Religious Orientation of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors

A few years back I was searching the internet at random and found a list which claimed to give the religions of science fiction and fantasy writers. I eagerly started to read--- and was disappointed to find out that instead of giving the author's current religious orientation, it simply listed their childhood faiths. As if that mattered in the least.

The nominal or former faith of a writer makes little difference to his current writing. Particularly if they came from families which rarely if ever attended religious services and didn't send their children to religious education classes. It's what they are currently that makes a difference, and is therefore of interest.

I suppose the list makers simply presumed that if you wrote science fiction and fantasy, your current religious orientation was some sort of secularism, perhaps atheism or agnosticism, or perhaps something even less defined than that.

Since I was a Norse Pagan at the time and was looking for writers that were some sort of Pagan, I was disappointed. Some of the writers that were rumored to be Pagan, in Pagan circles at least, were listed as Methodists and such based on what their parents were, at least in a nominal way. And at least one of the listed Pagans was buried as an Episcopalian.

Of course at that time, most Pagans who wrote didn't share that fact with the public. It was a time where the national media would refer to a Wiccan as a 'self-proclaimed witch' and presume that such a person was too loony and psychotic to be a juror or to have any other responsibility in society.

Even at the current time, there are writers one might suspect of hiding their religion, though these days Christianity is something likely to be hidden by writers who write for secular publishers. Just look at the outpouring of hate toward writer Orson Scott Card because of his continued loyalty to his Mormon faith, and you can see why some people feel the need to keep quiet.

But one's religious orientation profoundly affects the content of writing, most especially in science fiction and some fantasy. Because, let's face it, what 'religion' really amounts to is a shared opinion on the really important things, the cosmically important things. If any. And particularly in science fiction which often touches on the cosmically big things.

Let's take an example of a typical secular writer. All of his well-educated and knowledgeable characters are likely to have secular point-of-view, and any characters who are people of faith may be either insincere and villains, or they are uneducated people who don't matter to the story much. But that's not all. In a sweeping science fiction saga by such a writer, the turning point of the story might be something beloved of the secular-minded--- the evils of religions and their blind cult-like followers, or the adventure of pure-chance evolutionary changes (which often, in sci-fi, don't seem to help in the whole 'survival of the fittest' thing) or an alternate history in which Jesus Christ was a famous serial killer or a woman or where the early Christians believed in human sacrifice and cannibalism.

On the other hand, there are writers of the Christian faith. Contrary to popular belief, they don't reject 'science', or even, necessarily evolutionary theories. What is different is that the Christian believes that the universe as we know it is directed by an intelligent, purposeful power--- God. Though our understanding isn't always advanced enough to see that. There is also the firm belief is that God has powerful enemies--- the fallen angels, AKA demons--- and that these enemies are highly powerful in the human world while the friends of God are little respected. And a particularly important belief--- every human life--- and the life of a non-human intelligent alien--- has a high value, and so there are no casually expendable or unworthy grades of people whose lives don't matter.

These two viewpoints lead to different types of stories, and both kinds can be of interest to the reader, as can the many OTHER viewpoints that a writer might hold. And THAT is why I believe a list of the current religious orientation or belief systems of science fiction and fantasy authors would be of great interest. If only someone had the desire, and the access to information, to create it.

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Killing People with Science Fiction's Non-Lethal Weaponry

My first encounter with the concept of non-lethal weapons was the Star Trek phaser. You could set a phaser to stun, or you could set it to kill and seriously vaporize a guy.  

But even in the Star Trek universe phasers set to stun could go wrong and then you'd hear those immortal words, "He's dead, Jim."

How could that happen? Well, people differ in their physiology and state of health. It's like giving people sedatives. A dose that would subdue a raging NFL player might kill a little old lady with a heart condition. The same thing happens with any kind of stunning weapon. Force that can stun a strong person will kill other people.

In real-world efforts to create stunning weapons (such as tasers), that is a problem. No stunning weapon yet made that is effective enough to stop most people is harmless to all people, and fatalities have resulted. In addition, some experimental non-lethal weapons can cause permanent damage to a person.

In science fictional worlds, the fatal possibilities of a stunning weapon are enhanced if the weapon is also used on various types of aliens. No one stunning weapon can work on every possible type of alien without killing some of them routinely.

A stunning weapon with multiple settings might deal with this problem. You might have your team leaders order phaser setting 1 for alien race A, and phaser setting 2 for alien race B. That will help, a little. But there will still be the possibility of killing when you don't intend to, and so you can't really use your non-lethal weapon routinely on folks you absolutely cannot kill for some reason.

What about a non-lethal 'smart weapon'?  It would scan the oncoming target and know exactly how much 'ooomph' to give to the stunning weapon. This would work to keep your stunning weapon stun-only. But the other implications of the technology must not be ignored.

You cannot, for example, have your 'smart weapon' stunner render aliens unconscious with precision, drag the unconscious alien to the sickbay, and have your ship's doc complain he can make no sense of the alien's physiology. Your smart weapon has already made sense out of that alien physiology in seconds. You can not have mystery aliens if you have 100% accurate non-lethal smart weapons.

In addition to the problem of your non-lethal weapon killing when not intended, there is an equal and opposite problem. You fire a stunning weapon at some raging maniac, and he doesn't go down. This is a major problem with real-world non-lethal weapons, and a reason why they are popular with policemen working in groups--- where some can carry more lethal weapons--- than they are for the lone person needing self defense. The last thing a vulnerable person wants to do is to get an attacker madder by firing an ineffective stunning weapon at them.

Your science fiction crew will, therefore, need lethal force as a backup, as in the Star Trek phaser which could be set to stun or to kill. Unless they are absolute pacifists in which case they will regularly experience casualties because of that stand.

What about non-lethal magical weapons/spells in fantasy worlds? Realism dictates that the 100% effective stunning spell/weapon would be unlikely. Now, if you have a fantasy world where only a tiny caste of wizards can do magic at all you might decide they can stun their enemies accurately--- but likely other wizards can defend against it. If, however, in your magical world any schoolchild with a magic wand can yell 'stupefy!' in an attempt to stun people, it is realistic to portray this stunning effort as variable in effect. The untrained child-wizard with indifferent level of Gifts might not achieve stunning effect at all, or do so only briefly, while the more trained person can stun effectively and for a sufficient amount of time to accomplish the goal.

Back to science fiction. If non-lethal weapons are so problematic, why have them at all? One major reason is the need to subdue people on board starships. You do NOT want to fire pistols on board the Enterprise and get the equipment damaged from stray bullets and shrapnel. A stunning weapon might at first be developed for shipboard use, and then migrate outward for situations where stunning is the only effective approach.

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Hugh Howey, Indie Author Success Story

In the May/June issue of Writer's Digest, there is a most inspirational story about indie author Hugh Howey, who recently scored a triumph in getting a print-only deal from a book publisher, which allows him to continue to sell the book in e-book form himself.

The book in question, Wool, started out life as a short story Howey put out as an e-book. Readers demanded sequels, and in time the story turned into a novel and was selling over 20,000 e-book copies a month.

The first installment of Wool is available as a free e-book on Amazon.com. The omnibus edition of the whole thing is not that expensive, so I downloaded a copy for my Kindle.

The story is a sci-fi set in a grim future where humans live in a silo--- a large, contained habitat--- because the outside world is toxic. (If this was meant as an enviromentalist-extremist sermon, Howey wisely keeps that to himself.) The main characters of the story begin to suspect that they are not being told the truth about their world, but to know that can mark one for death by being put out in the toxic environment to clean the sensors.

The novel is not unflawed--- what novel is? My main suggestion for improvement is that the author should have cut down the word count in each scene to get rid of all the superfluous words and make the whole thing tighter. But the story is sufficiently compelling to overcome the problem of wordiness which is so often fatal to a work of fiction. 

I enjoy the novel so far. As for the Writer's Digest article, I found it very useful, and inspired my current effort to write short stories. I mean, if Howey can turn short stories into successful e-books, leading to successful novels and a major contract, why not me?

Watching Western Shows as Old as I Am

Lately I've been spending wasting a lot of time watching really old Western tv series on the Encore Western channel. Which is kind of a funny thing.

Although I'm told that as a tiny girl I was enthusiastic about the Roy Rogers show and wore a red cowboy hat, by the time in my childhood where I actually remember things I wasn't a Western fan. Which was sad because it was about the only thing on television in those days.

I remember the routine when my mom, dad and brother would be downstairs watching Gunsmoke or some such show, while I was upstairs in my parents' bedroom watching old movies or The Avengers on the small black-and-white tv.

There were a couple of Western shows I did have a use for back then: The Wild Wild West, Alias Smith and Jones, The Rifleman, and, of course, Star Trek. (Star Trek? Well, Gene Roddenberry did allegedly think of calling the show 'Wagon Train to the Stars')

But now the world of television has changed. Besides the reality TV horror, the dramatic shows that remain tend to not be aimed at general audiences, but only at angry Leftists who enjoy anti-conservative and anti-Christian hate worked into their entertainment. Like that Law & Order episode that accused conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilley of condoning the murder of babies born to illegal immigrants. (Anyone who's actually watched Beck or O'Reilley knows they are notoriously against baby-killing, even the legal kind.)

So I haven't got attracted to many current television dramas other than those in Korean (subtitled) on KBS America. And these old Westerns came as a very pleasant surprise.

The ones I have been watching lately include Have Gun, Will Travel, Wagon Train, Rawhide, and Marshal Dillon (later renamed Gunsmoke.) And one I hadn't heard of before, Lawman.

Lawman, the story of Marshal Dan Troop and his young deputy sidekick Johnny McKay, was an excellent half-hour show which ran from 1958-1962. It premiered October 5th, 1958, the very day I premiered was born.

I like to spend time in this different world in which preachers are the good guys and not the killers, where men are gallant enough to treat women like ladies even when they are only saloon girls (hookers).

And there is some similarity in storytelling values between these old Westerns and the original Star Trek, which is a story about humanity's expansion into space, like settlers from Back East expanded into the Western territories.

My current WIP, a spaceship-based SF story, is turning out to be that kind of Western-in-Space thing, and I'm encouraging it. I've even looked up an article on how to write Westerns, 'Writing Western Novels Requires Specific Rules'.  I think most of these rules are adaptable to the writing science fiction and fantasy as well, particularly if you write from a Christian perspective. They are:

1. Point of view is limited to one or at most two main characters.
2. Foul language is impermissible.
3. Excessive sexuality is not OK. The Western hero and his lady remain largely virtuous.

Another good point that authors of other genres might borrow is the fact that a Western male hero is a man's man, not a woman's fantasy of a perfect, sensitive mate. The Western hero doesn't spend hours talking about his feelings, or taking his gal on shopping trips to upgrade their wardrobes. He doesn't cook for her, do the dishes, or mind the baby while the gal goes out to climb a corporate ladder. He's a strong, silent type who'll put his life on the line to save the lives of those who are vulnerable.

Watching Western Shows as Old as I Am

Lately I've been spending wasting a lot of time watching really old Western tv series on the Encore Western channel. Which is kind of a funny thing.

Although I'm told that as a tiny girl I was enthusiastic about the Roy Rogers show and wore a red cowboy hat, by the time in my childhood where I actually remember things I wasn't a Western fan. Which was sad because it was about the only thing on television in those days.

I remember the routine when my mom, dad and brother would be downstairs watching Gunsmoke or some such show, while I was upstairs in my parents' bedroom watching old movies or The Avengers on the small black-and-white tv.

There were a couple of Western shows I did have a use for back then: The Wild Wild West, Alias Smith and Jones, The Rifleman, and, of course, Star Trek. (Star Trek? Well, Gene Roddenberry did allegedly think of calling the show 'Wagon Train to the Stars')

But now the world of television has changed. Besides the reality TV horror, the dramatic shows that remain tend to not be aimed at general audiences, but only at angry Leftists who enjoy anti-conservative and anti-Christian hate worked into their entertainment. Like that Law & Order episode that accused conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilley of condoning the murder of babies born to illegal immigrants. (Anyone who's actually watched Beck or O'Reilley knows they are notoriously against baby-killing, even the legal kind.)

So I haven't got attracted to many current television dramas other than those in Korean (subtitled) on KBS America. And these old Westerns came as a very pleasant surprise.

The ones I have been watching lately include Have Gun, Will Travel, Wagon Train, Rawhide, and Marshal Dillon (later renamed Gunsmoke.) And one I hadn't heard of before, Lawman.

