
165: “The Nine Billion Names of God” by Arthur C. Clarke
From Why Is This Good? by Why Is This Good?
December 1, 2025 · 18 min
About this episode
In this episode, we discuss Arthur C. Clarke's short story 'The Nine Billion Names of God' and explore its themes and storytelling techniques.
If you enjoyed this episode, consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps us keep the show running. Find out more at http://www.patreon.com/whyisthisgoodpodcast In this episode, we discuss “The Nine Billion Names of God” by Arthur C. Clarke . What can we learn from this classic story? What guides the length and development of a short story? What could turn a premise-driven story into a character-driven story? How does understanding the needs of a story determine where it should focus? For daily writing tips, industry news, and great short fiction, join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/napleswritersworkshop You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter at http://www.napleswritersworkshop.com
Topics covered
- literature
- short stories
- writing
- character development
- storytelling
Keywords
- The Nine Billion Names of God
- Arthur C. Clarke
- short story
- character-driven story
- premise-driven story
- story focus
- writing tips
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Nine Billion Names of God
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