Brandilyn Collins at Forensics & Faith brings up an interesting topic. Can Science Fiction writers break into the Christian book market? She interviewed author Jim Denney about it, and his view is decidedly doubtful. But why?

Mr. Denney gives a number of reasons, but one major theme runs through it - Science Fiction runs up against major tenets of Christian belief. You can’t have a fantasy world in the past beyond what some folks believe is the year of creation. You can’t have a futuristic story that extends beyond the time of the second coming. Cloning is controversial at best with some folks, and science is often seen as the godless interpretation of the world.

Make no mistake - science fiction as a genre is likely as much to blame here as religious beliefs. Many fantasy and sci-fi works make an effort to eschew religion or religious beliefs in the work itself, often holding out religion as an archaic, sometimes ridiculed notion that has been outdated. This is almost as bad a knee-jerk reaction as not accepting science fiction because it does not conform to a belief system.

In the interview, Mr. Denney suggests three possible courses of action for starting up a career combining science fiction and Christian book writing. His suggestions are welcome, but they also make me sad. Literature is a great tool for learning, for escaping, broadening the mind and sharpening the focus. It is unfortunate that a genre is excluded simply because it cannot be readily reconciled with a particular dogma.

What do you think?

Tags: Opinion //