Lawman, the story of Marshal Dan Troop and his young deputy sidekick Johnny McKay, was an excellent half-hour show which ran from 1958-1962. It premiered October 5th, 1958, the very day I premiered was born.

I like to spend time in this different world in which preachers are the good guys and not the killers, where men are gallant enough to treat women like ladies even when they are only saloon girls (hookers).

And there is some similarity in storytelling values between these old Westerns and the original Star Trek, which is a story about humanity's expansion into space, like settlers from Back East expanded into the Western territories.

My current WIP, a spaceship-based SF story, is turning out to be that kind of Western-in-Space thing, and I'm encouraging it. I've even looked up an article on how to write Westerns, 'Writing Western Novels Requires Specific Rules'.  I think most of these rules are adaptable to the writing science fiction and fantasy as well, particularly if you write from a Christian perspective. They are:

1. Point of view is limited to one or at most two main characters.
2. Foul language is impermissible.
3. Excessive sexuality is not OK. The Western hero and his lady remain largely virtuous.

Another good point that authors of other genres might borrow is the fact that a Western male hero is a man's man, not a woman's fantasy of a perfect, sensitive mate. The Western hero doesn't spend hours talking about his feelings, or taking his gal on shopping trips to upgrade their wardrobes. He doesn't cook for her, do the dishes, or mind the baby while the gal goes out to climb a corporate ladder. He's a strong, silent type who'll put his life on the line to save the lives of those who are vulnerable.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Reading Challenge: The Nebula Winners

The Nebula awards are given out each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for the best science fiction or fantasy fiction. In my own not-really-humble opinion, those who aspire to be science fiction or fantasy writers would do well to read award-winning fiction in their genre. And not just the old-time winners, but the more current ones.

It's especially important, I think, for Christian sci-fi and fantasy writers to be up with what is being awarded by the mainstream in our genre. It's not that we need to write ~just like~ the award-winning secular authors. It's that we need to know enough about it that our own fiction doesn't end up sounding like retro Buck Rogers stuff to secular sci-fi fans unless that's the effect we are going for....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'm challenging you with this list of Nebula winners. Copy-and-paste this book list and post it on your blog, with the ones you have read in bold-face, and perhaps a few words of comment about the book. Then come back here and make a comment that includes the link to that blog post. And if you haven't read any, now you have a list for when you pick out books the next time.

2012: Among Others by Jo Walton

2011: Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

2010: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

2009: Powers by Ursula K. Leguin

2008: The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon

2007: Seeker by Jack MeDevitt

2006: Camouflage by Joe Haldeman

2005: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

2004: The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

2003: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

2002: The Quantum Rose by Catherine Asaro

2001: Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear

2000: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

1999: Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman

1998: The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

So, how did YOU do?

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Outlining Collective Characters/Fantasy-SF Races

Chantho, alien chick, Doctor Who

In NORMAL fiction, you usually only need to outline the individual characters. You don't need to write yourself an essay on what the human race is, or a reminder that black people tend to have dark skin.

In fantasy or science fiction, however, you may have to deal with creating collective characters--- groups with common characteristics. Like elves, Vulcans, Timelords, hobbits, Buggers/Formics, hertasi and other fantasy/SF races.

You might also have a collective character that is a faction within a race/species/culture. Like the Death Eaters in Harry Potter.

What you do is you work up the collective character as if it were a single character. In the place where you'd put physical appearance, you put down the distinctive characteristics--- an insectoid race with a hive mind, a humanoid race with pointed ears..... For things like values, ambitions, story goal, you answer for the collective character as a group--- any individually important members of the group you will outline as an individual character, anyway.

If you are using the Snowflake Method, the steps that deal with characters are Step 3: Define Your Characters, Step 5: Write Character Sketches, and Step 7: Create Your Character Bible.

What I did--- since I have Asperger Syndrome and my brain is weird--- I wrote a free-form sort of Step 5 (for both collective and individual characters) and then went back to do Step 3, which has 7 sub-steps and is so more formal/organized. In time I will do Step 7 to expand on the important characters/races.

On organizing the result: I have a big binder which has sections for the worldbuilding--- one tab for 'Erileth' (name of my planet) and one for each of the five regions--- and sections for the 8 initial snowflake steps for the individual novel. For the collective characters/races, I will have to make 2 copies of my print-outs, one for the worldbuilding section and one for the individual novel's section.

