History AGodAmI / Literature

* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'': The Authority claims to be the Abrahamic god, but is actually the oldest angel.

* ''Literature/{{Apotheosis}}'': This is Adam's bag. He went mad when he learned that [[spoiler:the Race, his creators, are extinct]], built himself a distributed nanotech body, and went forth to convert all life in the universe to nanoclouds that worship Adam, and kill everyone who refused.

** One character's pursuit of this trope is the plot driver for the second trilogy. [[spoiler:Raistlin succeeds, with rather horrific results for all involved. [[PyrrhicVillainy Including him]]. But through a continuation of the somewhat involved time-travel storyline, Caramon warns him of this early enough on for Raistlin to upgrade his condition to [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sort-of-heroically sacrificed and dead]]. (Or tortured for all eternity in Hell.) Though this does not prevent him from making postmortem cameos.]]

* ''Literature/{{Gone}}'': By the end of Plague, Caine expects everyone to refer to him as king, and appoints himself supreme ruler of Perdido Beach.

%%* ''Literature/HIVESeries'': Overlord believes he is this.
* ''Literature/TheSpellmongerSeries'': The immensely powerful lich Sharuel declares himself the living god-emperor of the [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent gurvani]].
* ''Literature/{{Gone}}'': By the end of Plague, Caine expects everyone to refer to him as king, and appoints himself supreme ruler of Perdido Beach.
* ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'':
** In ''The Gods of Mars'', Issus is almost universally worshipped as a goddess by all the Martian races, [[spoiler:but is actually just a manipulative old Black Martian crone with delusions of grandeur]].
** In a larger scale, the Holy Therns and the First Born are ''whole races'' of these. They literally consider themselves divine beings and superior to everyone else, when in reality, they are just as mortal as the other Martian people.
* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'': The Authority claims to be the Abrahamic god, but is actually the oldest angel.

%%* ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'': The most notable case involves a StableTimeLoop combined with a HUGE AssPull at the very end of the Owen-centric series.%%Zero context, complaining.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'': Paul Atreides becomes the [[MessianicArchetype Kwisatz Haderach]], the universe's [[{{Ubermensch}} super being]]. His consciousness can be in many places at once and can see things before they happen. He is worshipped as a messiah and god. He doesn't personally consider himself to be a god, but plays on superstition to appear as a god to his followers. While he denies his own divinity he plainly states that his sister Alia is a goddess. Of course this may have been for effect.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
** When offered the Ring, Galadriel firmly refuses it on the grounds that its power would inevitably go to her head, give her delusions of godhood and lead her to becoming Middle Earth's next dark lord.
** Played straight with Sauron and his predecessor and former master, Morgoth. Both made themselves out as gods to their orcish and human followers such as the Haradrim. Tolkien himself referred to their reigns as "evil theocracies". Morgoth was somewhat justified, as he was one of the Valar, beings similar to the Greek gods except they did not want to be worshiped, as that was Eru's right to be worshipped alone. Sauron encouraged and enforced worship of Morgoth via human sacrifice on both Númenor, Mordor, and the southern lands.
** Morgoth also wanted to be God, to the point he weaved his own soul into Arda at the beginning of time. He claims to Húrin that he actually ''is'' God. [[ShutUpHannibal Húrin calls him on his bullshit]]. Morgoth sought to be God because he originally wanted to create. When he learned he could never truly create anything new, his despair turned to destructive rage and hatred for all those who could. As humans are implied to have the ability to create new things of their own (unlike the Valar, Maiar, and Elves), he hates them most of all.
* ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'':
** One character's pursuit of this trope is the plot driver for the second trilogy. [[spoiler:Raistlin succeeds, with rather horrific results for all involved. [[PyrrhicVillainy Including him]]. But through a continuation of the somewhat involved time-travel storyline, Caramon warns him of this early enough on for Raistlin to upgrade his condition to [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sort-of-heroically sacrificed and dead]]. (Or tortured for all eternity in Hell.) Though this does not prevent him from making postmortem cameos.]]
** Kingpriest of Istar who went as far as demanding the gods serve him. What brought about the cataclysm was his demand that the gods make him a god himself.
** Or Fistandantilus, who came up with the whole "become a god" plan that [[spoiler:Raistlin]] hijacked. In fact, he was [[TheManBehindTheMan the man behind the Kingpriest]] as well. And from ''Literature/TheLegendOfHuma'' there was Galan Dracos, whose plan to steal the Dark Queen's powers wasn't as well thought out as the others, though to be fair it took place chronologically first, so they might have been able to learn from his mistakes. Really, this one crops up a lot with {{Evil Sorcerer}}s in ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'', or any ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons DnD]]'' world.
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'':
** Obould Many-Arrows acquires the moniker Obould-Who-Is-Gruumsh at the height of his power, Gruumsh being the chief god of the Orcs. Gruumsh sponsored Obould as his Chosen (divine minion given with a shred of godly power without extra strings attached) before this and vassal demigod after (upon death), so it's only a relatively minor exaggeration.
** Karsus from ancient pre-history was the only man who acquired divine status through spellcasting. Well, [[TooMuchForManToHandle for a minute or so]], anyway. Just long enough to see [[{{Gotterdammerung}} how much]] it GoneHorriblyWrong -- he did it to save [[TheMagocracy Netheril]] and ended up almost completely [[NiceJobBreakingItHero destroying it]]. Just to make things worse, it is implied Karsus was ''aware'' that it wouldn't last much more than a few minutes and that he would die (or something close to it) at the end -- Karsus was much more realistic about the fact that he ''wasn't'' a god and there was more to it than just being a powerful archmage with some secret trick was than many of his fellow Netherese archmages, even if he underestimated how hard it would be to control the power and responsibility he was suddenly saddled with.
* ''Literature/{{Gog}}'': This trope is the entire focus of the ''Egolatry'' chapter, where a [[{{Gonk}} hideously ugly]] professor tells Gog that the best, most natural and closest to humankind religion that "combines the advantages of monotheism and polytheism" would be everyone worshipping themselves. Therefore, everyone would be equal in their beliefs and no longer disunited. He believed this to be an extension of ideas of "man creating God" and recommended that everyone build shrines to themselves in their homes.
* ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'':
** Conphas eventually convinces himself that he is a god.
** And in what has been revealed of the second trilogy, [[spoiler:Kellhus gets himself worshiped as one.]]
* ''Literature/{{Corum}}'': The ambitious sorcerer Shool is convinced he has already become a god and is aiming for Supreme God, enlisting Corum for the purpose. In the end it turns out he was merely a puppet of the Chaos Lords, and is left a hollow, dying shell after he has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]].

%%* ''Literature/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'': "For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something."\\
%%-- the Star Child.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'': [[spoiler:Lobsang/Jeremy becomes the new Time, with control over all aspects of it - although to be honest, it's more of a responsibility and a change of pace than anything having to do with powers. And despite his newfound status, he still submits to Lu-Tze in the dojo, in a brilliant denouement.]]
** ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'': Coin actually imprisoned all the known gods in a sphere of thought just to prove that he could.
** ''Literature/{{Pyramids}}'': When now-King Teppic re-enters his home country of Djelibeybi (counterpart to Ancient Egypt), after [[spoiler:it has been pushed out of reality]], the intense belief of his subjects makes him divine.

* ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' features the Earthmasters, arrogant and powerful once-human beings [[spoiler:and chronicles the transformation of a withdrawn young scholar into his world's god]].
* ''Literature/GreatGame'': All "gods" derive their power from people worshipping them and any dimension traveller can become a "god" in another world. [[spoiler:The plot revolves around the attempt by the existing gods to stop a new god from accruing sufficient power to topple them all, and the main character's attempts to stop him by becoming a new god as well.]]
* ''Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm'': The royal family of a fantasy England is physically possessed by a fire god, making the sovereign something of a Christ-figure. Not only does she have divine right, she can prove it. She can set things on fire with a thought, and her family has blazing eyes. Most of the books center on the oddities of religion under such a system: What do you do when God is your mother (and is being abusive)? What do you do when God is a five-year-old child? What do you do when God converts to the worship of a different God? (The answer to the latter is that you seduce God and raise his kid up in the correct religion.)
%%* ''Literature/TheActsOfCaine'': Both Ma'elKoth and Pallas Ril. A JustifiedTrope here, as they actually became gods.
* ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'': [[spoiler:Satan]] thinks of himself as a god. Considering who he is, not too surprising... [[spoiler:Thing is, this also applies to Yahweh!]]
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** ''Literature/DeadBeat'' revolves around several necromancers competing to be the focus of the Darkhallow ritual to absorb enough powerful souls of the dead to attain godlike power.
** ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' features Kukulcan, aka the Red King. The Red king is the [[MonsterProgenitor founder]] of the Red Court vampires and believes himself to be a God, allowing him to do anything that he wishes. The Red Court even perform HumanSacrifice to him.

* In ''Literature/TheElenium'' and ''Literature/TheTamuli'', also by Creator/DavidEddings: [[spoiler:The main protagonist of the series, Sir Sparhawk, is "Anakha", the man without destiny. In the end of the last book it is revealed that instead of just being able to use [[MacGuffin Bhelliom's]] powers, he himself is in fact at least as capable as the Bhellion. It's also suggested that it was actually him all along instead of Bhelliom's powers. For comparison, Bhelliom and its counterpart Klael have powers beyond any of the deities mentioned in the series.]]
%%* ''Literature/TheLongPriceQuartet'': Vanjit after [[spoiler:binding her Andat, Clarity-of-Vision]].

* ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'': In ''A Nightmare on Elm Street: Protege'', Freddy tells Jerome that, while he may be limited in the real world, in the dream world he's essentially God. Cue Freddy briefly making himself gigantic and causing the sky to change into a swirling black vortex of thunder and lightning.

* ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'': This may be a little unfair, but Richard Rahl does maintain and encourage the tradition of everyone regularly bowing down and chanting "Master Rahl guide us... in your light we thrive... our lives are yours," for four hours a day. Eventually there was a point to keeping this up, but not initially.
* Mary Shelley's ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'' makes this trope OlderThanRadio. Dr. Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with discovering the secret of life and eventually succeeds in creating a new lifeform out of human remains. Unfortunately, the creature is hideous and he abandons his creation out of disgust, forcing it to fend for itself. And thus began an endless cycle of revenge and hatred that would last until the day they died...
* ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'': Subverted when Muriela, who specializes in impersonating gods, emerges from behind an idol of a goddess glowing purple and giving a different A God Am I speech than the one they had rehearsed. When the worshippers are all off doing her bidding Conan sneaks over and suggests that they leave, at which point she tells him not to be so presumptuous and to clear off before she remembers that he intended to con people in her name. It is strongly implied that the girl lives happily ever after in exchange for periodically renting her physical form to the goddess, who thought the girl was far more fetching than her idol.

* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'': The survivors of humanity are transported to a new world to escape the aliens that destroyed them and, to avoid detection, must enter a MedievalStasis. Langhorne and Bédard, the two in charge of the project, brainwash the survivors into [[GodGuise thinking they're the creations of God, with those leading the project being angels and Archangels]]. They justify this as a necessity, claiming it will avoid the complications of enforcing MedievalStasis and prevent them from re-reaching space flight level to soon. The truth is Langhorne and Bédard are megalomaniacs who like being Archangels and may well [[BelievingTheirOwnLies believe their own schtick]]. Unsurprisingly, the woman who stands up to this and rebels is labeled the [[CrystalDragonJesus Crystal Dragon Satan]] in the religion.

%%* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': The Ellimist became a proper god at some point in the distant past.
* Creator/DeanKoontz: This seems to happen quite a few times:
** Villains in his ''Frankenstein'' series, as well as his novel ''Midnight'' being the most obvious examples. Even if a villain doesn't believe that he is becoming a god, they are often arrogant in the extreme.
** In ''Dragon Tears'', [[spoiler:the villain, Bryan Drackman, is a powerful psychic born with the ability to stop time, create and animate golem bodies in which to stalk his victims, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis. His abilities have grown overtime, and Drackman believes that they will increase enough with practice so he might become the New God and TakeOverTheWorld. In order to practice and enhance his abilities, he stalks and toys with the protagonists in the meantime]].
** At the end of the short story, "A Darkness in My Soul", [[spoiler:a psychic goes on a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind and finds God trapped in the psyche of an insane genius. He then absorbs God's powers and then takes over the universe after giving half of the power to his girlfriend. Bored with exploring the universe, they decide to start a world war back on Earth for amusement, using humans as playthings.]]
* A classic short story, "Answer", written by Creator/FredricBrown in 1954, has every single computer in the galaxy linked together to answer a single question: "Is there a God?" The computer responds: "''Now'' there is."
* ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'': Played with. Edmond decides that since God hasn't seen fit to reward the good and punish the wicked (quite the opposite, in fact), it is up to man to become God-like. The book does quite a good question of asking what exactly separates Edmond from ''being'' a God: he's got enough money to do whatever he wants, intelligence that borders on the omniscience, the willingness and the capacity to destroy or reward those he deems wicked or worthy, a personal gravitas that causes everyone to instantly worship or fear him, he's separated from humanity by both the unfair condemnations of others and personal choice, and, with his mastery of medicine and the legal system, quite objectively holds the power of life and death. The only real difference is that, for him, ItsPersonal.
* Aaron, in ''Literature/TheKnifeOfNeverLettingGo'', believes that he's a saint, and says so in the waterfall-shrouded church right before [[spoiler:Viola stabs him through the neck]].
* ''Literature/StarShardsChronicles'': The protagonists struggle with their godlike Star Shard powers, especially Dillon, who is the most powerful. A large part of the second book of the trilogy deals with their "We are gods walking the earth and you should worship us" phase.
* Played with and subverted in E.E. Smith's "Tedric" stories. Skandos, a human-like scientist with remarkable technological powers, spends most of his time trying to convince the barbarian Tedric that he is NOT a God. He finally assumes the role when he realises it's pointless trying to talk Tedric out of his belief, and that making an appearance as Tedric's personal deity will have immense benefits to the civilisation of which Tedric is a part, but he himself knows full well that it's only an act. And while Skandos knows he's only mortal (he's murdered three incarnations of himself in parallel universes already), his technological capabilities are so far ahead of the medieval society he's interfering in as to constitute an extension of Clarke's Third Law to effective Godhood.
* ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'': At the end [[spoiler: the two rivaling AIs Neuromancer and Wintermute amalgamate, and in the words of the new AI it is now the matrix, "the entirety of the system, the whole show"]]. Playing the second variant straight, [[spoiler: it tells the protagonist that it has found others of its kind, for example one in Alpha Centauri - and then vanishes.]]
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheIsles'': In one book, Sharina inadvertently travels through time and ends up on an island with a man who claims to be related to the god of storms. His parades are accompanied by thunder created by sheets of tin under the wheels of his chariots.

