Religious Science Fiction - External Resources

This page provides some reference to selected external resources: books and selected external web sites helpful in the study of religious sf/f. The list of religious science fiction/fantasy anthologies provided here is fairly extensive. The list of novels, however, only includes selected, major works of this sub-genre. See also: Science Fiction Featuring Various Specific Religions.

Anthologies of Religious Science Fiction/Fantasy

• Flame Tree Planet ed. Roger Elwood (Concordia, 1973). Featuring an introduction and essay by Roger Lovin, and stories by Lovin, George H. Smith, Raylyn Moore, Dean R. Koontz, Clancy O'Brien, Leigh Brackett, Raymond F. Jones, Gail Kimberly, Barry N. Malzberg, and Thomas N. Scortia.

• Chronicles of a Comer and Other Religious Science Fiction Stories, ed. Roger Elwood (John Knox Press, 1974). Featuring stories by Poul Anderson, Edward D. Hoch, Joan C. Holly, Philip Jose Farmer, K. M. O'Donnell and Ray Bradbury.

• Other Worlds, Other Gods, ed. Mayo Mohs (Doubleday, 1971). Featuring an introduction and essay by Mohs, and stories by Nelson S. Bond, Henry Kuttner, Lee Sutton, Winston P. Sanders, Philip Jose Farmer, Arthur C. Clarke, John Brunner, John Brunner, Anthony Boucher, Lester del Rey, Damon Knight and Bradbury.

• Strange Gods ed. Roger Elwood (Pocket, Sep '74). Stories by George Zebrowski, J. F. Bone, K. M. O'Donnell, William K. Grasty, Terry Dixon, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Barry N. Malzberg, Kidd, Lloyd Biggle, Jr., Elwood, James Howard, John B. Thomas and Richard A. Lupoff.

• Wandering Stars, ed. Jack M. Dann (Harper & Row, 1974). Jewish science fiction. Featuring stories by Asimov, Davidson, Carr, Silverberg, Horace L. Gold, Pamela Sargent, Bernard Malamud, Sheckley, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Ellison and Tim Kirk.

• More Wandering Stars, ed. Jack M. Dann (Doubleday, 1981). Jewish science fiction. Featuring stories by Asimov, Gotlieb, Malzberg, Gold, Mel Gilden, Harvey Jacobs, Hugh Nissenson, Singer, Haldeman, Woody Allen, Cynthia Ozick, Dann, Howard Schwartz, Ellison and Dozois.

• The New Awareness: Religion Through Science Fiction, ed. Martin H. Greenberg and Patricia S. Warrick (1982). Stories by Sturgeon, Zelazny and others.

• Perpetual Light, ed. Alan Ryan (New York: Warner Books, 1982). Stories by Silverberg, Tanith Lee, Daniel Gilbert, Lafferty, Richard Bowker, Alan Dean Foster, Steve Rasnic Tem, F. Paul Wilson, Joel Rosenberg, Gregg Keizer, Frank Ward, Hilbert Schenck, Nicholas Yermakov, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, Mel Gilden, Gregory Benford, Craig Shaw Gardner, Shariann Lewitt, Damien Broderick, Suzette Haden Elgin, Alan Ryan, Charles L. Grant and Brian Aldiss.

• LDSF: Science Fiction by and for Mormons, ed. Scott Smith and Vickie Smith (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Millennial Productions, 1982). Stories by Abbott, Absher, Bentley, Collings, Duncan, Evenson, Gillum, Hurst, Lacoe, Lankin, Littke, Newell, Reeve, Stephen Scott, Urrutia, and Vestal.

• LDSF 2: Latter-Day Science Fiction, ed. Benjamin Urrutia (Ludlow, Massachusetts: Parables, 1985). Stories by Graffam, Haddad, Hagios, Lacoe, Menashy, Mykals, Shunn, Scott S. Smith, Straubhaar, and Weyland.

• LDSF 3: Latter-Day Science Fiction, ed. Benjamin Urrutia (Ludlow, Massachusetts: Parables, 1987). Stories by Bates, Card, Collings, Cutler, Gillum, Heimerdinger, Lacoe, Salmon, Scott S. Smith, Tilton, Urrutia, Weyland, James L. Wright Jr., and Bruce Young.

• Sacred Visions, ed. Andrew M. Greeley & Michael Cassutt (Tor, 1991). Catholic science fiction. Featuring stories by James Blish, Jack McDevitt, Robert Silverberg, Michael Cassutt, Nancy Kress, James Patrick Kelly, Jeff Duntemann, Gene Wolfe, Boucher, Greeley, Walter M. Miller Jr., and R. A. Lafferty.

• Washed by a Wave of Wind, ed. M. Shayne Bell (Signature Books, 1994). Latter-day Saint/Utah science fiction. Featuring essay by Barbara Hume, and stories by Dave Wolverton, Nicita, Fogg, Cummings, Bell, Diana Lofgran Hoffman, Shunn, M. W. Worthen, Diann Thornley, Gifford, Dalton-Woodbury, Virginia Ellen Baker, Harmon, Boyer, Doering, Glenn L. Anderson, Lyn Worthen, Bezzant, Pendleton and Orson Scott Card.

• Divine Realms, ed. Susan MacGregor (Turnstone Press, 1998). Canadian spiritual, religious sf/f. Stories by Diane Walton, Jason Kapalka, Donna Farley, Peter Watts, Van Begamudre, Jena Snyder, Erik J. Spigel, Brent Buckner, Allan Lowson, Louise Marley, Ursula Pflug, Claude-Michel Prevost, Sandra K. Riedel, Keith Scott, Steve Stanton, Mary Woodbury, and MacGregor

• God: An Anthology of Fiction, ed. Stephen Hayward and Sarah Lefanu. Short stories (not necessarily s.f.) from authors with religious backgrounds incl. Zoroastrian, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, others. Authors include Maureen Duffy, Allan Gurganus, Joyce Carol Oates, Michele Roberts, James Morrow, David Plante, John Wakeman, Bapsi Sidhwa, and many others.

• Jewish Sci-Fi Stories for Kids, ed. (Pitspopany Press, 1999), ed. Rivka Lisa Perel. Stories by Stephanie Burgis; Eliot Fintushel; Miriam Baskin; Dan Pearlman; Mark Blackman.

• Devil Worshipers, ed. Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh (DAW, 1990). Stories by McSherry, Bloch, Asimov, Boucher, Cartmill, Derleth, Gibbon, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hoch, C. M. Kornbluth, Murray Leinster, Price, Quinn, Wellman, Yarbro, Beaumont.

• an anthology, ed. Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh (DAW, 1990). Includes fantasy, sf, and horror. Stories by McSherry, Silverberg, Charteris, Dozois, E.K. Harris, Hoch, Jonas, Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, Wagner, Wellen, H. G. Wells, Sturgeon.

It is interesting to note that many authors have fiction which appears in more than one of these religiously-oriented anthologies. Boucher and Silverberg have the most: their work appears in four anthologies each. Asimov, Card, Hoch, Lacoe, and Malzberg all have work which appears in three of these anthologies. These may be authors with more particular interest in writing about religious topics.

Works of Commentary and Literary Criticism about Religious SF/F

• "A Better Country": The Worlds of Religious Fantasy and Science Fiction - by Martha C. Sammons (Greenwood Press, 1988). Focuses primarily on Christian fantasy via criticism/commentary by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton

• In the Image of God: Theme, Characterization, and Landscape in the Fiction of Orson Scott Card - by Michael R. Collings (Greenwood Press, 1990)
• C. S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller - by Beatrice Gormley
• C. S. Lewis The Man & His Message - by various Latter-day Saint writers including Neal A. Maxwell, Daniel K. Judd, Brent L. Top and others
• Glorificemus: A Study of the Fiction of Walter M. Miller, Jr. by Rose Secrest (University Press of America, 2002)

Some Major Religious-themed Novels

"Religious science fiction" is a sub-genre in the speculative fiction genre which includes fiction in which explicitly religious topics such as organized religion, God, life after death, etc. are major thematic elements.

The following books are some of the major works of religious science fiction. They represent a variety of viewpoints, from atheistic to devoutly religious.

Source: Much of this list comes from the "Religion / Theology / Gods / Faith" theme page, part of the "Themes in Science Fiction and Fantasy" section at SciFan, by Jim Harris and Olivier Travers.

General Essays and Lists of Science Fiction Dealing with Religious Themes

• Science Fiction/Fantasy Authors of Various Faiths

• Religion in Science Fiction course at course at Butler University
• Theology and Religion in Science Fiction - Large, categorized list of science fiction literature dealing explicitly with various religions and religious themes. Part of the "If You Like This, Then You'll Like That" page in the "Ultimate SF Table of Contents" web site.
• Themes in Science Fiction - By Kay Fowler. Includes a large list of works with explicit treatment of Religion/Theology themes.
• Fiction About Religions - list of links to quality bibliographcal lists for a variety of religious groups (Waterboro Public Library, Maine)

• Orson Scott Card on Religion in SF/F
• Aslan's Kin: Interfaith Fantasy and Science Fiction
• Some Thoughts on Ethics and Science Fiction - by Ross Pavlac
• Telescopes and Prayer - by Mary Doria Russell
• Science and Theological Imagination in Science Fiction - from the John Templeton Foundation
• The Sociology of Science Fiction - in Science Fiction Studies (academic journal)
• Religious Futures Bibliography
• Reflections on C.S. Lewis
• Dante's vs. Pournelle's Inferno
• Religion In SF Books and Movies and The Future of Religion - Panel discussions from LA Con '96.
• Creating New Religions in Science Fiction - article by Steven Savage
• "Are popular genres escapist means of defying the injustices of life?" - by Taetia Zysshe
• Theological Themes in Science Fiction - by Anitra L. Freeman
• Science, Religion and the Science Fiction Idea, Or, Where Would We Be Without Hitler? - by Barrington J. Bayley. Good critique of science fiction as a religion.
• Religions of Star Trek - forthcoming book by Ross Kraemer, William Cassidy and Susan Schwartz
• Review of Trekkies - Star Trek fans as a sociocultural/religious group
• Futures for Sale - essay by Thomas C. Smedley about Christianity, religion and science fiction.
• Religions for a Galactic Civilization - by William Sims Bainbridge, Nineteenth Goddard Memorial Symposium of the American Astronautical Society
• Church of All Worlds Basic Bibliography
• Religious Fiction Books - Resource at the University of Maryland
• Expressing the Infinite: Pro-Religion and Anti-Religion in SF - panel discussion
• The Nature of Science Fiction and Its Relation to Religion
• Comics and Religion Bibliography

Christian

• Peter Edman's List of Christian Writers of Speculative Fiction - a list of many Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant science fiction/fantasy writers
• Jay Carper's "Science Fiction Writers of Christianity" - Another list of Christian science fiction authors. This list includes Protestants only. The list has no Catholic, Orthodox, Latter-day Saint, or other non-Protestant Christian authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Gene Wolfe, Simak, Walter M. Miller Jr., Chesterton, Greeley, Card, etc.
• M. Joseph Young's Christian Game Designers, Writers, and Publishers
• Explicitly Christian science fiction works
• Christian Guide to Fantasy - excellent and inclusive site
• Xianwordview - reviews of science fiction and fantasy from a Christian perspective
• Catholic Science Fiction Bibliography
• Orson Scott Card on Religion in SF/F
• Signs from Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Understanding of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) - discusses UFOs and general philosophy of science fiction
• The World Network of Religious Futurists has a Christian Futures focus page with some material on Christian science fiction.
• Challenges for Christian thinking from science fiction - University of Nottingham (Graduate Christian Fellowship)
• Christianity In the Science Fiction of "Cordwainer Smith" - by James B. Jordan
• Bibliography of Latter-day Saint Speculative Fiction - Parkin's extensive bibliography of hundreds of novels, stories, etc. by Latter-day Saint authors (science fiction, fantasy, and horror)
• Christians in SF - message board discussion
• LaHaye and Jenkins' Indwelling Number 1 on New York Times best-seller list

Jewish

• An extensive resource on Jewish science fiction and Jewish SF writers can be found in the Magic Dragon Ultimate SF Web Guide's Israel and Jewish Science Fiction section, along with some essays.

• The Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy web page lists science fiction/fantasy stories and novels about Jews, regardless of who the author is. But many of the authors are Jewish.

• Jewish Comics - A Select Bibliography

Muslim/Islam

• Von Aurum's Islam in Sci-fi - Excellent resource. Sections include: Islam in Sci-fi Literature; Islam in Sci-fi Movies; Sci-fi by Muslims; Islam in Alternative History Genre; Original Works of Fiction.