Today I worked on the race known as the Gray Seekers. They all have gray skin, black hair and silver eyes.They all wear nearly identical white coveralls, are engaged in scientific research, and have the highest level of technology--- or magic--- of any race on Erileth.

Tomorrow I'm probably going to move on to the Sahchiro, who have dark brown skin, green hair in various shades, and golden eyes. They wear very short, colorful tunics and no underpants. They are warriors who live in high mountains. Their name for themselves means Eaters-of-Men, and their name for other people can be translated 'meat-that-walks'.

So--- what do YOU do to create and outline your fantasy or sci-fi races/cultures?

What is 'Space Opera'?

Space opera is a subtype of science fiction, characterized by melodramatic, romantic or adventure plots, and commonly set in space. There is no universe agreement on which works of science fiction qualify as space opera.

It started out as a disparaging term, an analogy for 'soap opera' for romance-oriented radio and television programs, and 'horse opera' for westerns.

Critics of space opera said that if you take away the spaceships and blasters and substitute horses and six-shooters, you'd have a western. In other words, the science fiction setting wasn't necessary to the story.

Like many disparaging terms, space opera is now used by fans of the subgenre. Some works commonly claimed for the space opera subgenre:

Orson Scott Card's Ender series
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series
Perry Rhodan series
Star Trek
Star Wars
Battlestar Galactica
Babylon 5
Stargate
Andromeda
Firefly
Buck Rogers
Flash Gordon
Doctor Who
Space 1999

There is also a list of 'space opera media' at Wikipedia

I am a big fan of space opera. I think it has better characterization and more compelling plots than much hard science fiction, where the science comes first and if the characters turn out to be made of solid cardboard, so be it.

What do you think about space opera? Which space opera media do you enjoy? Enquiring minds want to know!

Science Fiction Fanatics for Sarah

Like science fiction? Like Sarah Palin? Then join the new group Science Fiction Fanatics for Sarah at Team Sarah.

My mother and I were so inspired by Sarah Palin since she was announced as the VP pick. (If only she was equally inspired by science fiction--- though she does think David Tennant of Doctor Who is cute.)

Anyway, if you feel likewise consider joining Science Fiction Fanatics for Sarah because it needs members bad.

Blog Review: The Sci-Fi Catholic

The Sci-Fi Catholic is a blog dedicated to sci-fi, fantasy and manga. It's written by D. G. D. Davidson, who has more initials than your average blogger, and his co-bloggers Snuffles the Dragon and Lucky the Goldfish. Read more....

Science Fiction as Fantasy

Science fiction, we often believe, is realistic fiction projected on to the future, while fantasy is the home of unrealism, mind-speaking horses, and men magically transformed to cats.

But science fiction is also considered to be a sub-set of the fantasy genre. The difference between science fiction and other types of fantasy is that the fantastic elements are seen as yet-unknown forms of science. One example of this is faster-than-light travel. In the current state of science, it is considered that FTL travel is impossible. We might someday discover some other science that gets around it, but until that happens, a spaceship that can travel faster than light is as fantastical as Harry Potter's magic wand.

In fantasy fiction, magic cannot simply solve every problem. There is the price of magic--- it may require years of training, or exotic ingredients, or energy from the wizard's body.

One must use the 'magic' in science fiction--- the future science--- in the same way. It must not easily solve all our hero's problems or there is no story. For example, it may be nifty to have a matter transporter device. But you must consider what the costs of using it are. Does it use up loads of energy --- the amount needed to power a spaceship or a city? Or does it have limited range? Is it subject to interference from various sources? Is it liable to kill you on a bad day? A matter transporter device that works for the hero sometimes but not all the time is a great way to get him into dramatic trouble and leave him to fight his own way out.

A Writing Exercise: Re-imagine a favorite fantasy novel as science fiction. For example, Frodo has, not a magic ring, but a weapon of mass destruction that must be disposed of. The Ring-wraiths are men with computer chips in their heads, controlling their behavior and enabling them to track Frodo. Swords and arrows are replaced by blasters and stun-guns.

Or: re-imagine a science fiction story as traditional fantasy: in the movie Gattaca, the genetic engineering is done by wizards, and the main character uses black-market magical devices to be able to pose as a 'Valid'.