Creatures of Light and Darkness
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Creatures of Light and Darkness is a science fiction novel by Roger Zelazny published in 1968, as well as a roman à clef about the Social Security Administration at Woodlawn, Maryland, where Zelazny worked.
It contains a somewhat famous, humorous passage describing the agnostic blessing of a dead person, which has almost legal-sounding disclaimers regarding the nature and desires of the Almighty.
Plot summary
Creatures of Light and Darkness was originally conceived and written as nothing more than a writing exercise in perspective by Roger Zelazny, yet when published turned into one of Zelazny's more popular books.
The central characters of this novel are some of the main Egyptian Gods (Zelazny specialized in sweeping stories based on mythology of all kinds). Isis, Thoth, The Thing That Cries In The Night, Madrak, The Angel Of The Seventh Station, and others appear.
The evil characters are as evil as it gets, the good are truly good, and all show human qualities like weaknesses, character, and drives.
Even more important than Zelazny's depictions of the Gods are the jumps from character to character, perspective to perspective in his narrative.
The Agnostic's Prayer
Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to ensure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen.