A Case Of Conscience by James Blish - a Jesuit has a theological problem because the Lithians are Godless but good:
"The Problem of Pain" by Poul Anderson - Peter Berg has a theological problem because the Ythrian New Faith is a workable faith but is completely at odds with Christianity;
the Ransom Trilogy by CS Lewis - Elwin Ransom visits Mars and Venus and finds there beings and conditions that exactly correspond to his Christian beliefs!
Lewis thought that space travel was wrong and imagined (at least) that the conditions of Man's Fall existed only within the Lunar orbit. As ever, Anderson provides a culmination. His Galilean priest, Fr. Axor, accepts that all known intelligent species are Fallen but seeks evidence for an extra-solar Incarnation.
A Case Of Conscience has given us three parallels:
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree with the examples you listed here of theological SF. I do urge you to read others, such as the tragic Walter Miller's A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITTZ.
Anderson wrote other stories which also touched on theology, such as "A Chapter of Revelation."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I have read A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ and have compared its Wandering Jew with other similar figures in fiction.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I remember the Wandering Jew motif from CANTICLE. But, it was such a small part of the story compared to how much else was in the book that was far more interesting.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment