Christian science fiction 4767788 220558797 2008-06-20T13:05:11Z 71.211.25.21 /* External links */ {{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}{{POV|date=January 2008}} '''Christian science fiction''' is a subgenre of [[science fiction]], in which there are strong [[Christian]] themes, or which are written from a Christian point of view. As with most forms of [[Christian literature]] the boundaries are not clearly defined. A Christian theme may be subtle, expressed by way of analogy, or more explicit. Some Christian writers do not always write with Christian themes to the fore. Others, while writing to entertain, may have explicit presentations of the gospel included in their stories. Christian science fiction can also fall under the broader subgenre of [[Spiritual science fiction]]. As with all [[science fiction]], the boundaries with other genres may blur, with elements of [[fantasy]] present in some cases. Others, such as the stories by [[Richard J. Sutcliffe]] are [[alternate history]]. Christian bookstores, like some of their secular counterparts are often unsure how to deal with such stories, and may shelve what few they carry under the rather generic and somewhat unhelpful label "futuristic literature". The key to classifying [[speculative literature]] as [[science fiction]] is whether the plot depends on some aspect of science or technology, that is, whether the "science" aspects constitute a major character without which the plot would fall apart. Lacking this characteristic, some other genre tag might be more appropriate. ==Examples== * The ''[[Space Trilogy]]'' by [[C.S. Lewis]] *''[[Norstrilia]]'' by [[Cordwainer Smith]] *[[R. A. Lafferty]] *[[Stephen R Lawhead]] *[[Madeleine L'Engle]] *[[Richard J. Sutcliffe]] *[[Gene Wolfe]] *[[Kathy Tyers]] *[[Karen Hancock]] *[[Jeffrey A. Carver]] [[Philip K. Dick]] was a convert to the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]] ([[Church of England|Part of the Anglican Communion]]). Many of his novels and short stories combine religious themes with science fiction, most explicitly in the books from ''[[VALIS]]'' onward. The ''[[Left Behind]]'' series by [[Tim LaHaye]] could also be considered Christian science fiction, though the emphasis is on Christian prophecy in the future rather than scientific advance, and so a better term for this series may be "future-history fantasy" or "apocalyptic fantasy". Christianity is also examined in other science fiction, sometimes from a sympathetic point of view and sometimes not. Examples of this include ''A Case of Conscience'' by [[James Blish]] and ''[[The Mote in God's Eye]]'' by [[Larry Niven]] and [[Jerry Pournelle]], set in the [[CoDominium]] universe. ==See also== * [[List of Catholic authors#Science Fiction & Fantasy|List of Catholic Science Fiction and Fantasy authors]] * [[List of Protestant authors#Science fiction and Fantasy|List of Protestant Science Fiction and Fantasy authors]] * [[Religious ideas in science fiction]] * [[Spiritual science fiction]] ===External links=== * [http://www.christianscifi.com ChristianSciFi ]- A portal site for Christian Science Fiction * [http://www.swcp.com/christian-fandom/ Christian Fandom Home Page] Nondenominational fellowship of fans interested in fair, accurate representation of orthodox Christian viewpoints with an emphasis on science fiction and fantasy (includes horror and western genres as well). * [http://www.wherethemapends.com Where the Map Ends] Premier site for all genres of Christian speculative fiction; includes massive Booklist, interviews, and writer's helps. * [http://marcherlordpress.com Marcher Lord Press] Publishing company dedicated to producing full-length Christian science fiction and fantasy novels (print books, not e-books). [[Category:Science fiction genres]] [[Category:Political fiction]] [[Category:christian art]] [[Category:Religion in science fiction]]