Catholics in the field of fantasy and science fiction

The Cross and the Stars  | Sandra Miesel | Special Feature from Catholic World Report

Catholics in the field of fantasy and science fiction.

What do Worlds of If have to do with Jerusalem? Do Catholic writers have a place among the wizards of fantasy and the starships of science fiction? The very pervasiveness of fantasy and science fiction in today’s popular culture worries some Catholics. Fantasy might open a path to occultism; science fiction could exalt godless Reason over Faith.

Historically, there are good reasons to be wary. From the “scientific romances” of H.G. Wells to the subversive tales of Philip Pullman, writers have wielded their pens against religion in general and Christianity in particular. L. Ron Hubbard drew on science fiction to concoct Scientology. American fans founded a neo-pagan sect based on Robert A. Heinlein’s novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Robert Graves was neither the first nor the last storyteller to promote goddess-worship and other metaphysical fads through fiction.

Although fantasy and science fiction, which belong to the genre of “speculative fiction” (SF), can be hostile to Christianity, so can any form of literature. There is nothing intrinsically wrong about asking “What if?” We cannot afford to abandon this aspect of the human imagination to those who would misuse it in the service of atheism, blasphemy, nihilism, false cults, and New Age delusions. Our call to redeem culture is not limited to a few safe artistic forms.

Speculation has long been a favorite approach for Catholic authors seeking to teach, admonish, or warn. Examples from the first half of the 20th century include G.K. Chesterton, Robert Hugh Benson, Alfred Noyes, Sister Mary Catherine Williams (“S.M.C.”), and Dom Hubert van Zeller (“Hugh Venning”). Michael O’Brien’s recent Children of the Last Days series continues this tradition.

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Comments

[Sharon E. Dreyer]

As a practicing Roman Catholic and a science fiction author, I have always preferred the stories that do not contain graphic sex scenes or ridicule my Church. Still, I enjoy stories that are about the characters more than the technology. You know, well-rounded characters and a great plot.

Thank you for sharing this article. Check out my first and recently released novel, Long Journey to Rneadal. This exciting story is a romantic action adventure in space.

God bless.

P.S. The picture of St. Ignatius reminds me of my visit to Loyola, Spain. Attended Mass in his Chapel.

[Rick]

I am curious as to Sandra's thoughts on the work of Walker Percy? Could Love in the Ruins or Thanatos Syndrome be included under the genre of science ficton?

[Ed Peters]

Right, Sharon. With most scifi, the technology ends up serving as constant source of Deus-ex-machina plot resolutions. Booooooring.

Good question Rick.

[LJ]

I can't help but think that in pop culture, what makes the big screen sometimes winds up having more long-term cultural influence than the stories told by the novelists, unless those novelists conform to the ideology/theology of the movie producers (ie. Dan Brown).
Occasionally the counterpoint gets through (LOTR), but if we think about some of the greatest cultural influences, they have been great tales told on the big screen which deliberately or accidentally further an agenda that is new age, at least in the Sci-Fi realm.
Who doesn't know what we mean when we say, "May the force be with you!" and all of the metaphysical connotations that go with that.
And even on the small screen, whether we would want to admit it or not, the Star Trek phenomenon has far-reaching metaphysical ripples in the culture.

Thankfully, and contrary to the predictions of some, novel reading is well anchored in the culture as a form of entertainment, so there is still an important influence that we can have in the medium as Catholics, but the impact of the big screen is hard to match, and thankfully there, as well, Catholics are making some inroads. And a block-buster like the Passion doesn't hurt to re-focus Hollywood sometimes, if they think there is money to be made.

[Gerald Reiner]

I recently enjoyed reading the (Catholic) sci-fi book, "The Tripods Attack", which is modeled on Chesterton. Good sci-fi is always appreciated. My favorite will always be C S Lewis.

[Sandra Miesel]

My article concentrated on "genre" sf writers. Those Walker Percy novels are sf in content but were marketed as "mainstream" books. That's a pragmatic rather than a philosophical distinction, but one with a long history in the sf field. I had to draw a line somewhere.

I blush to admit that SMC's family name was Anderson, not Williams.

[Phil Garringer]

You left out JRR Tolkien!

[Rick]

Thanks for the reply, Sandra. I plan ordering a few of the books from the authors you listed. Wish I had known about them in college when I spent too much time reading Michael Moorcock and Stephen Donaldson, though they did lead me to Tolkien.

[Rudy]

Alien religions is not well explored in SF