all the bright religionists who can’t spell atheist either.

  45. Sleeper says

    The Atheist’s Reply
    The Mutant Atheist
    The Fat Atheist
    The Atheist Theory
    The Transparent Atheist
    The Atheist Family Tree
    Eight Legs Good
    On Invisible Clothing

  46. Drew says

    I also like “The ______ Atheist” and one of the suggestions above for cover art having a load of descriptive words about the page.

  47. René says

    I can’t keep up with the speed here. My first thought was The Adamant Atheist, as many seem to have suggested. Then, I liked the The _______ Atheist.

    I suggest the following: PZ collects the N best suggestions, and have his Publisher randomly pick the adjectives for the title, hiding it behind a scratch-it paint.

    This will hugely add value to future-generation second-hand copies of unscratched covers.

  48. procrastinator will get an avatar real soon now says

    Crap. The Ardent Atheist failed the Google test as did eloquent.

  49. llewelly says

    My first thought was The Loving Atheist .
    I figured it would be suggested in the first 20 comments, but it didn’t turn up until Hairhead’s comment.
    Nonetheless – it should be obvious, at least in retrospect, why.

  50. Raiko says

    natural
    real
    authentic

    … because you are the real thing, not the kind of person that is carricatured in the minds of some people.

  51. Johan Fruh says

    The Irritable Atheist

    I wouldn’t go with something too positive… it could quickly be seen as obnoxious on an autobiography cover.
    If you often write badly of religion, I think something along the lines of irritable, scruffy, all-in-your-face, no prisoner, pissed off, no more mr. nice guy Atheist… would be more appealing to the atheist public.

    Or

    The Burning Atheist…. you could interest both the mad atheists AND the religious folk who would want to see you on a stake ;).

  52. says

    The Unhorned Atheist? (Also The Atheist Unhorned sounds better)
    They do think we have horns, y’know.

    The Practicing Atheist.

    The Not Knocking On Your Door and Annoying The Everliving Fuck Out Of You Atheist.

    The Step-By-Step Atheist.

    The Hopeful Atheist

    Can we get the words cyberpistol in there somewhere? Or Goats on Fire?

    If this is a book of Fishing tips, perhaps The Weekend Atheist?

    If this is aimed at describing not YOU, but more your target audience, there’s The Armchair Atheist.

    The Atheist Always Rings Twice.

    The Revenge of The Atheist

    The Atheist II: Electric Boogaloo.

    The Old Atheist and the Sea (Monster)

    The Well-Armed Atheist (not a gun reference)

    The Atheist Inside You

    The Unfallen Atheist

    The Inevitable Atheist

    The Self-Acknowledged Atheist

    The Atheist Your Mother Warned You About

    The Attack of the Mutant Atheist

    The Born Atheist

    The Bourne Atheist

    CSI: Atheist

    The Atheist Also Rises

    The Unleavened Atheist

    Wait.
    What were we talking about again?

  53. ChuckV says

    How about “Living”.

    The Living Atheist.

    I just read the comment about Loving atheist. I like that one better.

  54. procrastinator will get an avatar real soon now says

    PZ Myers, Atheist Extraordinaire
    The Atheist Extraordinaire
    Both shaky on Google

  55. Frawgd says

    The Atheist. A specified quality seems to imply that we’re generally not ______, be it cuddly, ethical, tentacled, unapologetic, thoughtful, etc.

    Just keep it simple – The Atheist. Or – An Atheist.

  56. geral says

    I like The American Atheist.

    In the US we really don’t have an atheist that defines us. You can take that role!

  57. Mus says

    “The Stingy Atheist”.

    Just because you don`t give a cut in the price of the book…

    Mean PZ!

    More seriously:
    “The Impolite Athesit”: because you don`t want to be cuddly and atack and demolish the stupidity of the theistic ideas.
    You are indeed a person that have the courage to treat theistic ideas has the utter crap they are in a very direct and impolite way.

    Good luck with the book PZ.

  58. chigau () says

    I like:
    The ____ Atheist
    The Atheist
    Atheist
    Atheist!

    Deciding on just one adjective is just too daunting.

  59. JDStackpole says

    I pooped out after 40 or 50 replies, but did anyone suggest

    The Affectionate Atheist

    ?

    We all know how PZ really (in his heart of hearts) loves his fellow man/woman. Else why would he go to such ends to straighten out their (including my) thinking.

  60. Quodlibet says

    *Delurks from a chaotic, increasingly fragmented life*

    Two observations from a librarian.

    1) What is the book about? I dutifully read all the comments posted here thus far and saw no discussion of the format or intent of the book, so I may be the only person who does not know this…but I’d want to know that before offering a title. All the suggested titles describe Dr Myers, which might be fine, I just don’t know. The rule of thumb for catalogers when assiging subject headings: “What is it ABOUT?”

    1-a) Is the book ONLY about atheism? PZ writes and speaks on many topics; of course, atheism, skepticism, and truth inform it all, but is atheism, especially his, the primary topic? If so, then the “atheist” title is appropriate. If not, then will the title deflect some potential readers?

    2) I love the IDEA of the blank line, but this will create headaches for librarians, atheists, and general searchers. How will you search for the book if you don’t know the author’s name? Better to give it a memorable, indexable title. And consider the intene discussion that will inevitable flow after publication; leaving a blank will probably prompt some people to speculate that he was unable to come up with a good title. Don’t leave anything open to criticism.

    Of the suggestions offered thus far, and assuming this is a collection of essays by Dr Myers, I like

    Compleat
    Irreducibly Complex
    Unabashed
    Good
    Unfinished
    Evolving [“evolved” implies that evolution has an end point]

    And I would offer, if they have not been offered already:
    Self-Sufficient
    Moral
    Eyes-Wide-Open

    I would skip the in-jokes, as well as anything self-laudatory or self-congratulatory, which will be fodder for enemies.

    ——–

    *rushes back to chaotic, fragmented life, already regretting not being able to follow the rest of this thread*</i)

  61. Kaddath says

    The Not-Your-Father’s Atheist
    or
    The Raging Atheist
    or literally (as already suggested)
    The {you fill the blank) Atheist

  62. kenbo says

    I like the title, “The ____________ Atheist” best.

    -or-

    All your online polls are belong to us

    The Non-denominational Atheist

    Atheist-in-the-Raw

    The Endless-Thread Atheist

    The A**hole Atheist

  63. tiny says

    I also like the blank space. For two reasons:

    1. It engages the reader and invites them directly, right there in the title, to think about what they think about atheists, and to use the book to reevaluate and maybe modify their opinion.

    2. The blank space in the title also plays into the way people perceive the world. I mean, there’s the world as it is, and we have to put value in it, adjectives like ‘evolved’, ‘natural’, ‘physical’ or ‘created’, ‘divine’ etc.

    The blank space, in my view, would make up a more meaningful title than any witty, provocative, funny, … word you/publisher could choose to put there.

    Also, maybe as a 3rd point: No one would really expect that, especially not on the theistic side. It would, maybe, startle some people there, that you refuse to put a defining adjective in the title, and that you let that opportunity pass, to profile yourself by a little play on words.

  64. DrVanNostrand says

    After looking over the long list, all my ideas are already represented, and my favorite is #56: The Roaring Atheist

  65. Ragutis says

    600 comments that I haven’t read… What are the chances I’m the first to suggest “Sniny”?

    You know those hologramish things you used to get in Cracker Jack boxes where the picture changed depending on the angle you looked at it? How about using that type of thing and The Soft/Out spoken Atheist?

    The Unaccommodating Atheist

    The Unrepentant Atheist

    The Engaging Atheist (ooh, yeah… see what I did there?)

    The Small Town Atheist

    The Atheist that’s not Christopher Hitchens or that British Guy

    The Atheist

    Everything You Always Wanted To Know about Atheism* (*but were afraid to ask)

    The Atheist’s Guide to the Galaxy

    Atheism Episode IV: A New Hope

    The Atheist with the Cuttlefish Tattoo

    Hairy Professor and the Deity Hollow

  66. llewelly says

    Really, there should be a book about the pharyngula community titled: The evolution and development of an Atheist community.

  67. Thuktun says

    PZ Myers, the Fullmetal Athiest

    (No particular reason, other than the irony made me chuckle.)

  68. TGAP Dad says

    1) The Gnu Atheist
    2) The Messianic Atheist
    3) The Moral, Librul, Evolution-lovin’, Accommodationist-hatin’, Unapologetic Gnu Atheist
    4) God Isn’t Real, now Move On

  69. Craig McGillivary says

    Is this a biography? I think that is a terrible title but how about
    The Chitinous Atheist

  70. opposablethumbs, que le pouce enragé mette les pouces says

    If it hasn’t been suggested yet … which it probably has:

    FREE

    On the grounds that you are free of the shackles of religious dogma and associated bullshit, and cynically because the eye is caught by anything with “free” on it.

  71. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Read through 641, and I noticed one was missing

    The Mocking Atheist.

  72. Johnnygold says

    Has anyone said “Brave”?

    Some above, like “honest” seem bad to me because it implies that mainly atheists are not honest, but here is one that is.

  73. Sunday Afternoon says

    Changing the form slightly and keeping with irreverent tone:

    “That Bastard Atheist”?

  74. Dragon says

    How about:

    The Scruffy Maned Atheist
    The Joy of Atheism
    The Fulfilled Atheist
    The Perfected Atheist (may be seen as a dig at Ann Coulter)

    Actually I like ‘The Intellectually Fulfilled Athiest’, but you should probably get Dawkins’ nod, since he may have coined the phrase.

  75. steve oberski says

    The Born Again Atheist.

    The First Reformed Atheist.

    The Evangelical Atheist.

    The Just Like You Atheist.

  76. says

    I wasn’t going to contribute since “the fucking atheist” is out, but since everyone is throwing in their ideas, how about:
    The American Atheist
    The Small Town Atheist
    The Irascible Atheist
    ???

  77. Eclipsicle says

    The Savage Atheist
    The Feirce Atheist
    The Defiant Atheist
    The Flaming Atheist
    The Fiery Atheist
    The Spunky Atheist

  78. Quodlibet says

    *drags self in to correct self at #641*

    …headaches for librarians, atheists, and general searchers

    should be

    …headaches for librarians, indexers, and general searchers

    Typing fingers outpaced my tired brain.

    *slinks away, noticing with interest that this post is in italics where it ought not to be and vice versa due to the unclosed italics tag somewhere above, which has left us in a slanty world*

  79. Ippy says

    The “millionth who writes a useless self-absorbed book with no other intention to rip off some fanboys, as those silly people buy everything, they are almost as dumb as religious people just that they don’t believe in god” Atheist

    The “I would like to make money like so many other people by selling a book with rants that pick on stupid people” Atheist

    The “I would like to see myself in a line with Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris, yes I’m at least as good as Harris, this guy was just lucky in timing” Atheist.

    The “damn it is boring, shallow and repetetive to write how ridiculous religion is, but in this dark times this is still an issue for the plebs so why should I write a decent book about difficult, controversial and less obvious things or concentrate on my scientific career” Atheist.

    I think I’m getting the hang of it, hold on.

  80. says

    I didn’t read through all the suggestions, but I did see one that would make me want to buy the book: The Good Atheist. For the reasons given, but also because one would have to do a double take, was that The God Atheist? No, no, it’s the *Good* Atheist.

    Good luck.

  81. EvoMonkey says

    If you want a break from the endless suggestions, check out this link:
    http://uofisocialcognitionlab.x10.mx/Papers/Ritter_Preston(inpress).pdf

    It is a psychology study that attempts to measure disgust related to contact with rejected religious beliefs. Participants were asked to taste and rate a drink before and after copying a passage from either the Koran, The God Delusion or the Bible.

    We have a scientific method to see if PZ’s forthcoming book will be regarded as more disgusting to Christians than the Koran or Dawkin’s The God Delusion. Now we can quantify who is the most atheist of atheists.

  82. dvizard says

    What I would call you? I would… call you names. Gnihihi pffft…
    (Again sorry for spam. The thesis I’m writing distracts me from posting coherent and useful comments.)

  83. h2atheist says

    I’m with Ophelia Benson. I like vertebrate. The biological definition fits. It also fits if we use vertebrate to mean backbone as in someone who exhibits bravery and good moral character.

  84. dontclicktwice says

    the uncloseted atheist
    the moral atheist
    the clockwork atheist (don’t know why)
    the avid/vicious atheist

    The PZ Myers Cambrian Explosion
    Bet your ethernity
    The Myers’ razor
    Blog your faith away
    The Teapot party
    The satanic posts

    Anyway, I’d go with “the devoted” or “the atheist they warned you about”

  85. John Morales says

    Kareth @16 beat me to my first choice: unapologetic.

    Glen Davidson @26 did likewise for my second: scientific.

    Randomfactor @48 pre-empted my third: gnu.

  86. llewelly says

    The ______ Atheist: A ______ ______ Autobiography.

    I was born in a ______ ______ neighborhood of ______ , a ______ ______ , to parents of a ______ ______ persuasion.

    My parents were ______ and ______, who taught me ______ , ______ , and ______ .

    As I grew ______ , I began to ______ ______ , which caused my parents to react with ______ and ______ . This led me to ______ ______ in search of ______ .

    After many years of extensive ______ and deep ______ , I discovered the writings of ______ , ______ , ______ , and ______ . ______ taught me ______ ______ ______ , and from ______ I learned ______ . These ______ considerations provoked within me a sense of ______ and ______ .

    Further study of ______ and ______ convinced me that many definitions of ______ were ______ , while others were ______ ______, and the remainder were at best ______ .

    Nonetheless, for many years I was content to call myself ______ , thinking to avoid ______ people, or ______ to have ______ I did not in all surety have. To me this was an important strategy of ______ and ______.

    But despite my best efforts to be ______ , I found many people were nonetheless ______ ; it was not ______ , but ______ which provoked their ______ ______.

    These experiences taught me that ______ is not a successful way of avoiding ______ ; it merely allows ______ people to act as if atheists either do not ______ or at the very least will not ______ and therefor require no consideration. ______, or, as it might better be called, ______ atheism, seems encourage ______ people to believe that ______ quietly accept their dominance.

    (To be completed by the reader …)

  87. Rabid Child says

    How about coopting a word from the Christian vocabulary?

    The Reverend Atheist

    Provocative and positive. It also has a non-religious meaning that in title case is ambiguous.

  88. lofty says

    Same as for @577 lordshipmayhem and @588 Ronald Kephart
    :
    you can’t go by
    :
    The Compleat Atheist
    or
    Fishing For Truth
    :
    (graphic of PZ pulling in a jesusfish)

  89. kantalope says

    Adjective Defying

    Have to rework the whole thing to: The Atheist Shrugged

    The Unknown Atheist (have to wear bag on head though)

    Midwestern

    Rootinest Tootinest Orneriest Atheist in the West

    Moron Baiting

  90. MP says

    I am convinced it should be The HONEST Atheist.

    It encapsulates many of the other suggestions. Someone suggested that “honest” suggests that there are “dishonest” atheists – and there are! They are the apologists or the “spiritual-but-not-religious” or the “let’s sugar-coat it for the common people” types. You might not call them “dishonest” but I bet PZ would.

    All that makes “The Honest Atheist” an even more appropriate title.

  91. says

    My first thoughts were too derivative: brokenSoldier’s suggestion…

    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.

    …made me think of The Partly Cloudy Atheist, but that’s been done.

    And somebody mentioned Minnesota, which got me thinking of a certain avuncular radio monologist, which led me to The Above-Average Atheist.

    But my real suggestion is one of SC’s:

    The Public Atheist (but if you go with that one, proof the final cover copy very carefully! ;^> )

  92. says

    I like “The ——– Atheist” but also would suggest atheist as an adjective in, say, “Obviously Atheist” or “Why Aren’t You Atheist?”
    Whatever happens, good luck !

  93. says

    The Weapons-Grade Atheist

    The Mo-Better Atheist

    The ‘Bout-Time Atheist

    The Prime Atheist

    The Unassuming Atheist

    The Ruggedly Handsome Atheist

    I also like the idea of just retaining the blank, and I like the title “The Good Atheist.”

    And, yes, I did think “Poopyhead” first. When I buy the book, I will make a custom cover denoting it properly as “The Poopyhead Atheist.”

  94. says

    I would vote for “impertinent” or “upright” from the adjectives already mentioned.

    But did no one suggest “The Impudent Atheist”?

    I think that’s pretty good as well.

  95. Classical Cipher, OM says

    I adore Unapologetic, Bearded, Vertebrate, Scruffy, Inveterate, Furious, and Roaring.

    I’ll throw in Eldritch. Cos I like it.

  96. Carlie says

    Nooo, the page done broke! Feels like I’m reading the old Slactivist. :)

    Italics begone?

    Italics begone?

    I never did figure out how people wished the slants away.

  97. says

    But my real suggestion is one of SC’s:

    The Public Atheist

    Thanks! Interestingly, Ippy started trolling early in the comments at B&W, saying how tacky it was for PZ to ask people for suggestions. I see this completely differently – PZ’s asking for suggestions on this is so characteristic of him, and in such a good way. It made me think that something like my earlier suggestion of “Public” makes sense, in that a distinguishing feature of PZ’s (and one that probably played a role in developing the book) is his fostering of, communication with, and connection to a community. More so, in my view, than any individual trait.* I’m not sure if “Public” is best (though I still like it). Not “Community.” Certainly not “People’s.” But something along these lines…

    *Hm. It is an individual trait, but one that by its nature involves others.

  98. Ippy says

    chigau () @ 707.
    I’m not a troll. I just think this kind of atheism for atheists circlejerking is as superfluous as a goiter. Buy this kind of discursive junk if you want and wonder where your money goes when you are told the obvious for the thousandth time. There are never enough good books about biology though. Why not hitting on Stephen J. Gould instead and having some reasonable arguments? In a smart way? His publishers are probably afraid nobody buys intelligently designed books anymore instead of junk that panders to some crowd.

  99. dontclicktwice says

    the beer-reviewed atheist
    the ordained atheist
    the freewheeling atheist
    the preaching atheist
    the last days atheist
    the merry atheist

    the cult of PZ
    God hates facts

  100. says

    I agree with Lynna in #720:

    The Unassuming Atheist

    Thanks, ‘Tis Himself. Of my suggestions, I like that one best.

    It’s also a nice double entendre.

  101. DrCogSci says

    I’m literally *horrified* that no one has suggested…

    “Squidgy”

    In its favour:
    a) it shows off PZ’s cuddly side
    b) it’s a terrible, terrible, pun.

    What more could you ask for?

  102. shaggyj says

    Listen! I think you should call your book: “The Atheist Teddy Bear.” Or: “The Teddy Bear Atheist, ” – if your married to the word order…

  103. Ippy says

    @salty current 728

    I’m not trolling, I’m simply having another opinion and voice it in the comment section. Your reaction shows however how intellectually incestous the “atheist community” around here has become. Enjoy your exchange of meaningless platitutes, hivemind and celebrity worship.

