Best science fiction books for christians according to redditors
We found 155 Reddit comments discussing the best science fiction books for christians. We ranked the 47 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Use of Weapons and, everything else by Iain M. Banks. Amazing stuff. Trust me.
The Blade Itself and the rest of that series by Joe Abercrombie.
Altered Carbon and the rest of that series as well as Thirteen and The Steel Remains, and it's sequel (still waiting on book 3) by Richard K. Morgan. He's pretty amazing.
That would keep you busy for a long time and are all pretty amazing. Seconding Dune, which is amazing, and the Name of the Wind which is great but very popcorn.
But really, if you were to read everything by Iain M. Banks you would be a better person.
Edit: The Sparrow
The Great Divorce is one of my favorite books of all time, Lewis really had a insightful understanding of sin, and how temptation works on a person. Have you read his space trilogy? In the second book, Perelandra, he tells the story of Eve's temptation with such gripping detail I found it difficult to read, it was almost too real, too tragic. I highly recommend the whole series.
> In the biblical view, all the souls of the dead congregate in a grim place called Sheol.
There is neither reward nor punishment. It is not unlike the Greek realm of Hades, and it
likely influenced the Christian concept of Limbo. In rabbinic lore, Sheol was replaced by
Gehenna, a place of punishment for the souls of sinners, which combines elements of
both purgatory and hell. It was the widespread rabbinic belief that only a few souls went
directly to Paradise after death. The majority went to Gehenna where they burned in the
fires of hell and were punished with fiery lashes by avenging angels for up to one year. In
the Zohar these fires of hell are identified as a person’s own burning passions and desires,
which consume him. These punishments are just as severe as those portrayed in Dante’s
Inferno, but—in contrast to the Christian concept of hell—the purified souls are released
from Gehenna and permitted to make a slow ascent into Paradise. For this reason it could
be argued that Jewish hell is more like the Christian concept of purgatory than hell, and
some take the position that the inevitable release from Gehenna means there is no Jewish
concept of hell at all, but, instead, a stage of punishment that purifies the soul before it
ascends on high. However, the descriptions of the punishments of Gehenna are so extensive,
and the fear of these punishments among the living was so widespread, that it
seems more accurate to simply describe Gehenna as “Jewish hell.”
> Many of the myths of Gehenna simply enumerate the punishments found there. Others
attempt to map out the dimensions of Gehenna, and to point out where its entrances
can be found. Over time, an elaborate mythology about Gehenna accrued, much as did
the mythology about heaven. Many new details emerged, such as the role of Duma, the
angel in charge of Gehenna, or the presence of a guard outside Gehenna who only admits
those for whom punishment has been decreed. Reports are found about visits to Gehenna
by several great rabbis, as well as accounts about how all punishments in Gehenna cease
during the Sabbath. One learns that there is a whole category of avenging angels who
deliver punishments to the sinners in Gehenna. These fearsome angels chase after the
souls of newly deceased sinners with fiery rods, and when these angels catch the sinners,
they drag them to Gehenna to face their punishments.
> Thus the role of the punishment of hell in Judaism is a transitional one, part of a larger
myth about sin and redemption, in which virtually everyone’s soul is eventually purified
enough to escape further punishment. In this it is in stark contrast to the Christian
view that the punishments of hell are eternal.
My wife, a librarian, buys all the fiction for the public library she works for. With her input, I can attest that Amish Fantasy Romance is the ass-end of literature.
Edit: I'm neurotic.
The Sparrow.
Thanks so much for putting this together! So much great info came out of this con!!
*possible spoiler - do not click on link below if you don’t want to know a big picture possibility about where the show may be headed***
For those interested, a fan overheard the book that JRoth apparently gave to Bob for season 6 and it is this.
I really liked The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It may not be what you're looking for because 1) the story involves humans making contact with aliens on their planet, rather than the other way 'round and 2) the outreach mission is run by the Jesuits, so the initial motivation for contact is religious as well as scientific, and so discussion of religious issues arises here and there.
All of that aside, it's a great book and it really gets at the assumptions we tend to make about alien life. The characters in the book make a lot of assumptions about the aliens, and the results are shocking and unexpected. It's more about change on individual level, rather than societal - but definitely worth a read.
