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beliefs in the work itself, often holding out religion as an archaic, sometimes ridiculed notion that has been outdated.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 by Leo
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The 10 Most Prophetic Sci-Fi Movies Ever

This is one of those topics that causes bar fights. Ok, maybe not real bar fights, but it gets us nerds ALL riled up. Which sci-fi movie has been the best at predicting the future?

Popular Mechanics took a stab at the question and produced their list. Some of them I agree with, but there are some I thought missed the mark, and others that were overlooked.

From 2001: A Space Odyssey to Gattaca, they make good cases on where the stories hit, where they missed, and what’s yet to be determined. I don’t agree with all of their judgements, but they’ve got some good selections.

More For The List

Below are a couple of films I think should have been included on this list:

• Total Recall - At the time of the film’s release, MMORPGs weren’t quite ready for prime time. There were some fledgling games out there, but not what we see now with games like Eve and World of Warcraft. While we haven’t gotten to the stage of implanting memories, we have gone the route of immersive fantasy, which is what makes these games so addictive. Players take on the personas of their characters within the context of the game. It isn’t much of a stretch to think that these games could eventually become even more immersive, perhaps becoming 3D, and with the advent of 3d display technologies, some of which were on display at this year’s CES, moving closer to the movie’s idea.
• Fantastic Voyage - No, we aren’t shrinking anyone, but the idea of using miniature tools to repair the human body has arrived. Hundreds of projects in nanotechnology are in process, and many have already been implemented. Cameras that can be swallowed are already in use and nanocrystalline silver is being used as an antimicrobial agent for treating wounds. In development are nanotech “Qdots” that can identify the location of cancer cells in the body, nanoparticles that attack cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding cells, and nanotubes that can be used to help broken bones to heal better. The idea of miniaturizing the tools of healthcare is now a reality.

There are more, to be sure. So, while risking a small scale riot, I’m asking for your comments. What sc-fi films do you think represent true forward-thinking? Which introduced a product or technology we now take for granted?

Tags: Opinion by Leo
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With unlimited power and will, what would you change? What in your life would you go back and do over? And would it make a difference?

I am particularly fond of short stories. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I might be a bit ADD, and short stories let me enjoy the story and move on. I came across “Two Sams” by Robert Reed while tooling around the web. It’s an interesting tale of a man who leads two lives, one as the husband and father who must deal with the crises that life throws at him. His alter ego is god-like, making and remaking worlds of his own design.

It’s an intriguing dual storyline, one paralleling the other in theme, but not in scale. The story seems to examine the futility of the search for a perfect world, how seemingly infinite power is not enough to solve all problems. It also examines what choices must be made, and what one might do if they could go back and try again.

Reed has been nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, winning the Hugo in 2006 for his novella “A Billion Eves”. You can find more about Reed on his website, RobertReedWriting.com. Check out “Two Sams“. and let us know what you think.

Tags: Opinion, Reviews by Leo
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Photo courtesy offwhitehouse

There she was, in that skimpy bikini outfit, chained to keep her as a pet. You remember the scene - Princess Leia held by Jabba the Hutt in “Return of the Jedi”. That’s one level of fantasy in science fiction.

But Jim over at Auxiliary Memory is musing about the whole idea of science fiction in the first place. While we can’t really get into the heads of other species, what is is that gets ius dreaming about other worlds, other universes, other realities? The example above has in its roots a sexual component. But the Star Wars films themselves are a different motivation. What is it that gets us thinking about space?

I think a good portion of it is the fact that science fiction allows us to suspend disbelief completely. In historical fiction, procedurals, thrillers, there is a modicum of sticking to reality. Move into the realm of something made up and you are likely to lose a reader/viewer. But in science fiction and fantasy writing, anything is possible. Time travel, warp speed, cloaking, simulated gravity, flying dragons, sorcery - all are not only possible, but often necessary elements of good science fiction and fantasy stories.

I also believe that the need to understand the bigger picture is as great if not greater now than it was centuries ago. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Babylonians, et. al., created numerous deities to explain the mysteries of the world. Now, we understand a great deal more than our ancestors, but have just as many questions. We can’t find them here, so maybe they’re out there.

What do you think?

Tags: Opinion by Leo
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