  104. First Approximation says

    If anyone is still reading this far in,
    The Dinosaur-Riding Atheist (favourite so far, and makes for a interesting book title)
    – The Gnu Atheist
    – The Militant Atheist [Guide?] (though irony will definitely be lost on some)
    – The Uncompromising Atheist
    – The Vulgar Atheist

    Most of my ideas have already been taken, so here are the ones that haven’t been yet:
    – The Pharyngula Atheist
    – The Meaner, Angrier, Louder, Fiercer Atheist

  105. kantalope says

    To go with ‘Rootinest Tootinest Orneriest Atheist in the West” I was picturing the movie version:

    PZ played by Bugs Bunny (This means WAR)
    Ken Ham by Porky Pig? no, Yosemite Sam
    Porky Pig will be some kind of accommodationist
    All those people from Discovery Institute by Daffy Duck (I can’t tell them apart)
    Richard Dawkins by Marvin the Martian (those zingers need some kind of accent)
    Narrated by Tom Hanks
    Trophy Wife by Christina Hendricks (hubba hubba)

    It’ll be bigger than Ishtar I tells ya.

  106. MetzO'Magic says

    Already been mentioned, but if it has to be that prescribed format, then:

    The Naked Atheist

    has a very nice ring to it, reminiscent of The Naked Ape. OTOH, if the title format is not set in stone, then I’m kind of partial to:

    Godforsaken

    though according to dictionary.com, that comes with a lot of negative connotations :-\ Aside from ‘wicked’, which describes you perfectly :-)

  107. David Marjanović, OM says

    Hm. Difficult question, actually.

    Disclaimer: I’ve only caught up till comment 656. I submit in the desperate hope of getting in before the 800-comment limit.

    I’m against “scientific”. It immediately reminds me of “Scientific Socialism”, which is how Eastern Bloc communists called their religion.

    How about “Gnu”? Is that too much of an inside joke (I bet you already explain it inside the book)?

    “The Nāsti Atheist”? Naaah, definitely too much of an inside joke, even though it would really drive the points home that 1) there’s nothing new about “New Atheism” and 2) Vedic creationists aren’t any less silly than Christian ones, there are just fewer of them in positions of power.

    The Compleat Atheist, of course.

    Good!

    The Uppity Atheist has a nice dose of sarcasm in it.

    Oh yes, but it makes PZ look like a contrarian who is uppity just for fun or just to get attention – a classroom clown.

    “The Militant Atheist” It both pokes fun at the absurdity of the term, and fits your no compromise attitude.

    Why not!

    The Straightforward Atheist

    I like that one. :-)

    But my favorite comes right from my thesaurus: “The Evident Atheist.” Evident meaning “obvious,” while reminiscent of the evidence you insist upon.

    That’s great!

    The Unmitigated Atheist

    :-)

    But really, it’s hard to beat “The Evolved Atheist”

    I hate that one. It confuses evolution with progress, and it’s boasting (see “Brights”), and it assumes that individuals evolve like Pokémon.

    The Devil’s Atheist

    PZ isn’t only an atheist, he’s an adiabolist as well…

    The Attack of the 50 Foot Atheist!

    I like that a lot, but that’s probably just because I associate it with Godzilla Vs Cthulhu…

    Nothing based on an in-joke. Something positive, energetic, inclusive.

    Forthright.

    Good!

    The Professing Atheist

    Wonderful.

    The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Atheist

    Not bad…

    The Angry Atheist

    That’s actually great. “I’m mad as nonexistent hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.”

    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.

    Seconded!

    The Liberal Atheist

    It hits every conservative hot button

    Why actually not.

  108. Blondin says

    The Way of the Atheist

    If you like the blank idea (I don’t) but underscores pose a problem then what about The Blankety-Blank Atheist

  109. steve says

    YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THE PUBLISHER!!!

    I LOVE “The Fucking Atheist” (so does my wife)

    Be ahead of the times!!

    I also like “The Cuddly Atheist”

    And my wife also liked “The Unrepentant Atheist”

  110. says

    The __Hudsucker__ Atheist: A _Coen_ _Brothers_ Autobiography.

    I was born in a small, tree-lined neighborhood of __Muncie__, __Indiana__, to parents of a __gold__ __and_blue__ persuasion.

    My parents were _Wilbur__ and _Flo__, who taught me __speed_chess__ , __full-contact_origami__, and __the importance of delivering blue envelopes__.

    As I grew __into a board-nominated patsy__ , I began to _dream of _hula hoops_ , which caused my parents to react with __bewilderment__ and __stock, repeated lines__ . This led me to __sketch__ __more circles__ in search of __a ready-made Coen fans in-joke___ .

    After many years of extensive __study__ and deep ___dives off the clock tower__ , I discovered the writings of __Jennifer Jason Leigh__ . __Offering her a cigarette__ taught me __martinis__ __are__ __for squares__ , and from __the elevator guy__ I learned __humanity__ . These __startling___ considerations provoked within me a sense of __deep gratitude___ and __especially to Moses the clock guy___ …

  111. Brownian says

    I’m not trolling, I’m simply having another opinion and voice it in the comment section. Your reaction shows however how intellectually incestous the “atheist community” around here has become. Enjoy your exchange of meaningless platitutes, hivemind and celebrity worship.

    You may be unaware of a new rule on the Internet, Ippy, but it goes like this:

    If you’re going to criticise some group for having ‘groupthink’, being a ‘hivemind’ or an ‘echo chamber’, you can’t use the same overworn words every fucking fourteen-year-old who types with one hand on his cock uses, and those include ‘groupthink’, ‘hivemind’, and ‘echo chamber’.

    Also, you have to list at least one patent or novel thought attributable to you and you alone.

  112. MetzO'Magic says

    Agh. Looks like in #664, there was an open <i> tag. Hate that. Let’s see if we can stop the rot.

    (probably not :-)

  113. personal says

    Do ANYTHING but “The Atheist”. It’s so…tacky! To be honest, your tagline from the old pharyngula would be great. Although I’m sure the word “ejaculations” would never fly with any publisher. Why not something like, “There’s more to Atheism than just eating babies.” How could anyone resist picking that book up!?

  114. David Marjanović, OM says

    We broke the software! After comment 664 (not 800!), the numbering restarts at 1, and the entire rest of the page (except blockquotes in comments) is in italics! Help!

    The Understandable Atheist

    Nah. What’s not to understand about The God Delusion?

  115. says

    @Ippy, PZ Myers helped me see that I need not be shy about being an atheist. That was not easy for a former minister. Just by writing honestly he helped me get honest with myself. So fuck off.

    I like “Tentacled” or “Biological” Atheist but “Sniny” would be my vote. I see 6 other people have suggested that but it may be a bit of an in-joke.

  116. says

    I think my comment may have gotten lost – wondering if the platform could be groaning under a Pharyngulated strain. Let’s see; I told Ippy to fuck off, liked “Tentacled” and “Small-Town” but cast the 7th vote for “Sniny” while expressing doubts because it might be an in-joke.

    Let’s see if this comment makes it.

  117. Dean says

    Another vote for “The Natural Atheist”.

    Natural should be understood in at least three senses. First, atheism is natural; gods are artificial.

    Second, PZ is a naturalist.

    Third, we atheists don’t strain to maintain the faith, or quiver in fear of imaginary ghosts. We live comfortably in a universe without ghost stories, and behave morally without a supernatural Law Giver.

    Still, I don’t like the template of “The Atheist”. The title should be a pithy summary of the book’s central theme or argument, not merely a cutesy marketing hook. I like titles with active verbs (especially if PZ’s book calls the reader to social action). Absent knowledge of the content, it seems to me rather pointless to suggest titles. Nonetheless, we can offer ideas to prime the pump. Here are two:

    “Atheism Comes Naturally”
    “God FAIL”

  118. donn says

    What you is:

    The best Atheist

    Or, going low-key:

    The ordinary Atheist

    Or, going meta:

    The underscore underscore Atheist

    Or, to be smarmy:

    The miraculous Atheist

    All in all, my favourite Atheist!

  119. Rawnaeris says

    I rather like “The ___ Atheist” myself; however I can see why that probably shouldn’t be the final title.

    “Gnu” was the first thing that popped into my head.
    ooh, or how about Nu(ν)? nice little math reference there…

    /off topic, but why is everything in italics? /off topic

  120. Squigit says

    Hm, I like leaving the blank in there, too. Leaves a little to the imagination. :)

    Also, everything on my end is showing up in italics. Please tell me I’m not the only one seeing this.

  121. dominich says

    +1 for “The Compleat Atheist” if we have to stick to the rules.

    Othewise, can I suggest “A is for Atheist”?

    Both resonate with well known titles.

    Please don’t go for any of the in-jokes. No-one outside the community will connect with crackers or cephalopods (unfortunately).

  122. Trebuchet says

    Sorry, I’ve not read all the suggestions. 787 comments when the thread came up, 794 when the comments loaded. I bet mine will be over 800.

    So, just to throw in a few I’m sure everyone else already thought of:
    “Octopodal”
    “American”
    “Patriotic American” (That’ll get to the TeaBaggers!)
    “Unapologetic”
    “Gnu” (Of course)

  123. Interrobang says

    The Bemused Atheist, since that’s what you seem to be a lot of the time, or

    The Minnesota Nice Atheist

  124. Chainborne says

    The Unadulterated Atheist.

    The Unruly Atheist.

    The Willful Atheist.

    The Absolute Atheist.

    The Intrepid Atheist.

    The Implacable Atheist.

    The Indomitable Atheist.

    The Almighty Atheist.

  125. Squigit says

    /off topic, but why is everything in italics? /off topic

    Oh. Note to self: read the entire thread first.

  126. Trebuchet says

    Well, that’s interesting. At 800, the count seems to have rolled over and italics disappeared!

  127. James C. says

    Ippy restated: I’m not trolling, but PZ is a sellout hivemind wanker and his book is a poopyhead. I’m being a boorish ass without providing any content whatsoever, but I swear I’m not trolling! Really! I’m just an additional voice.

    As for titles, The _____ Atheist seems like the default. I myself prefer The Unleavened Atheist, as a few others suggest, or perhaps “PZ Myers: Impaler of Crackers and Destroyer of Lies”. I always had an excessive taste for the overwrought, though.

  128. says

    Drat. It took too long for me to get home and comment, my best ideas have been supplanted!

    The Strident Atheist

    The _______ Atheist

    The Courtier’s Atheist

    I also like The Atheist’s Atheist.

  129. Tabby Lavalamp says

    I’m not going to go through all 700+ comments (though I could search, but I’m tired and don’t want to), so don’t know if these are out there yet…

    The Squidly Atheist

    The Atheistest Atheist

    The Visible Atheist

    The Unrelenting Atheist

    The Tenacious Atheist

  130. James C. says

    Also, 800 comments per page? Seems excessive.

    New title suggestion: “The Most Commented Atheist in America”

  131. says

    My first thought was ‘Bearded’

    And I do like ‘Pharyngulated’ and ‘Other’ (“you mean there’s more then one?”)

    But I got to say. “The ________ Atheist”. Is the best choice.

    Don’t worry about the layout. That’s the designers job and if, as a designer, you can’t make such a strong leading title work then you don’t deserve to be in work…

    I like it because it could be anything and with atheism it frequently is.

    Let’s face it the only thing guaranteed to unite and two atheists is the lack of belief in deities. It is the ‘atheist’ part that defines us as such not what ever we could choose to fill in the blanks. After all I’m sure the creotards would have a different set of words to use, for any of us.

    It doesn’t matter what that word is, because it’s not the important word and is guaranteed to not come close to encompassing who PZ is. After all is ‘bearded’ the single all encompassing descriptor? Dennett also has a beard. ‘Angry’? I’ve spoken with PZ and he certainly wasn’t angry. Drunk and confused and wearing a delightful knitted rainbow coloured hat on loan from an AWOL scottish lass, but not angry. (there is the cover shot :). )

    If you do have a list of possible words on the cover then you should include some that would be from the other camp too.

  132. says

    The Blogging Atheist
    The Blogger Atheist
    The Ardent Atheist
    The Vocal Atheist
    The Atheist Blogger (I do get a cut for suggesting 1 adjective AND transposing two words!)
    The No Bullshit Atheist

  133. Rawful le Mayo says

    “The Angry Atheist”

    Why not? It’s true, and it might even trick some people into reading it that otherwise wouldn’t. It’s simple and provocative, what more could you want in a title?

    Just please don’t call it:

    X

    How X is Changing the Face of X

    or something. I’m so tired of that kind of book title. One word, then description of book. Ugh, just rubs me the wrong way.

  134. Trebuchet says

    Any way to get to the first 800? In case I get bored this evening and decide to read them all?

  135. Andromeda says

    I second “The Purpose-Driven Atheist”. I don’t like the idea of leaving the blank though..there’s a chance of it mistakenly being printed as just “The Atheist”

  136. Herr Mann says

    I’m liking:

    The ______ Atheist
    The Atheist’s Atheist
    The Blogging Atheist

    Can this thread be considered a poll? =P

  137. wlondon says

    I like The Living Atheist. The sequel could be Night of the Living Atheist.

    My suggestion is Planet of the Atheist. Yes, one day we will take over and we do need to take over from the theists. All sorts of sequel title possibilities.

  138. jemand says

    Just leave it blank. To fill in. And have the background of the book cover be all the suggestions above in lighter text…

  139. exminister says

    second the A to PZ Atheist

    The Affable Atheist
    The Trustworthy atheist
    The Magnificent Atheist
    The Plucky Atheist ****
    The Zany Atheist
    The Truculent Atheist
    The “Danger is my middle name” Atheist
    The Faithful Atheist
    The Testy Atheist
    The Mature Atheist
    The Proud Atheist

  140. says

    The Lucid Atheist
    The Natural Atheist
    The Persuasive Atheist
    The Positive Atheist (double meaning)
    The Enlightened Atheist
    The Eloquent Atheist

  141. sphex says

    I quite like The ___ Atheist (with perhaps a greyed out list such as at comment 533 in the background. (sorry, someone else also proposed this, but I have no idea where).

    But, since I do agree that that would be difficult to 1) say and 2) catalog, I like the same idea for a cover, with “Angry” lining up on the ________. Thus, the best of two worlds! :)

  142. wholething says

    Since everybody is calling you names but nobody has called you this:

    The Rogue Atheist

    I don’t like this but nobody has suggested it:
    The Calamari Atheist

    Perhaps we could substitute the Scampi for the Calamari on a squid pro quo basis.

  143. Marie the Bookwyrm says

    I like ‘Unabashed’ or ‘Unrepentant’.

    And just for fun–
    The Teddy-Bear Atheist
    The Tentacular Atheist
    The Cromulent Atheist

  144. says

    Any way to get to the first 800? In case I get bored this evening and decide to read them all?

    Just above “Leave a Reply” and the comment box there’s a link to “Older Comments.”

  145. says

    Note to self: when you want a long, fast comment thread, just ask for one adjective.

    Wait! Must experiment. What if I asked for an adverb?

  146. Skepacabra says

    The Divine Atheist
    The Holy Atheist
    The Transcendent Atheist
    The Righteous Atheist
    The Heavenly Atheist

    I’ve been calling myself “The Atheist Atheist” for awhile now but it probably fits PZ more anyway.

  147. ryan a says

    The Zealous Atheist.

    Points for the religious connotations making it slightly ironic? I think the adjective is fitting though if you disregard the religious regard. I also like how it goes from Z then to A.

  148. Richard Austin says

    What, nobody with the with obvious?

    The Complete Atheist
    The Unabridged Atheist
    The Essential Atheist

    Or, if you want to get silly:

    The Energizer Atheist
    The Deliberate Atheist
    The Gnu Atheist

  149. Charlie Foxtrot says

    The _Unapologetically Beardy_ Atheist.

    or

    The Gnu Atheist – to officially own it.
    The Pollcrushing Atheist – to much of an in-joke?
    The Cyber-pistol-wielding Atheist – too unwieldy…

  150. Whatever says

    The Bitches At Jerry Lewis Because He Doesn’t Raise Huge Sums Of Money For Sick Kids Correctly Atheist.

    Too wordy…how about…

    The Sour Grapes Atheist.

  151. says

    Wait! Must experiment. What if I asked for an adverb?

    Drop “The” and that could work.

    Gloriously Atheist

    Proudly Atheist

    Infallibly Atheist

    Incorruptibly Atheist

    Very Atheist

    Etc. That works with a lot of previous suggestions.

  152. BionicFreeFall says

    The Discombobulated Atheist. I know this absolutely sucks as a title, I just like the word discombobulated.

  153. FossilFishy says

    speaking as someone who sold books for 20 years:

    People who don’t like “Gnu” and “Sniny” because they are in-jokes are missing the point of a book title, or one of the points at least. The title should give you some idea about the content but also make you go “Huh?” and pick it up to see what it’s about. This is especially true of subjects like atheism where a large segment of the population aren’t interested in the subject. If the title was instantly understandable those folk will just pass it by but a confounding title will get at least some of them to take a look.

    Also for those worried that The________Atheist would be unworkable on a cover that just ain’t so. All you have to do is run it vertically in a banner by the spine. Plenty of books do just that and it adds another level of visual interest to the cover. The worry about how people will refer to it isn’t much of one either. It will simply become “The Atheist” in spoken conversation, with the occasional “The Blank Atheist” thrown in. I can assure you that booksellers will figure out what folks are talking about in short order. Also minor disagreements about how to say the title is just another thing that people can talk about, and you want them talking about your book as much as possible.

    An extreme example of this sort of eye catching title is Stephen Fry’s autobiography “Moab is my Washpot”. It got serious WTF attention from customers.

    TL;DR: Gnu, Sniny and The______Atheist are the best because they will get folks to pick it up just to see what it’s about.

  154. IndyM says

    I’ve only had the chance to skim the thread, but so far I like these:

    The Devout Atheist
    The Dangerous Atheist

    (Or what about A Devout and Dangerous Atheist?)

    I also like The A to PZ Atheist. (Or how about Atheism, From A to PZ Meyers?)

  155. Bostonian says

    Note to self: when you want a long, fast comment thread, just ask for one adjective.

    Wait! Must experiment. What if I asked for an adverb?

    Then you’d want to remove the definite article:

    – Resolutely Atheist
    – Unapologetically Atheist

    I’m not sold on the “The ____ Atheist” pattern, but I like the adverb idea. It’s more concise.

  156. protomoralist says

    Ahem, I apologize but…

    The Cocked Atheist

    or maybe

    The Fully Cocked Atheist

    I’m sorry. I’ll leave now.

  157. Tim says

    I see I’m way behind, but I was also going to suggest “cuddly” for the blank. Whenever I’ve seen you in person, you’re quite gentle despite your quote-unquote reputation. Although, it helps that you’re usually debating some clueless guy claiming only quarks are irreducibly complex…

  158. Eric Paulsen says

    How about an all white cover with a scarlet embossed “Atheist” on it? Maybe the period could be a zebra fish…

  159. Owlmirror says

    The Developmental Atheist.

    Cover art like an embryo staging series.

    Maybe using text, going from amorphous and blobby to well-formed and maybe spiky, spelling out “Atheist”.

    Hm. Has anyone suggested “The Spiky Atheist”? “Prickly”, I see, has been done. Sort of double-entendre-y.

  160. says

    The True Atheist, or Truly Atheist

    Referencing multiple meaning of “true”, truth being a guiding principle of atheism:- honest; loyal (to a cause); a straight-edge you can measure from; along with a sideways reference to “No true Scotsman”.

  161. Eric Paulsen says

    Maybe you could just have an illustration of a hydrogen atom smack in the center of the cover.

  162. WhiteHatLurker says

    I side with the plurality: “The __________ Atheist”
    (except that I prefer “*” to “_”)

    I see Gnu has been taken, good – wasn’t sure how to spin that as an adjective.

    I am surprised that no-one has suggested “popeyhead” (definition 3).

    “Not the Dictionary Atheist” (nor the comfy chair).

  163. Me says

    Invincible.
    Unbeatable.
    Funny.
    Hilarious.
    Adorable.
    Compleat.
    Take-no-prisoners.
    Fool’s Worst News

  164. Ken says

    The Cheeky Atheist

    i was going to say Swarthy, which i thought was similar in a debonare, playful, yet logical with a rapier wit kind of way. But then i looked it up. Seems ive been using that word wrong for a long long time.

  165. Bostonian says

    Note to self: when you want a long, fast comment thread, just ask for one adjective.

    Wait! Must experiment. What if I asked for an adverb?

    Then you’d want to remove the definite article:

    – Resolutely Atheist
    – Unapologetically Atheist

    I’m not sold on the “The ____ Atheist” pattern, but I like the adverb idea. It’s more concise.

    Actually I’m going to one-up that advice: drop the definite article even if you use an adjective. My new favorite is Scientific Atheist.

  166. nesetalis says

    I at first thought hungry.. but then i realized tha didnt make sense.. so then I thought “cat loving” :D fits you perfectly doesn’t it?

  167. Butt Head says

    The Damn Dirty Atheist

    The Full Time Atheist

    The Sexy Atheist

    The Literate Atheist

    The Approachable Atheist

  168. David Garcia says

    Something that expresses the way all learning makes me feel, and is especially true when I check in with what you have to share, PZ,

    The Expanding Atheist

  169. Doug Little says

    If people like The ______ Atheist maybe above the underscore the cover could be a chalkboard finish. That way you could just write in whatever you felt like and change it as often as you like.

  170. Joseph says

    Unapologetic Atheist (Said before I know, but I like it)

    Not sure you need the “the” either.

    The idea of just leaving “The ______ Atheist” with an greyed out list behind is not bad, though will make librarians and bookstores hate you a little.

  171. IndyM says

    @PZ

    FossilFishy is right, but I would take it one step further: I would put a controversial statement as the title. The God Delusion says it all for Dawkins’ book–I suggest coming up with something for your book that will make everyone grab it off the shelf and investigate further (even raging theists).

    Note: my brain is dead at the moment (I’m tired, and besides, I work in sales and marketing for an academic publishing house, so I’ve been doing this all day), so forgive the very weak examples!

    Title: How Religion is Destroying The World
    Subtitle: Unrepentant Atheist PZ Meyers Explains How

    Title: Religion Makes You Stupid
    Subtitle: Atheism, from A to PZ Meyers

    Title: God Does Not Exist
    Subtitle: PZ Meyers and the New Atheism

    Once again, I apologize for these very bad examples. I have total faith that Pharyngulites will come up with more brilliant ones. PZ, for realz, give your book a controversial, grabby title–we all want your book to sell! Not only that, but we want the religious to be incensed and to react–that kind of publicity would do wonders for getting your message across!

    OK, off to bed…

  172. Judy L. says

    I like Bearded and Cuddly.

    How about:
    Squidly
    Biological
    Joyful

    The Atheist with a Heart of Gold.

    The Blog-o-licious Atheist.

    Pharyngula’s Atheist.

    Grand-Dragon of the Pharynguloid Atheist Horde.

  173. says

    The Gleeful Atheist (full of high-spirited delight)
    The Jubilant Atheist (already suggested)
    The Pope of All Atheists
    The Atheist’s Pope
    The Howling Atheist
    The Frothing Atheist ;^)
    The Atheist Under Your Bed

  174. jheartney says

    Straight-Up Atheist
    No Quarter Atheist
    Full Metal Atheist
    Atheist Unbound

    (BTW, leave out the definite article at the beginning. Unnecessary clutter.)

  175. John Tinmouth says

    I thought someone else would have suggested this (or maybe I just missed it):
    “The Belligerent Atheist”

  176. IndyM says

    @PX

    Re #108

    Sorry for spelling your last name wrong! Duh! (I told you I was braindead this evening…)

  177. federica says

    Hello, I am new to the comments but not to the blog.
    I couldn’t resist contributing my suggestion for the title:

    The Natural Born Atheist

  178. Jim Mauch says

    The Good News Without God
    Purpose without God
    Atheism: Living the Life Driven Purpose.
    ———————–
    The Atheist
    A Life with Purpose
    ———————
    The Inconvenient Atheist

  179. alopiasmag says

    I think “The ____________ Atheist” is perfect, actually…

    Leave it to the reader to interpret or call it what they want. After they read it, they will name it with the adjective they want.

    “The ____________ Atheist”… Perfect.

  180. Jett Perrobone says

    How about:

    The Groin-Grabbingly Transcendent Atheist :P
    (from The Simpsons)

    or

    The Acerbic Atheist
    (from The Angry Beavers)

  181. Apikoros says

    I also like “The Ornery Atheist”. Isn’t there some word that means “cheerfully bellicose”, suggesting the Happy Warrior?

  182. says

    I’m quite persuaded by the arguments in favor of “The _____ Atheist”, but if an adjective is required, I think it should be a superlative (actually, that’s not bad, “The Superlative Atheist”). But I was really thinking:

    Happiest
    Jolliest
    Angriest
    Ultimate

    Whatever the title, congratulations on the book!

  183. Circe says

    How about

    The Strident Atheist? :D

    That could actually work, couldn’t it? Reverse Psychology, anyone?

  184. Sal Bro says

    I missed the first 800, but has anyone suggested The PolariZing Atheist? I like the potential for the play on your name, and it captures a bit of the effect that you sometimes have (for better or worse).

  185. Ray, rude-ass yankee says: says

    Oh, oh, oh… how about “The Way of the Master Atheist”

    Cheers & Happy Monkey,

    Ray, rude-ass yankee

  186. Me says

    Notorious nullotheist

    The Saint Paul of Atheists, Primate of the Holy Church of Nullotheism, on the Road to Pus, er, Octopus, er, against Pus,
    er, he’s the Antibiotic for Mental Pus

    The Antibiotic Atheist: for all the mental pus that ails you

  187. David says

    “The Atheist Who Wouldn’t Shut Up”
    (along the lines of “The Unaccommodating Atheist”).

    Josh’s suggestion, “The Terrible, Horrible, No-good Very Bad Atheist”, is my favorite.

  188. Katkinkate says

    The Blasphemous Atheist

    The Scientific Atheist

    The Unassuming Atheist

    The Cephelophilic Athiest Manifesto

    The Teddybear Atheist

    ;()

  189. Ibis3, féministe avec un titre française de fantaisie says

    I’d go with Gnu. All of the descriptive suggestions (like unrepentant or unapologetic or irascible) are okay, but utterly boring (how many Friendly and Amazing and on and on are out there online?) and not very memorable. Same with “The _____ Atheist” –it’s kind of a 5 second gimmick. “Gnu” is intriguing and provides a good jumping off point for interviewers. You can then explain how New Atheism isn’t really new at all, thus the coinage of the term. Plus you can talk about how dictionary atheism just doesn’t cut it. Gnu Atheism as a progressive, godless, liberal, feminist, humanitarian movement/mentality etc.

  190. Taint Hammer says

    The Unaccommodating Atheist, for obvious reasons.

    Don’t know if this was suggested before, but who has time to read all of these comments?

  191. Vx says

    The eukaryotic atheist.
    Definitely. For some reason I’m almost certain this book will contain biology (perhaps even that thing you once said about the evolutionary history of cooperation [I really liked that] and the eukaryotic revolution) and I think the title should reflect that.

  192. anchor says

    That would be “Easy”. It’s not hard. Everyone can at least understand it, and must admit it makes sense. (Or they’re being willfully contrary).

    Since I’ve been reading PZ from his earliest incarnation of Pharyngula, the one thing I’ve admired is how EASY he makes it.

    Pull up a comfortable chair, grab your favorite beverage, and read…

    “The Easy Atheist”

  193. Ragutis says

    Actually, I can see a cover with a large selection of positive and negative adjectives as background with The ______ Atheist bold and big in black. Anyone want to mock up something like that? Gray text on white background with title in black, or maybe gray or white on black with red or yellow title.

    Also kind of liked “Atheism: from A to PZ Myers” that someone suggested.

  194. Greta Christina says

    I feel like I should say something totally original… but I’m really just here to give my thumbs-up to The Irreverent Atheist. I like the play on the words “reverent” and “reverend.” I like that it implies both an irreverence towards religion and an irreverence towards atheism. And it says up front that the book will be funny, which will make it more appealing and marketable.

  195. says

    I’ve just realized we’ve spent damn near 1,000 comments kicking around the wrong question: Who cares what the title is? What I want to know is when the audiobook version will be available, and who’s gonna read it. (And if nobody’s signed up yet, well… I’ve been thinking about a career change!)

  196. potsandowls says

    The Whole Atheist. Or just “Wholly Atheist!”
    A Reasonable Atheist
    The Wuthering Atheist? Oblique!
    The Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z Atheist? Wordy, pop-culture ref.
    The Thinking Primates’ Atheist

  197. Michael S says

    Keep the underscore!
    “The _____ Atheist” is all of those things you wanted. Readers can fill in what they want. Most will already have personal adjectives in mind for you anyway. They can fill it in, and the rest can wait and ponder further.

  198. says

    Two I haven’t seen:
    “The Worn Atheist”
    (Suggests a kind of hardened persona from battling theists, but also reminiscent of a worn book. It might also bring to mind clothing–the opposite of the Emperor’s New Clothes.)

    “The Bare Atheist”
    (Kind of the opposite of above. Like someone else suggested, it would work for atheism laid bare and if the book is rather personal, and it also suggests the Emperor’s New Clothes.)

    Have to say that I like “The Sniny Atheist”, “The Irreducible Atheist” and “The Forthright Atheist” though. Sniny would definitely fit if the book is humorous, and I imagine it would get people to look at it a little longer when browsing titles.

  199. BCskeptic says

    “Straight-Up”
    “Deliberate”
    “Unrepentant”
    “Undeterred”
    “Courageous”

    Or, my favourite:

    “Fuck the sanctimonious idiotic religionists”

    Or, how about, the entire title of the book is: “PZ” in big bold capital red letters? That might get even the religionists curious to read the first few pages, who might not otherwise touch the book with “Atheist” in the title.

  200. Jeff says

    Has to be Skeptical.
    Pulls in us scientific skeptics and maybe some who think it’s skeptical about atheism. Then we’ve got ’em…

  201. chigau () says

    I just Pfftt’d “goiter”.
    I don’t think “superfluous” is the best adjective to describe it.
    (see comment 737 on page 1 of this thread)
    and neither work with “Atheist” in this context.

  202. Rike says

    I don’t know if it has been mentioned already:

    The Positive Atheist.

    It describes PZ as the positive individual that he is, while at the same time making a “positive” statement about being an atheist. I am putting in my order for The Positive Atheist.

  203. Steve Schlosnagle says

    The Sacrilegious Atheist

    and I would add a vote to:
    The Irreverent Atheist

    But I do like the ring of “Sacrilegious”. And it harkens back to “Cracker-gate” better.

  204. mtskeptic says

    My 2 cents/suggestions:

    The Uncompromising Atheist

    The gNu(with a funny accent on the u) Atheist

    or there’s always

    The Tentacular Atheist

  205. thurston blodgett says

    The You’ve Got To Be Kidding Atheist
    The You Don’t Actually Believe That? Atheist
    The 6000 year old Atheist
    The You May Think That’s Right, But You’re Wrong Atheist
    The You May Want to Rethink That Atheist
    The That Train of Thought Has Expired Atheist
    The 21st Century Atheist
    The Where’s your Deity Now? Atheist
    The DNA Was Here Before “God” Atheist
    The Truculent Atheist
    The Alarmed Atheist
    The Follow the DNA Atheist
    The Après-le-Déluge Atheist
    The In Medias Res Atheist
    The Jouissant Atheist
    The Tendentious Atheist
    The WTF? Atheist
    The God: Awful Atheist
    The Your-Intelligent-Design-Argument-Is-So-Bad-That-It’s-Not-Even-Wrong, There Is-no-God-So-Your-Arguments-Are-Invalid-and-Your-Disavowal-of-Evolutionary-Theory-Perpetuates-Ignorance Atheist