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The Wall Street Journal reports that Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great is an unexpected best-seller.

Today, seven weeks after the book went on sale, there are 296,000 copies in print. Demand has been so strong that booksellers and wholesalers were unable to get copies a short time after it hit stores, creating what the publishing industry calls a "dark week." One experienced publishing veteran suggests that Mr. Hitchens will likely earn more than $1 million on this book.

Wow, that'll settle more than a few bar tabs. More surprising is where the sales are coming from: The book is doing surprisingly well among southern Godites, who are snapping up copies so that they can better refute Hitch's arguments. Either way, expect to hear more from the godless.

A spin-off is already in the works. Rival publisher Da Capo Press, which is owned by Perseus Books LLC, got in touch with Mr. Hitchens and signed him up to edit, "The Portable Atheist," a compilation of essays by such writers as Mark Twain and Charles Darwin that will be published in the fall.

"This is atheism's moment," says David Steinberger, Perseus's CEO. "Mr. Hitchens has written the category killer, and we're excited about having the next book."

You hear that, heathens? It's your time! Make the most of it. Because when you're dead, well... you know.

Hitchens Book Debunking The Deity Is Surprise Hit [WSJ]