Steven L. Peck is an evolutionary biologist and author of speculative fiction. He is best known for the novella A Short Stay in Hell, a story about a man navigating a vast and unsettling version of the afterlife. His work often combines scientific ideas with questions about existence and faith.
A Short Stay in Hell
A Short Stay in Hell
Synopsis
What happens when a good man dies and finds himself in a Hell he never imagined? Soren Johansson, a devoted husband and father, expects eternal reunion with his family. Instead, he's thrust into a colossal library by an unknown God, tasked with finding his own life story to escape. This existential novella questions everything we think we know about the afterlife.
Vibe
Genres
Characters
Soren JohanssonProtagonist
Places
Edition
A Short Stay in HellUnknown, 2012
104 pages
Strange Violin EditionsLanguage: EnglishISBN: 9780983748441First edition.2 editions available
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Frequently asked questions
Does A Short Stay in Hell have a film adaptation?
A Short Stay in Hell was adapted into a short film titled "The Library" in 2017. The film captures the novella's core premise of an afterlife spent searching for one's life story within an infinite library.
How does A Short Stay in Hell relate to Mormon theology?
The novella draws heavily on and reinterprets concepts from Mormon theology, particularly the idea of eternal progression and the nature of the afterlife. Readers familiar with Latter-day Saint beliefs will recognize many of the underlying philosophical questions explored.
Is A Short Stay in Hell a standalone story?
A Short Stay in Hell is a complete, self-contained novella. While it explores profound philosophical themes, it does not require reading any other works by the author to understand its narrative or concepts.