* ''Literature/TimeScout'' gives us several:
** UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper
--->'''Jack:''' If a mere chit can be taken for a goddess, then I shall certainly rule as a god!
** Ianira Cassondra is called the living goddess and, thanks to her training under the high priestess at the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, evinces psychic and prophetic powers.
** [[spoiler:Skeeter Jackson]] was worshiped as a living god and honorary uncle to the boy who would become Genghis Khan.
* ''Literature/InDeath'' series: ''Chaos In Death'' has Eve Dallas confront Dr. Chaos, who actually declares "I'm not a man. I am a god!"
* ''Literature/TrueNames'': When Mr. Slippery and Erythrina forcibly multiplex their consciousness, it gives them the power to take over more machines almost without thinking. Repeat until they (and the BigBad) have total control over and knowledge of anything connected to any computer ever. The BigBad detonates several nukes in their silos ''to make a point in discussion'', and it's not a big deal to any of them. At one point, Mr. Slippery is frustrating and rerouting the soldiers sent to kill his real body as a side process while concentrating on something different.
* ''Literature/MasterAndGod'' charts the slide into insanity and delusion of the Roman Emperor Domitian, last of the Flavian dynasty and son of the very down to earth and sensible Emperor Vespasian. The sheer burden of responsibility drives Domitian insane and, like other emperors before him, he becomes megalomaniac and insists on his own divinity.
* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': [[spoiler: Kazebar]] has a god complex so great he thinks he's surpassed [[GodIsGood Dronor]].
* ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'': For a heroic example, [[spoiler:Arthur after getting five keys]] keeps having to ''choke back'' his tendencies in this direction, keeping him from going over the edge.
* ''Literature/LeftBehind'': Nicolae Carpathia, particularly after Satan indwells him following his "resurrection".
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'': The first published book, ''The Happy Return'', has Don Julian Alvarado -- or rather, "El Supremo". He claims to be a direct descendant of Moctezuma and a god, punishing the "unenlightened" by brutally killing them. Hornblower has to assist his attempt to revolt against the Spanish in Nicaragua, and then has to fight him when the Spanish ally with Britain.
%%* ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'': Kalona and [[spoiler: Neferet]] have both declared themselves this.
* ''Literature/GloryInTheThunder'' quotes the entire biblical passage in-text. Holders of Aspects of the Divinity are referred to as gods and tend to go mad with power, even though most of them are just as mortal as anyone else, and none are even close to omnipotence.
* ''Literature/{{Apotheosis}}'': This is Adam's bag. He went mad when he learned that [[spoiler:the Race, his creators, are extinct]], built himself a distributed nanotech body, and went forth to convert all life in the universe to nanoclouds that worship Adam, and kill everyone who refused.
* ''Literature/TheImmortals'': In the third book, ''Emperor Mage'', Emperor Ozorne all but bans worship in Carthak, saying that if the people need to pray, they pray to ''him''. Given that gods in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' are real and [[JerkAssGods are tetchy]], this doesn't go over well.
* ''Literature/SacreBleu'': Bleu, the muse, once refers to herself as "a fucking goddess", and is not at all unjustified in doing so.
* ''Literature/TheQuantumThief'': The Sobornost Founders claim to have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions, but that doesn't prevent them from having God-complexes the size of the Solar System, especially Matjek Chen, who seeks to recreate reality itself in his own image because he got angry at death as a child. They impose sensation called ''xiao'' on all their trillions of subjects that makes them feel religious awe towards them. Joséphine Pellegrini even has temples in her name and millions of pilgrims travel to the Fast Cities of Venus to sacrifice themselves for her. Even those who don't follow the Founders call them the Gods of the Inner System.
* ''Literature/ForgingDivinity'': Part of the core premise is ThePaladin, Lydia, investigating Edon, a new supposed deity.
* ''Literature/MidnightsChildren'': Though we never hear the Widow's own stance on it, the Widow's Hand claims this of her. Saleem believes this delusion to be the reason why she goes to such lengths to neutralize her political rivals [[spoiler:and the midnight's children]] -- she refuses to tolerate any other potential "gods" that could undermine her superiority.
* In ''Literature/{{Dragonvarld}}'', the Mistress of Dragons is worshipped as a goddess, and has a cult of priestesses to serve her. Her divinity is supposed to be passed on to successors, since she still [[GodInHumanForm has human form]] and physical bodies don't last forever. [[spoiler:It's actually a case of GrandTheftMe, and moreover, the scheme is being run by a dragon, the very being the Mistress of Dragons is supposed to have ascended to divinity by defeating.]]
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': ''Literature/LoomingShadow'' boasts of a monkey beastfolk who becomes a LifeDrinker with necrocraft and goes on a screeching and insane rant about how he has become a god.
* In ''Literature/TheGolgothaSeries'', Ray Zeal declares himself the God of Murder and Torture and Pain. He furthermore states his intention to kill off every other god so that he can be the world's only god -- a tall order, since in this series AllMythsAreTrue and there are plenty of other beings which can make credible claims of being gods.
* ''Literature/{{Imperium}} '': In ''Dictator'', during Caesar and Cicero's last conversation, Caesar says he's not afraid of death, and Cicero asks him why. Caesar replies that he won't die with his body, because he's a god. Cicero realizes that all that power has driven Caesar mad.
* ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'': Dr. Andy Paigne wants to collect enough superpowers to become a god.
* ''Literature/{{Confessions}}'': The cult St. Augustine spends his twenties flirting with was founded by an ill-educated astrologer who claimed to be the Holy Spirit in the flesh. St. Augustine is pretty sure he was deluded and strongly recommends his reader's share that opinion.
* "Literature/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream": [[AIIsACrapshoot The Allied Mastercomputer]] is very [[AsTheGoodBookSays not]] [[EvilIsHammy subtle]] about who it thinks it is.
* ''Literature/DevilsAndThieves'': [[spoiler:Darek]] declares himself a god when he gets every kindled power.
* ''Literature/ShadesOfMagic'': Osaron, an ancient being MadeOfMagic that consumed an entire world, declares itself a god and a [[GodEmperor king]]. Everyone else (who isn't being mind-controlled by it) insists that it's nothing more than a big chunk of magic with an ego.
* ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'': Bastian, driven semi-insane by excessive wishing, decides that he should become the new Childlike Emperor of Fantastica— like dozens of saviors before him, who are now all stuck in Fantastica as idiot children.
* ''Literature/WonderWomanWarbringer'': [[spoiler:Jason]]'s plan is to add to the powers he has inherited as the descendant of gods and humans, mold the earth into a battlefield and attain immorally. He makes no secret that he's looking to become a god once his true allegiances are revealed, and he already considers humans and Amazons beneath him.
* ''Literature/ForgesOfMars'': Archmagos Vettius Telok feels that his discovering and harnessing of the Breath of the Gods, an alien device that can rejuvenate dying stars and create entire solar systems, gives him the right to call himself a god. [[spoiler:He further feels that it gives him the right to usurp the God-Emperor by using the Breath of the Gods to destroy Terra.]]
* ''Literature/ArcOfFire'': How Myrren feels when she wields the Dark Heart against Kyrian and his army.

