John Fowles

Fowles is best known for his books The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Magus, Daniel Martin and others.

From the May 31, 1998 New York Times Book Review reviewing John Fowles' new book, Wormholes:

... Religion is one of several subjects (environmentalism is another) for which Fowles retires elegance in favor of the bludgeon. "Being an atheist," he tells us, "is a matter not of moral choice, but of human obligation."

In his journals, Fowles acknowledges "three main politicosocial obligations": "First to be an atheist..."