The Catholic Church figures pretty heavily into the story, but doesn't come out looking all that great. It's not really a "pro-organized religion" sort of book.
Because of you, I found this. I feel it could be more popular than Twilight given time.
First off, I got what looks to be some great books from my match. I got Perdido Street Station, Hyperion, The Sparrow, The Little Country, and American Gods. I have never read nor heard of these titles, but I'm excited to start reading them.
Now for the best part. My match sent me an original manuscript for a novel they wrote. How awesome is that? They also included a short story (a side story to the novel) that includes me as a character. I can honestly say that this is one of the best things I've ever received! I think I'll start with the novel first.
http://imgur.com/xVFbm
*update: Thanks for all of the encouraging posts! It seems that I really struck gold on this exchange. I sent a little reddit gold love to my SS for the wonderful gift. It's such a great collection that I feel like the books I sent to my match are woefully inadequate.
What you're asking about more or less relates to Jewish midrash. It's not really possible to detail all Jewish midrash in a single comment. If you're interested though, Legends of the Jews by Rabbi Louis Ginsberg is a compilation of some Jewish midrash arranged to the chronology of the Hebrew Bible. I also always recommend the book Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism by Howard Schwartz. There are a lot of stories in Tree of Soul which I particularly enjoy.
Lilith's Brood, by Octavia Butler, previously published as The Xenogenesis Trilogy. Excellent sf!
ETA: The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell. I know I keep mentioning this book, but it's that good!
You should read The Sparrow by M.D. Russel. The book makes you think about self preservation of an ecosystem, not just a type of animal or plant.
I know that there are sci-fi novels that deal with this, but I can't recall any at the moment except for The Sparrow.
EDIT: formatting and fixed link
Only 3 hours and 26 minutes in total, according to the schedules:
Episode | Date | Broadcast at| Length
:---:|:---:|:----:|----
1 | 22/12 | 23:00 | 30 mins
2 | 22/12 | 23:30 | 30 mins
3 | 23/12 | 23:30 | 30 mins
4 | 25/12 | 23:30 | 30 mins
5 | 26/12 | 23:27 | 28 mins
6 | 27/12 | 14:30 | 60 mins
^ Actually 28 minutes due to the 11 o'clock news summary not being factored in.
The CD version will be released on 15th January "with bonus length episodes and outtakes" (but it doesn't say how much bonus length there will be).
Don't you mean Amish Vampires in Space?
Robert Graves: The Greek Myths
Or A Case of Conscience (1958), Hugo Award winning book by James Blish, which is about the aftermath of a failed Jesuit mission sent to a newly-discovered alien society.
Second.
I agree, definitely one of the most intellectually stimulating reads. Also, its not as good as the original, but there's also a sequel The Religion War. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0740747886/noname apparently that one isn't free yet)
Edith Hamilton is always a good primer, though you should realize she sanitizes the source http://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Edith-Hamilton-ebook/dp/B00852YXU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414360728&sr=8-1&keywords=edith+hamilton Still, not a bad option, my Mythology class in College used this book.
Robert Graves is also a decent introduction: http://www.amazon.com/The-Greek-Myths-Complete-Edition/dp/0140171991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414360818&sr=8-2&keywords=Robert+Graves+Greek+Myths
Finally, you can't go wrong with Bullfinch http://www.amazon.com/Bulfinchs-Mythology-Modern-Library-Bulfinch-ebook/dp/B000FC1H50/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414360874&sr=1-1&keywords=bullfinch%27s+mythology Even my grandmother, who was off-the-boat from Greece had a copy of Bullfinch's Mythology.
There are other books, of course, but these should give you a good starting point.
I am curious to see any other suggestions. My library could use a refresh. ;-)
Longevity is not immortality. What Kurzweil posits is amazing, and may happen - but isn't biblical immortality. You could be three thousand years old and still get eaten by a bear. Your "upload" could crash and burn somehow. It is, in a word, artificial. I'm all for it, on some level, and it may even be in accord with the Isaiah promise that "the one who dies at a hundred will be considered a mere youth, and the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed," but it isn't the same thing as RESURRECTION - physical and spiritual immortality, accompanied by the re-creation of all things.
Edit: the futurist vision of Kurzweil could also have a nasty turn to it - read C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength.
My favorite: Tree of Souls. A detailed encyclopedia of Jewish/Hebrew/Israelite mythology and folklore, with sources and arguments.
It's real.
You might like The Sparrow
I found it really compelling and thought provoking (though very dark at times!). It was a good balance of scifi and theology/philosophy.
The BBC have released a CD.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Omens-Radio-dramatisation-Dramatisations/dp/1910281913/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421009391&sr=8-1&keywords=good+omens
Jesus did not just take on a human shape when he came to earth - he became fully human. He is still fully human. A human cannot simply discard their flesh, because flesh is an essential component to humanity. In order to be human still, he must have flesh still.
>If he were to appear to another species elsewhere in the universe presumably he would use a body from their species...right?
There is no evidence that he ever does this, and so to comment on it would be pure speculation. However, if you want speculation on that very issue, check out C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, specifically the second book, Perelandra. Essentially the thrust is that by becoming a man, the Lord forever marked man as the high mark of creation, and that anyone who knows the Lord would recognize that.
Something similar, fictionally, is The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. She's an anthropologist, and the novel's contents are germane to your question (so as not to spoil anything). There's a sequel novel too but I haven't read it.
Sounds like this might be it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S1LS7K?btkr=1
>a God-given breakthrough in engine design allows a 20-year-old religious cult, the Fellowship of the Faithful, to launch a spacecraft, Rising Savior, from the town of Christ's Home, Calif. In two years, the Faithful achieve a near-monopoly on space, threatened only by a counter-cult of blood-sacrificing Luciferians led by Manuel Crow, a former funeral parlor magnate who has "served the master of the underworld" for the same two decades. To escape Crow and the thousand-year Satanic reign he's engineering from his seat in Congress, Faithful leader Ira Breitling shepherds his flock to Planet America, where they battle for humanity's very soul.
If I may add an extra layer to your observation: This book is about a group of people who find themselves in a first contact scenario based on a signal received at the Arecibo array. The book's title? The Sparrow.
I highly, highly recommend it - some of the most emotional sci-fi I've ever read.
How about both?
http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Vampires-Space-Kerry-Nietz/dp/1940163048
Well . . . if you're looking at a book simply as a collection of text, I too have never feared a line of text. What books allow, is a slow building of fear that require quite a bit of character development. I don't read horror novels waiting to be frightened, and truthfully read very little horror. The fear just happens. To be honest, it's a different type of fear - more of an uneasy feeling really. Certainly, a book can't have, what my son calls, "The scary jump out scenes". But if we exchange the term fear with edgy, here are a list of my favorite books with an "Edge":
[The Passage] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Passage-Novel-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345528174)
[The Terror] (http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/0316008079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404481514&sr=1-1&keywords=terror)
The Stand
Carrion Comfort
Desperation
I am Legend
The Sparrow
Night
Frankenstein
All Quite on the Western Front
Hunger
Blood Meridian
Watchers
The Minus Man
In no particular order - Not the usual suggestions either. Hope it helps, and happy reading!
First think that came to mind for me was Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. Really quality stuff.
From Amazon (SPOILER ALERT): In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question the meaning of being "human." When the lone survivor of the expedition, Emilio Sandoz, returns to Earth in 2059, he will try to explain what went wrong... Words like "provocative" and "compelling" will come to mind as you read this shocking novel about first contact with a race that creates music akin to both poetry and prayer.
Robert Graves' 2 volume The Greek Myths is comprehensive, but there's a catch: Graves has arranged and chosen his version of the myths in order to facilitate a kind of narrative continuity that's not particularly true to the way that the Greeks understood their myths. Karl Kerenyi and Carl Kerenyi's The Greek Gods and The Greek Heroes are closer to the source material, and will give you a better sense of the variety and disagreements involved. Ultimately, though, it's a matter of preference: Do you want narrative sweep, or fidelity to tradition?
Alternately, you could go back to the sources themselves. Ovid's Metamorphoses is basically a treasury of Greco-Roman myth. Again, there's a catch: Ovid's theme is that of things transforming into something else (hence the title), so there's a definite bias in favor of myths that suit that motif. That said, Ovid is also as close as you're going to get to the original form of a lot of Greco-Roman myths, so it's hard to go wrong there.
If you really want to do some heavy lifting on the Greco-Roman myths, get a copy of Pausanius' Guide to Greece, Vol. I and Vol. II. This is basically a travelogue of Greece, written for the Roman Emperor, and it lists in detail most of the locations associated with Greek myths and legends, and gives some detail on most of the lesser known ones. There's a lot to sift through here, and you'll probably want to have an Atlas of the Ancient World on hand to get a sense of where he's talking about at any given time, so I definitely don't recommend starting out here, but if you're looking for really in-depth source material, this is the place to go.
For the Norse myths, there's the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, as well as a slew of sagas that are worth looking into. On of the most famous is certainly The Nibelungenlied, on which Wagner based his [Ring Cycle]() (you know, "Ride of the Valkyries," and all that), which was the basis for much of Lord of the Rings. Personally, my favorite of the sagas I've read so far is the Volsungs.
For the Sumerians, the obvious starting point is Gilgamesh. Our sources are pretty fragmented, and there are editions that reflect that fragmentation, but for pure readability, I suggest the Herbert Mason retelling. Or, if you're really into it, get both and compare. The go-to author for Sumerian myth and religion in general is Samuel Noah Kramer; his book Sumerian Mythology is as good a general survey as you're likely to find, particularly if you're interested in the archeological method behind our knowledge of the Sumerians.
What else? For the Egyptians, E. A. Budge is your man. Dover Books in general has a good series of older, public domain works on mythology, including books on Japanese and Chinese mythology. I wish I had some sources to give you on meso-American or African myth, but those are areas of inquiry I'm just delving into myself. But then, you're probably overwhelmed as it is.
Good luck.
http://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0449912558
The Sparrow. Possibly my favorite book of all time. There is a sequel as well, Children of God.
Take a look at the book The Sparrow
I really enjoyed The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Here is a partial reading list I'd recommend to anyone hoping to make themselves more critical and rational in their understanding of the world.
Normally, I dislike lists without some explanation for each element; lists without reasons are boring. But I hope the links here will help stand for what would otherwise be somewhat lengthy descriptions of these works and their value to developing a really comprehensive personal epistemology.
Once you've gotten through those, you'll have a really dense and textured appreciation for the world, I think. Real think-food, those books are.
Hope you enjoy them!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396116677&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sparrow
"The Sparrow: A Novel"
by Mary Doria Russell
They've released updated canon paperbacks of the original OT novelizations, but not for the PT. That'll probably happen soon though.
A New Hope
Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
EDIT: By updated I mean updated to reflect the current canon. Fixed character descriptions, ship sizes, added references to Scarif, etc..
Modern: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
It always surprises me how The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell has slipped under the radar of many. It's intense in places but extraordinarily well-written. It has a sequel that's not nearly as good (probably due to a publisher urging a rush job), but overall this is an amazing book. It's my number one favorite book, not just sci-fi book, for a variety of reasons. Very thoughtful, very vivid characters, very interesting descriptive detail. So realistic in places it almost doesn't feel like sci-fi.
I enjoyed Ascent by Jed Mercurio a lot. The opening chapter is more violent than I wish. I almost stopped reading, worrying the whole book would be that way, but it lightens up. The first chapter can, frankly, pretty much be skipped by anyone who doesn't like that kind of thing. The rest of the story was much more even and interesting. I have a feeling when I see the upcoming Apollo 18, if I even bother (I'm expecting bad reviews), I'm going to wish it was this story instead.
Hey Lena :) Thanks for saying that, Costa didn't understand when I told him, but i'll thnak you on his behalf hehe.
Book wise, that would have to be Mortal Engines - the concept of cities moving over the ground and 'eating' other smaller cities is a fantastic concept, and really lets you think about what an alternative universe could be like! Whilst it might be a kids book, I loved it.
How about yourself, what was your last great book?
Judgement Day by James David.
Pretty awful stuff, and I don't often get ahold of books that make me say that. The premise was okay; Christian group receives God given space travel technology in order to find a new planet. The forces of evil attempt to block them using politics, media, and military.
What made the book suck was how terrible the protagonists were as human beings, and how poorly written the bad guys were. Honestly, I couldn't tell if the author was being satirical or not because the Christians were such horrible people. They forced marriage on young teens, segregated and abandoned thousands of black people in space to preserve homogeneity, aimed meteorites at Earth killing millions and bringing on the Apocalypse, and held people prisoner indefinitely.
The book was preachy, but instead of inspiring faith, it made Christians look exactly how the worst atheists describe them: close minded, brutal, sexist, racist, bigots. Did I mention the black people decided to reinstitute slavery because "Whites and blacks can never get along"? Yeah.
I finished this book even after I realized what garbage it was because everyone loves a good train wreck. If you'd like to lose some IQ points, please, read it. I think I should note that I don't identify as Christian, and folks of that religion may like it a bit more...or not
[http://www.amazon.com/Artemis-Awakening-Jane-Lindskold/dp/076533710X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404224660&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=jane+lyndskold](Artemis Awakening) b y Jane Lindskold was fantastic. I realize as I type that both Judgement Day and Artemis Awakening are probably sci fi not fantasy, but Lindskold is primarily a fantasy writer.
Artemis Awakening is about an explorer trying to find the pleasure planet of an empire that crumbled 500 yrs prior. The residents of Artemis are all genetically altered to suit roles that made their planet the perfect getaway for the empires elite. In the 500 yrs that Artemis has been left alone, a lot has changed. The intrepid explorer, now marooned, has to navigate a complex society that craves, fears, worships, and despises the outsiders that designed them and their environment.
Edit: not sure why link format is so fucked on the 2nd link. Can't see what I did wrong.
If you feel like getting a little crazy Amish Vampires in Space. Read reviews. https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Vampires-Space-Kerry-Nietz/dp/0983965552/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Have you read When She Woke? It's reminiscent of a Handmaid's Tale type of story. Sooo good.
the Diamond Age
Friday
the Sparrow
the Blind Assasin
Parable of the Sower
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. http://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0449912558
Had to Google this one to check if it existed.
I can see Amish Vampires in Space in Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Vampires-Space-Kerry-Nietz/dp/0983965552
But this one looks to be a joke https://twitter.com/katiedt/status/423203671145320448?lang=en
Which I would like to see someone writing some day :)
Serious answer, if you're interested in a fictional exploration of that idea from a Catholic writer, I highly recommend The Sparrow. It's basically about First Contact from the lense of a Jesuit, and I found it extremely thought provoking.
It's normal to have questions. It's good you're thinking about your religion.
>1 I heard the Bible has been altered (esp. the New Testament) by people so that they can eat pork, drink occasionally, not be circumcised, etc. However, the Quran hasn't. This is why my Muslim friends are all circumcised, don't eat pork, drink, etc. Like the stuff in the Old Testament. Is there any proof that the Bible is unaltered?
The dietary laws found in the OT are strictly for the nation of Israel. Most of them come as a sort of national penance for the idolatry at Sinai and were never meant to followed by the Gentiles. God elected Israel to prepare the world to see what election is grounded in (His gratuitous love). He choose a people who were of no account to demonstrate that when He elects, He does so freely and not because we bring anything to the table. He gave Israel the law to train them so that they would learn to grow accustomed to delighting in following God.
>2 Why did Jesus die for our sins, if anything is possible?
God did not have to become man and dwell among us (John 1.14) and be crucified for our sins. It was nevertheless fitting that He did so. Why? One reason is because it shows us what sort of love God has for us. He's fully invested in His creation. He knew from eternity that when He created this place, He was going to come down here and show His love in the Incarnation and crucifixion.
The Crucifix also inverts the world's expectations about power. Adam and Eve sinned because of pride, preferring themselves to God. So Jesus comes and shows us what true humility looks like (cf. Phil. 2). He doesn't "win" by power (though He could have), but shows His creatures what it looks like to love humbly.
>3 Why does God send us, who He created, to Hell to be eternally tortured if we don't believe (believe in me or I'll torture you)? I'm trying my hardest to believe and be a good Christian, but I have so many unanswered questions and doubts that are getting in the way.
Wouldn't Heaven for someone who does not love God actually be Hell? If they don't love Him now on earth, what makes you think they would enjoy Him in Heaven? It's not a safe assumption that the person who stood before God would automatically enjoy it. God has created creatures with a will because to love Him without being able to will it would be meaningless. It would be a sort of farce on God's part. However, that means some will freely choose to reject Him. If our wills mean anything, then God respects that and doesn't force those people to love Him for eternity (which is what Heaven is). I would read CS Lewis' The Great Divorce.
>4 Will God send those people who are raised in another religion, such as in Thailand (Buddhism), who don't have any external way of being informed of Christianity (like missionaries), to be tortured forever in Hell?
Some Christians believe this is so - that you're just out of luck if you happen not to be exposed to the Gospel. Catholics are not one of those sorts and I can only speak as a Catholic. For us, we follow St. Paul's thinking in Romans 2.14-15. Paul there talks about the natural law which is imprinted on our hearts by virtue of being created in the image of God. The Catechism says that the man who searches for God in another religion and does so earnestly is somehow being prepared for the Gospel (CCC 843) because all truth and goodness come from God. We trust those souls to God's mercy and justice, knowing that He is both.
>5 Why did God put a tree of knowledge if no one could eat from it? Like He purposely put the temptation there, knowing that at least some of us will be tempted to sin, and from there, be eternally damned.
Obedience which comes from love is the mark of the Christian life. CS Lewis' Perelandra does a good job at thinking about this. Basically Lewis says that there are sometimes rules which God gives which do not have a rationale on their own except that God has asked us to follow them. So in Perelandra, the woman is not allowed to live on the fixed land simply because God has asked her not to. By following this rule, however, she grows in love for God. She grows up, understanding what obedience is.
>6 Why does sin and the possibility of being sent to Hell for eternal torture exist, if God loves us more than anything? Doesn't He know that with creating humans, a lot of them will sin?
He does, but He hasn't remained aloof from the situation. Hebrews 4.15 tells us, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." That's beautiful. Think on the Incarnation and the sheer gratuity of God's love in that act. Also see my above answer about hell.
>7 How would He judge agnostics? Like there are so many religions, and uncertainties, that some people will just gather from every religion that there is indeed a God who created us. Like people who follow basic morals like treating others well, but still do sins like, greed, lust (without rape or cheating), sodomy?
We don't know about any particular person who goes to hell. We simply trust God's goodness, His mercy, His justice, etc.
>8 Lust, masturbation, greed - why do those traits seem natural to humans, if they are sins? Like of course it's natural to look at the opposite sex and lust after them, especially when our hormones are raging.
Sin is the distortion of something good. Some women are beautiful. Recognizing their beauty isn't wrong. But sin warps our wills and desires, it warps our inclinations. Adam's and Eve's wills were in accord with their reason, but sin distorts this unity. This is why we do things (like sin) that we wish we did not (cf. Rom. 7). Neither lust, masturbation, nor greed are natural to man - they do not accord with the end for which God has created them (beatitude). Lust is an unhealthy fixation and a distortion of the natural goodness of human sexuality, which is given as a gift. Masturbation is the same - masturbation takes a gift meant for the sake of another (i.e. one's spouse) and misuses it for oneself. It takes something which is meant to be outward looking and makes it isolated. That's not what God created us for. Greed likewise is a disordered desire of goods. Any good thing we see on earth should point us to God, but greed terminates solely in created things and forgets the Creator.
I hope some of that helps.
Not my own work, but if you like this prompt then you'll like this book
And the sequel
My dad actually wrote a Sci Fi book based on this premise, it's a good read but I'm biased ;). Crossing The Border https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BSV95DL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QI9jDbYKCE4QS
Check out the scifi novel "the Sparrow" by Mary Russell, tackles the religion in space dilemma, pretty good read too.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel
Just a side note, this theme is explored in Russel's novel, The Sparrow. The crew sent to the planet found with intelligent life include Jesuits.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell goes into first contact material like Contact does, but (IMHO) it's much deeper and more thought provoking.
A Case of Conscience by James Blish and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
Here are some of my favourite from the thread
UnBEARable: A Russet Falls Novel |
Bear |
How to Good-Bye Depression: If You Constrict Anus 100 Times Everyday. Malarkey? or Effective Way? |
The Erect Oak |
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug |
The Haunted Vagina |
De'nisha Diamond |
Ass Goblins of Auschwitz |
Master Nage's Guide to Training Consensual Slaves |
Cum For Bigfoot |
Amish Vampires in Space |
Natural Harvest: A collection of semen-based recipes |
The Jewish-Japanese Sex & Cook Book and How to Raise Wolves |
The Day My Bum Went Psycho (Butt Trilogy #1)
Amish Vampires in Space
Me too :) In a way we already have Biblical proof of aliens. If we define alien as another created species from somewhere other than earth possessing sentience, then what are angels if not aliens?
Also, if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend CS Lewis' space trilogy. It's a series of fiction books where he explores the ideas of other planets and alien species created by God :)
Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength
The follow up "The Religion War" is interesting too. It's not free, though.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Religion-War-Scott-Adams/dp/0740747886
http://www.amazon.com/A-Voyage-Arcturus-David-Lindsay/dp/1604591455
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Voyage_to_Arcturus
Now it's christian literary project https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XR1VPC9
We will start gaming development soon.
Things to Buy
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589183&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263303625&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/YOU-Updated-Expanded-Insiders-Healthier/dp/0061473677/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263303625&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-Science/dp/1400033462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297305735&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/New-Sugar-Busters-Cut-Trim/dp/0345469585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297305615&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bastard-Kick-Ass-Getting/product-reviews/0762435402/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Everyone-Darwins-Theory-Change/dp/0385340214
http://www.amazon.com/Food-Rules-Eaters-Michael-Pollan/dp/014311638X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297305420&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Primates-Classroom-Evolutionary-Perspective-Childrens/dp/0870236113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589323&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Eden-Psychotherapy-Evolutionary-Perspective/dp/0393700739/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589294&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Paleolithic-Prescription-Program-Exercise-Design/dp/0060916354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589224&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Chimpanzee-Politics-Power-among-Apes/dp/0801886562/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261589183&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266199288&sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Religion-War-Scott-Adams/dp/0740747886/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_9
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Plate-Diet-Great-Healthy/dp/1885167717/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266199288&sr=1-13
http://www.amazon.com/Blindsight-Peter-Watts/dp/0765319640/
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Years-Hanna-Schissler/dp/0691058202
http://www.amazon.com/Redneck-Manifesto-Hillbillies-Americas-Scapegoats/dp/0684838648
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/039332169X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
http://www.amazon.com/Andromeda-Strain-Michael-Crichton/dp/006170315X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225932164&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204
http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Family-Health-Book/dp/1603200770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267299889&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Sculpting-Bible-Men-Revised/dp/1578262380/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298573232&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295507
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594866279/ref=asc_df_15948662791442125?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=1594866279
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345498461/ref=asc_df_03454984611442018?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-01-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0345498461
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Runners-Handbook-13-Week-Walk-Run/dp/1553650875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298575384&sr=8-1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581891694514228.html
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Wild-Plants-Foods-Adventure/dp/1423601505
http://www.amazon.com/Shoppers-Guide-Organic-Food/dp/1857028406/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308213453&sr=1-16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Portrait_of_the_Artist_as_a_Young_Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_writing
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/08/30/all-time-100-best-nonfiction-books/#fast-food-nation-by-eric-schlosser
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0441788386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258348123&sr=8-1
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-cpap-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye
http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-Joseph-Heller/dp/0684833395
http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0976805421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253993543&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Aero-Speed-Hyperformance-Jump-Rope/dp/B00017XHO8
http://www.invisibleshoe.com/#ecwid:category=135066&mode=product&product=278983
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe621670756c0575741d&m=fe7215707561047d7315&ls=fde817797d6d037977177974&l=fe9215717260007a70&s=fe2d13707d600478751c72&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2e167375640d75711576&r=0
http://www.amazon.com/Element-Surprise-Navy-Seals-Vietnam/dp/0804105812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304634342&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316067598
http://www.amazon.com/Diving-Bell-Butterfly-Memoir-Death/dp/0375701214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312848167&sr=8-1
Political
Iraq Research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Tawhid_Wal-Jihad
http://www.ontheissues.org/Drugs.htm#Barack_Obama
Congress Related
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r110query.html
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_110_1.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/
http://www.issuedictionary.com/Barack_Obama.cgi
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:75:./temp/~r110y7HfAa::
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists
/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237
http://allafrica.com/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/??