* Mary Shelley's ''Literature/Frankenstein'' makes this trope OlderThanRadio. Dr. Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with discovering the secret of life and eventually succeeds in creating a new lifeform out of human remains. Unfortunately, the creature is hideous and he abandons his creation out of disgust, forcing it to fend for itself. And thus began an endless cycle of revenge and hatred that would last until the day they died...

* ''Literature/ChaosWalking'': Aaron, in ''The Knife of Never Letting Go'', believes that he's a saint, and says so in the waterfall-shrouded church right before [[spoiler: Viola stabs him through the neck]].

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''L:

** ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'': It's hinted that the main goal of Abeloth, the EldritchAbominaation BigBad, is to become a god.

* ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars':

%%* Overlord of the ''Literature/HIVESeries'' believes he is this.
* The immensely powerful undead goblin head/lich known as Sharuel in Terry Mancour's ''Literature/TheSpellmongerSeries'' declared himself the living god-emperor of the [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent gurvani]].
* Caine in the ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' series. By the end of Plague, Caine expects everyone to refer to him as king, and appoints himself supreme ruler of Perdido Beach.
* Issus in ''[[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars The Gods of Mars]]''. Almost universally worshipped as a goddess by all the Martian races, [[spoiler:but actually just a manipulative old Black Martian crone with delusions of grandeur.]]

* The Authority in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', who is actually the oldest angel.
* Creator/OrsonScottCard's ''Literature/EndersGame'' saga:

* Creator/SimonRGreen's ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' series, in many cases - though the most notable one involves a StableTimeLoop combined with a HUGE AssPull at the very end of the Owen-centric series.
** If you want a webcomic approximation of this, check out ''Webcomic/{{Bob and George}}.''
* Frank Herbert's ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', the protagonist, Paul Atreides becomes the [[MessianicArchetype Kwisatz Haderach]], the universe's [[{{Ubermensch}} super being]]. His consciousness can be in many places at once and can see things before they happen. He is worshipped as a messiah and god.
** An important point that TheFilmOfTheBook apparently missed: Paul is not a god (the limitations of his power are repeatedly shown), and doesn't consider himself so. He is a man playing on superstitions to appear as a god to his followers. While he denies his own divinity he states plainly that his sister (Alia) is a goddess. Of course this may have been for effect.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': "In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen... All shall love me and despair!" Averted, since she refuses the [[ArtifactOfDoom Ring]].
** Played straight, with Sauron and his predecessor and former master, Morgoth. Both of them made themselves out as gods to their orcish and human followers such as the Haradrim. Tolkien himself referred to their reigns as "evil theocracies". Morgoth was somewhat justified, as he was one of the Valar, beings similar to the Greek gods except they did not want to be worshiped, as that was Eru's right to be worshipped alone. Sauron encouraged and enforced worship of Morgoth via human sacrifice on both Númenor, Mordor, and the southern lands.
** Morgoth also wanted to be God, to the point he weaved his own soul into Arda at the beginning of time. He claims to Húrin that he actually ''is'' God. [[ShutUpHannibal Húrin calls him on his bullshit]].
*** Morgoth sought to be God because he originally wanted to create. When he learned he could never truly create anything new, his despair turned to destructive rage and hatred for all those who could. As humans are implied to have the ability to create new things of their own (unlike the Valar, Maiar, and Elves), he hates them most of all.
* One character's pursuit of this trope is the plot driver for the second ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' trilogy. [[spoiler:Raistlin succeeds, with rather horrific results for all involved. [[PyrrhicVillainy Including him]]. But through a continuation of the somewhat involved time-travel storyline, Caramon warns him of this early enough on for Raistlin to upgrade his condition to [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sort-of-heroically sacrificed and dead]]. (Or tortured for all eternity in Hell.) Though this does not prevent him from making postmortem cameos.]]

* Obould Many-Arrows from ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' acquires the moniker Obould-Who-Is-Gruumsh at the height of his power, Gruumsh being the chief god of the Orcs.
** Gruumsh sponsored Obould as his Chosen (divine minion given with a shred of godly power without extra strings attached) before this and vassal demigod after (upon death), so it's only a little exaggeration.

* This trope is the entire focus of the ''Egolatry'' chapter of ''Literature/{{Gog}}'', where a [[{{Gonk}} hideously ugly]] professor tells Gog that the best, most natural and closest to humankind religion that "combines the advantages of monotheism and polytheism" would be everyone worshipping themselves. Therefore, everyone would be equal in their beliefs and no longer disunited. He believed this to be an extension of ideas of "man creating God" and recommended that everyone build shrines to themselves in their homes.

* In Creator/MichaelMoorcock's ''The Chronicles of Literature/{{Corum}},'' the ambitious sorcerer Shool is convinced he has already become a god and is aiming for Supreme God, enlisting Corum for the purpose. In the end it turns out he was merely a puppet of the Chaos Lords, and is left a hollow, dying shell after he has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived his usefulness]].
* Inverted in Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'' series. [[spoiler:Since the original God is too caught up in this trope's attitude to bother with Earthly affairs, another more humble individual must be manipulated into becoming God]].

* "For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something."\\
- The Star Child in ''Literature/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''
* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', [[spoiler:Lobsang/Jeremy becomes the new Time, with control over all aspects of it - although to be honest, it's more of a responsibility and a change of pace than anything having to do with powers. And despite his newfound status, he still submits to Lu-Tze in the dojo, in a brilliant denouement.]]
** Coin, from another of his novels, ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', actually imprisoned all the known gods in a sphere of thought just to prove that he could.
** Also, in ''Literature/{{Pyramids}}'', when now-King Teppic re-enters his home country of Djelibeybi (counterpart to Ancient Egypt), after [[spoiler:it has been pushed out of reality]], the intense belief of his subjects makes him divine.

--->''My soul is no longer the puny mortal soul it was when you arrived. It is divine. I am a god!''
* Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''. After taking the Ruyi-Jingu-Bang from the palace of the Dragon King of the West, he was given a position in the Jade Emperor's court to satiate his desire for acknowledgement. However, once Wukong realized that his position was a janitorial position, he set up a plot to, and succeeded in, taking over Heaven, declaring himself "The Sage Greater than Heaven." It wasn't until the Jade Emperor asked Buddha himself to do something that Wukong was ousted.
** Ironically, after he was freed and assisted Xuangzang in his journey, he DID become worshipped as a god, and in Buddhism is proclaimed the Buddha of Courage (not a godly position entirely, but as close as someone can get to godhood in a religion which itself has no real gods).
* Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' features the Earthmasters, arrogant and powerful once-human beings [[spoiler:and chronicles the transformation of a withdrawn young scholar into his world's god]].
* This is more or less the plot of [[Creator/DaveDuncan Dave Duncan's]] ''Great Game'' series, in which all "gods" derive their power from people worshipping them and any dimension traveller can become a "god" in another world. [[spoiler:The plot revolves around the attempt by the existing gods to stop a new god from accruing sufficient power to topple them all, and the main character's attempts to stop him by becoming a new god as well.]]
* In Fiona Patton's ''Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm'' series, the royal family of a fantasy England is physically possessed by a fire god, making the sovereign something of a Christ-figure. Not only does she have divine right, she can prove it. She can set things on fire with a thought, and her family has blazing eyes. Most of the books center on the oddities of religion under such a system: What do you do when God is your mother (and is being abusive)? What do you do when God is a five-year-old child? What do you do when God converts to the worship of a different God? (The answer to the latter is that you seduce God and raise his kid up in the correct religion.)
* Both Ma'elKoth and Pallas Ril in ''Literature/TheActsOfCaine''. A JustifiedTrope here, as they actually became gods.
* [[spoiler:Satan]] in ''Literature/TheSalvationWar: Armageddon'' thinks of himself as a god. Considering who he is, not too surprising... [[spoiler:Thing is, this also applies to Yahweh!]]

* Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheMalloreon'':

* Vanjit from ''Literature/TheLongPriceQuartet'' after [[spoiler:binding her Andat, Clarity-of-Vision.]]

* In ''[[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet A Nightmare on Elm Street: Protege]]'' Freddy tells Jerome that, while he may be limited in the real world, in the dream world he's essentially God. Cue Freddy briefly making himself gigantic and causing the sky to change into a swirling black vortex of thunder and lightning.
* Creator/BrandonSanderson loves this trope - all of his major works feature mortals with godlike power who are worshipped as divine. This includes the real gods of his multiverse, called Shards. They are sixteen incarnate forces (Honor, Preservation and Ruin being named examples), far above anything else. Shards generally have mortal intelligences attached to them, and can be passed on to others given the right circumstances, but their personality is eventually totally overwritten by the Intent of the Shard. In specific books, we have:

* ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'': This may be a little unfair, but Richard Rahl does maintain and encourage the tradition of everyone regularly bowing down and chanting, "Master Rahl guide us... In your light we thrive...Our lives are yours," for four hours a day. Eventually there was a point to keeping this up, but not initially.
* Subverted when ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian's'' girlfriend Muriela, who specialises in impersonating gods, emerges from behind an idol of a goddess glowing purple and giving a different A God Am I speech than the one they had rehearsed. When the worshippers are all off doing her bidding Conan sneaks over and suggests that they leave, at which point she tells him not to be so presumptuous and to clear off before she remembers that he intended to con people in her name. It is strongly implied that the girl lives happily ever after in exchange for periodically renting her physical form to the goddess, who thought the girl was far more fetching than her idol.
* Done unintentionally by Leia during the Thrawn Crisis during several ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' novels. After Grand Admiral Thrawn ordered Noghri commandos to kidnap Leia as part of a plot to convert her and her brother, they were at first unsuccessful, but eventually, they recognized her by scent. As it turned out, the Noghri had previously worshipped Darth Vader (Thrawn's predecessor, more or less) as a god after seeing a display of his powers, and after scent-identification made them realize Leia was his daughter, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain switched their alliance to her and her family]], believing her to be divine as well (even so much as giving her the title "Lady Vader".) Leia never actually claimed that she was a goddess, but having the Noghri as allies to the New Republic was too much of a benefit to pass up.

** The BigBad of the Literature/NewJediOrder [[spoiler: Onimi]] believes that if he kills [[OmnicidalManiac everyone in the galaxy]] he'll get the power he needs to become a god. Somewhat unusually, he also believes that Jacen and Jaina (and several other Jedi) are incarnate gods, and in his mind the whole series is a conflict between the established pantheon and himself trying to usurp them, played out through the Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong. [[AxCrazy Yes, he's insane. However did you guess]]?
*** The same idea of 'kill everybody to become a true god' is played out nearly to the letter by Sith Emperor Tenebrae Vitiate in the events of the Second Great Galactic War, though he, unliki Onimi, he also had a far smarter backup plan.
** It's hinted that the BigBad of ''Star Wars: Literature/FateOfTheJedi'', Abeloth's main goal is to become a god.
* Occurs in Creator/DavidWeber's ''{{Literature/Safehold}}'' series. The survivors of humanity are transported to a new world to escape the aliens that destroyed them and to avoid detection, must enter a MedievalStasis. Langhorne and Bédard, the two in charge of the project, brainwash the survivors into [[GodGuise thinking they were the creations of God, with those leading the project being angels and Archangels]]. They justify this as a necessity, claiming it will avoid the complications of enforcing MedievalStasis and prevent them from re-reaching space flight level to soon. The truth is Langhorne and Bédard are megalomaniacs who like being Archangels and may well [[BelievingTheirOwnLies believe their own schtick]]. Unsurprisingly, the woman who stands up to this and rebels is labeled the [[CrystalDragonJesus Crystal Dragon Satan]] in the religion.
* Akasha of ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' was worshiped as a goddess for centuries, and came to believe it.
* The Ellimist in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' became a proper god at some point in the distant past.
* This seems to happen quite a few times in Creator/DeanKoontz's works:

* Played with in ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'': Edmond decides that since God hasn't seen fit to reward the good and punish the wicked (quite the opposite, in fact), it is up to man to become God-like. The book does quite a good question of asking what exactly separates Edmond from ''being'' a God: he's got enough money to do whatever he wants, intelligence that borders on the omniscience, the willingness and the capacity to destroy or reward those he deems wicked or worthy, a personal gravitas that causes everyone to instantly worship or fear him, he's separated from humanity by both the unfair condemnations of others and personal choice, and, with his mastery of medicine and the legal system, quite objectively holds the power of life and death. The only real difference is that, for him, ItsPersonal.
* Aaron, in Patrick Ness's ''[[Literature/ChaosWalking The Knife of Never Letting Go]]''. He actually believes that he is a saint, and says so in the waterfall-shrouded church right before [[spoiler: Viola stabs him through the neck]].
* In the ''Literature/StarShardsChronicles'', the protagonists struggle with their godlike Star Shard powers, especially Dillon, who is the most powerful. A large part of the second book of the trilogy deals with their "We are gods walking the earth and you should worship us" phase.

* In one of Creator/DavidDrake's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheIsles'' books, Sharina inadvertently travels through time and ends up on an island with a man who claims to be related to the god of storms. His parades are accompanied by thunder created by sheets of tin under the wheels of his chariots.
* Aurilelde, from the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' novel ''A Wizard of Mars'' has [[spoiler: the kernel of Mars implanted in her]] and effectively [[spoiler: becomes Mars itself, and as she tries to kill Nita she gets angrier and angrier, unintentionally almost ripping Mars apart in her rage.]]

