Interesting Discussion of Christian SF

[Jeff Gerke]

A reader sent me a link to someone's roundtable discussion of the legitimacy (or not) of Christian SF.

www.republibot.com/content/roundtable-discussion-6-christian-science-fiction

There was a liberal Jew and an atheist taking part in the discussion.

It's definitely worth checking out--though the white text on black background is a killer.

You might also spot my comment at the bottom.

Jeff

[Teskas]

This is an interesting discussion. I particularly liked the comment by Burt Cottage, and the discussion which followed, about bookstores having a special section devoted to CSF.

"This might be good from a sales point, but—personally—I’d love to make it in the free-for-all section and let my writing and ideas stand up against a wide variety of competition."

Apart from the natural audience of Christians who like sci-fi and want Christian sci-fi stories, I personally think there is a place for CSF in the secular market. I don't think we can get away from our task as Christians to bring the gospel to the whole world. I feel uneasy about Christian literary fiction which cannot reach a secular reader. Authors like Tolkien or Cronin are models of Christian writers whose themes appeal to all sorts of readers.

It is amazing that a secular site like this is discussing CSF. Thanks for the link.

[metalikhan]

Thanks for the link. Fascinating discussion, but you're right about the white on black writing — Ow! Did you feel like someone was doing macramé with your optic nerves?

[Vaporwolf]

Aye, thanks for the link. Very good and insightful discussion.

[dizzyjam]

Yes, a very interesting discussion. And as a person starting a store where I intend to help sell the more speculative of Christian fiction by putting it side by side with other mainstream speculative fiction and not giving it a "Christian" section, I was very intrigued by the comments about creating a section in bookstores just for Christian Science Fiction. The mere idea creeps me out and is why I don't want to do it in my store. All stories should live or die on their own merit, and most stories in the speculative usually have an agenda of some kind anyway, so should a bookstore separate out the Sci-Fi now based on the agenda of the writer?

"Utopia Sci-Fi on the left sir, with Alien Utopia Sci-Fi on the lower right shelf.........Oh, you want the kind of Alien Sci-Fi where they invade our planet? That's found over here sir next to Comedic Sci-Fi in the two sections of Militaristic Sci-Fi and Political Sci-Fi. Are you needing a story where they invade in ships, or do you want to read about how they're already here and have infiltrated our political system?........Ah, I see. You want the kind where they've come back in time to infiltrate our political system. That's right here sir in Political Time Travel Sci-Fi. Hope you find what you are looking for, sir."

Sheesh! I'll have a hard enough time weeding out the cyber-punk from the other "regular" Sci-Fi to create its own section without worrying about all the other aspects. I mainly just intend to have sections for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and if I can figure out how to weed them out Cyber-punk. Things beyond that I'm either not thinking of this late at night or is just not important enough to give it its own section. I also think I'll use Jeff's definitions in his exhaustive booklist as pointers in a kind of guide to help section out some of the things I'm not thinking of right now this late at night.

[myrthman]

I know someone who said "Christian fiction" can't exist. He said that Christianity promotes the Truth and fiction isn't the Truth because it's made up. My friend had no problem with "fiction by a Christian author" though. Personally, I'm of the opinion (which the linked discussion brought out) that today's fiction parallels Jesus' parables (a grain of Truth wrapped in husks of what we already understand). In that sense, I think "Christian fiction" is not just adequate but appropriate.

Good discussion to read, Jeff. I'm glad you were able to mention MLP and WTME at the end.