Him (Geoff Ryman)

27 November 2024

Him

“Women, of course, can not be sons of God,”

In the village of Nazareth, virgin Maryam and the wife of Yosef barLevi gives birth to a miracle: a little girl. She is named Avigayil, after her grandmother.

But as Avigayil grows, it’s clear she believes that she is destined to be someone greater than just the daughter of Maryam. From leading a gang of village boys to challenging the priests in the temple, Avigayil is determined to find her way as Yeshu, a man.

Yeshu can work miracles. He can see futures. He can speak for God.

A gripping, thoughtful sci-fi novel, tackling family, the multiverse and the survival of love through immense change and crisis.

Average Rating:

Ross Hetherington (21 July 2025 19:33)

My own suggestion, from a favourite writer of mine. I really loved the atmosphere of this. The occasionally references to the future from Jesus/Yeshua (yes, it is him). Good choice to not bring the godhood of Jesus into question in the world of the novel, allowing it to focus on the main issues. Do not expect it to focus on the things you might expect from a novel with the premise "What if Jesus was born a woman?" Loved the stuff exploring the nature of what it would be like for an atemporal deity to be incarnated, live in time, and, importantly, have a mother. Having written this, I can't see a reason not to upgrade to five stars