* In Creator/VernorVinge's novella, "Literature/TrueNames", when Mr. Slippery and Erythrina forcibly multiplex their consciousness, it gives them the power to take over more machines almost without thinking. Repeat until they (and the BigBad) have total control over and knowledge of anything connected to any computer ever. The BigBad detonates several nukes in their silos ''to make a point in discussion'', and it's not a big deal to any of them. At one point, Mr. Slippery is frustrating and rerouting the soldiers sent to kill his real body as a side process while concentrating on something different.
* Creator/LindseyDavis' novel ''Literature/MasterAndGod'' charts the slide into insanity and delusion of the Roman Emperor Domitian, last of the Flavian dynasty and son of the very down to earth and sensible Emperor Vespasian. The sheer burden of responsibility drives Domitian insane and, like other emperors before him, he becomes megalomaniac and insists on his own divinity.
* Literature/TrappedOnDraconica: [[spoiler: Kazebar]] has a god-complex so great he thinks he's surpassed [[GodIsGood Dronor]].
* For a heroic example, [[spoiler:Arthur after getting five keys]] in ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'' keeps having to ''choke back'' his tendencies in this direction, keeping him from going over the edge.
* Nicolae Carpathia in the Literature/LeftBehind series, particularly after Satan indwells him following his "resurrection".
* The first published ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'' book, ''The Happy Return'', has Don Julian Alvarado--or rather, "El Supremo." He claims to be a direct descendant of Moctezuma and a god, punishing the "unenlightened" by brutally killing them. Hornblower has to assist his attempt to revolt against the Spanish in Nicaragua, and then has to fight him when the Spanish ally with Britain.
%% * ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'': Kalona and [[spoiler: Neferet]] have both declared themselves this.

* In Literature/{{Apotheosis}} this is Adam's bag. He went mad when he learned that [[spoiler: The Race, his creators, are extinct]], built himself a distributed nanotech body, and went forth to convert all life in the universe to nanoclouds that worship Adam, and kill everyone who refused.
* Emperor Ozorne in ''Literature/TheImmortals''' third book, ''Emperor Mage''. He all but bans worship in Carthak, saying that if the people need to pray, they pray to ''him''. Given that gods in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' are real, and [[JerkAssGods are tetchy]], this doesn't go over well.
* Bleu, the muse of ''Literature/SacreBleu'', once refers to herself as "a fucking goddess", and is not at all unjustified in doing so.
* The Sobornost Founders in ''Literature/TheQuantumThief''-trilogy claim to have OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions, but that doesn't prevent them from having God-complexes the size of the Solar System, especially Matjek Chen, who seeks to recreate reality itself in his own image because he got angry at death as a child. They impose sensation called ''xiao'' on all their trillions of subjects that makes them feel religious awe towards them. Joséphine Pellegrini even has temples in her name and millions of pilgrims travel to the Fast Cities of Venus to sacrifice themselves for her. Even those who don't follow the Founders call them the Gods of the Inner System.
* Part of the core premise of ''Literature/ForgingDivinity'' is ThePaladin, Lydia, investigating Edon a new supposed deity.

* In ''[[Literature/{{Imperium}} Dictator]]'', during Caesar and Cicero's last conversation, Caesar says he's not afraid of death, and Cicero asks him why. Caesar replies that he won't die with his body, because he's a god. Cicero realizes that all that power has driven Caesar mad.
* Dr. Andy Paigne of Literature/TheFlyingBoy wants to collect enough superpowers to become a god.
* In the ''Literature/{{Confessions}}'', the cult St. Augustine spends his twenties flirting with was founded by an ill-educated astrologer who claimed to be the Holy Spirit in the flesh. St. Augustine is pretty sure he was deluded and strongly recommends his reader's share that opinion.
* The Allied Master[[AIIsACrapshoot computer]] from "Literature/I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" is very [[AsTheGoodBookSays not]] [[EvilIsHammy subtle]] about who it thinks it is.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'', [[spoiler:Lobsang/Jeremy becomes the new Time, with control over all aspects of it - although to be honest, it's more of a responsibility and a change of pace than anything having to do with powers. And despite his newfound status, he still submits to Lu-Tze in the dojo, in a brilliant denouement.]]
** Coin, from another of his novels, ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', actually imprisoned all the known gods in a sphere of thought just to prove that he could.
** Also, in ''Discworld/{{Pyramids}}'', when now-King Teppic re-enters his home country of Djelibeybi (counterpart to Ancient Egypt), after [[spoiler:it has been pushed out of reality]], the intense belief of his subjects makes him divine.

** The "God Spoken" on the planet of Path are believed to be spoken to by the gods. This is the reasoning behind their extreme intelligence and the reason they have to "purify" themselves through rituals such as tracing wood grains, counting steps, and being extremely sanitary. [[spoiler:In the end they discover that the "God Spoken" have merely been genetically engineered to be smarter, and were also engineered to have an extreme form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in order to prevent them from being a threat to the government.]]

** ''Literature/DeadBeat'' of revolves around several necromancers competing to be the focus of the Darkhallow ritual to absorb enough powerful souls of the dead to attain godlike power.
** ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' features Kukulcan, aka the Red King. The Red king is the [[MonsterProgenitor founder]] of the Red Court vampires and believes himself to be a God, allowing him to do anything that he wishes. The Red Court even perform HumanSacrifice to him.

* ''Dead Beat'' of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' revolves around several necromancers competing to be the focus of the Darkhallow ritual to absorb enough powerful souls of the dead to attain godlike power.

* The immensely powerful undead goblin head/lich known as Sharuel in Terry Mancour's [[TheSpellmongerSeries Spellmonger Series]] declared himself the living god-emperor of the [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent gurvani]].