Saturday 25 November 2017

Faith Or Agnosticism In SF Authors, Including Poul Anderson

Ketlan is back in Lancaster Infirmary again and visitors had to clear out of the ward for a while so I had an interesting hour exploring the interconnected buildings looking for the Chapel which was closed. However, a long walk along an underground corridor in a place of life and death is an opportunity to contemplate spirituality.

In imagination, although not in shared belief, I accompany CS Lewis through:

the Old Testament (YHWH);
the New Testament (Jesus);
the Ransom Trilogy (Maleldil);
the Narnia Chronicles (Aslan);
The Great Divorce, where I found parallels with SM Stirling's account of a hereafter. See here.

In imagination and shared disbelief, I accompany two American sf authors in their agnostic responses to theological questions:

James Blish in After Such Knowledge;
Poul Anderson in "The Problem of Pain" and The Game Of Empire.

Other authors are relevant, of course:

Lewis replies to Wells and Stapledon;
Blish and Anderson follow Wells, Stapledon and Heinlein.

In Anderson's History of Technic Civilization, the Books of Stormgate are like an Avalonian scripture, recounting the history of a people and their exodus to a new world.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

First, I'm sorry Ketlan is again having troubles and I hope he soon gets better!

Besides the authors you listed I would have included "JRR Tokien's Middle Earth mythos (Iluvatar or Eru)."

You already know of my view that I'm not absolutely sure Poul Anderson either disbelieved in God or merely doubted He exists. Some of his late phase works makes me think he at least wished he believed in God. And we both know of his friendly and sympathetic treatment of honest Jews and Christians.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Especially since Lewis referred to Tolkien - as also to Arthurian literature.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I remember that as well!

Sean