Here are the top ten books and movies about the afterlife, a list compiled by Mark Hawkins, author of Die Today.
LIFE AFTER LIFE
1975
Dr. Raymond Moody published his book about Near-Death Experiences.
Elements: Classical description of personal experiences of persons who had died, and then been revived.
ONE MINUTE AFTER YOU DIE
1997
Dr. Erwin Luster, a pastor, does an excellent job of describing a view of the afterlife based in the Bible.
Elements: Hades, Paradise, Jesus Christ, God, Satan, angels, Second Coming, New Jerusalem
DANTE’S INFERNO
1307
Dante Alighieri was born in 1265. This work of classical literature has had an enormous influence on our culture, through the centuries, and continuing.
Elements: Levels of hell, with physical suffering for the damned, a guide, historical figures.
RETURN FROM TOMORROW
1978
George Ritchie, M.D., describes an experience when he died, experienced the afterworld, and revived.
Elements: He remained on earth after death. He saw a division of people who had died, some suffering, some sublime. They were among mortals, unseen. His description, while similar to many other near-death experiences, was remarkably detailed and comprehensive.
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL
2010
A little boy, Colton Burpo, describes seeing the afterlife. Written by Todd Burbpo and Lynn Vincent. The book had extraordinary sales of over 10 million copies, and was made into a movie.
Elements: A child describes seeing Jesus Christ.
THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
Mitch Albom’s book about the afterlife, written in 2003, and made into a movie. It describes the head of maintenance from a theme park meeting five people in heaven after he dies.
Elements: Strong focus on the connections between people’s lives.
WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
1998
This movie, starring Robin Williams, describes the protagonist’s experience in the afterlife, where he speaks with his wife, who committed suicide. The movie is remarkably imaginative. Based on a 1978 novel by Richard Matheson.
Elements: The imagination of the person experiencing the afterlife impacts their surroundings. There is not an obvious authority hierarchy.
DEFENDING YOUR LIFE
1991
Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep starred in this movie. Both are in the afterlife, in a city, where they review scenes from their lives to see if they have what it takes to move on to the next level.
Elements: They eat all the food they want, and they don’t get fat. There are no angels or devils. They wear white robes and live in hotels. The city is operated by authority figures, but religious themes are minimized. Judgment is based on overcoming fear, instead of sin.
HEAVEN CAN WAIT
1978
A movie with Warren Beatty. He is a football player who is taken out of his body by mistake, and eventually gets put back into another football player’s body, but not until after he falls in love.
Elements: An airliner, mists of cloud, angels wearing white suits. Most of the movie is filmed among mortals, because the protagonist is given a temporary mortal body.
GHOST TOWN
2008
Ricky Gervais plays a dentist who can talk to ghosts. They are people with unfinished mortal problems, and they move on once the problems are solved.
Elements: No angels, and no devils. The ghosts look like normal mortals to the protagonist, wearing clothes they wore before they died.
ADDITIONAL TITLES
Hellathon 2018 by Randy Lindsay, under the pen name Bennet Lodge
A novel: The protagonist is in hell, but if he wins the race, he can return to mortal life. Includes demons and an imaginative description of hell.
The Devil and Max Devlin 1981 Walt Disney movie
A deal with the devil (played by Bill Cosby), not a near-death experience, but it has a scene which portrays Satan in the fires of hell.
The Lovely Bones 2002 by Alice Sebold
A remarkable novel about a fourteen-year-old girl who is raped and murdered. She tells the story from her afterlife, but it is mostly the story of her family, and what happens to her murderer.
A Christmas Carol 1951 movie with Alastair Sim
Based on the Charles Dickens novel (1843), portrays the spirits of persons who have died, who are no longer able to help mortals in need, but who long to do so.
It’s a Wonderful Life 1946 movie with Jimmy Stewart
George Bailey is given a chance to see what the world would be like without him, when he goes through town unseen, with an angel named Clarence.
The Shack 2007 by William P. Young, also a movie
Not about the afterlife, but the novel has the father of a missing little girl meet God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost in a vivid description of a sacred experience.
Passage 2001 by Connie Willis
A novel about a drug used to simulate near-death experiences. Repeat excursions into a near-death experience, and then ultimately moving on.
The Afterlife 2003 by Gary Soto
A novel describing a young man who dies, remains unseen among mortals, then moves on.
Ghost Rider 2007 movie with Nicolas Cage
The Ghost Rider sold his soul. Not an afterlife experience, but has afterlife themes.
ELEMENTS
The overall experience described in these books and movies varies.
Location:
Is the afterlife on this earth?
Is the deceased person among mortals, unseen?
Is the person underground, in caverns or caves, when descending to hell?
Angels, devils, types of appearance–monstrous or human-like.
MARK HAWKINS 