Health & Exercise
Green Tea
http://www.teatrekker.com/store/tea/green/green+-+japan.php
http://www.o-cha.com/brew.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2080066_steep-loose-leaf-tea.html
http://cooksshophere.com/products/tea/green_tea.htm
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/
https://www.itoen.com/leaf/index.cfm
http://www.maiko.ne.jp/english/
http://www.mellowmonk.com/buyGreenTea.htm
http://www.o-cha.com/home.php
http://www.denstea.com/
http://www.theteaavenue.com/chgrtea.html
http://www.teafrog.com/teas/finum-tea-brewing-basket.html
I really loved The Poisonwood Bible. And she wrote The Invention of Wings too, right?
Check out The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It's science fiction, but written beautifully and the focus is on humanity and characterization, not "beep boop robots aliens" haha. This book really stuck with me after reading it, in the same way the Kingsolver novels did.
Also check out The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. It's a semi-fictionalized account of the life of Teresita Urrea, and is also absolutely wonderful and will stick with you.
Does the name "Trappist" have anything to do with the science fiction novel "The Sparrow"? https://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Novel-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558
Welcome :)
Can't legally link the full book, but I'm sure your library has (or can get) a copy. I believe the book was The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
The story you talked about sounds pretty interesting. Sometimes I'm tempted to read OSC's fiction that people observe(/complain) is just thinly veiled Mormon cosmology, because it sounds interesting, but I don't think I can stomach reading any of his books anymore now that I know a bit more about him as a person. Kind of sad.
CS Lewis - That Hideous Strength
Haven't read it but a guy on the Tom Woods podcast did a lesson on Libertarianism in literature and he said this is the one book he would recommend from his course. It's part 3 of a trilogy but, from what he said, they aren't connected so you can skip ahead.
The Junior Novelizations came out today.
How about these:
They're not novels unfortunately but I want to at least give you something.
EDIT: Here are two that I remember as being in novel format:
Forever Peace - Haldeman
Book of The New Sun/Book of the Long Sun - Wolfe (this is a very rewarding story, but it requires commitment)
Never Let Me Go - Ishiguro
The Sparrow - Russell
Please be aware that these are all fairly dark. Maybe I'm soft, but The Sparrow was one of the roughest books I've read, from a psychological perspective.
First book on the list has a sample online under the trilogy it's a part of
https://www.amazon.com/Children-Hiding-Trilogy-Victoria-Randall-ebook/dp/B07V46MMF6
Once you get past all the reviews and praise that are wasting space in the front of the sample, there's actually a good book there..... somewhere.
It's just extremely frustrating when authors do this with samples: when all you actually want is the sample and they insist on having other people tell you how good the sample would be if they would only show it to you--which they delay as long as possible for no apparent reason whatsoever.
Anyway, what I saw of the sample was rather surprisingly smooth writing. Sometimes people forget you don't have to be verbally complex to tell a good story. Also, blindly stumbling into stupidity through blind trust of fate is very much a human thing. Without spoiling much more than is already in the sample; even if it's just a 1% chance of something happening oh, it's a 100% chance if you're the one percent it happens to--the forgetting of which is what got our protagonist into the situation in the first place.
Anyway, told the Reddit link to send me the first book in the series to my email; so I should be able to finish it sometime this week.
Don't really have time to research the other samples at the moment.
Does anybody have any recommendations?
People try and throw that old rhetoric around and I just point at some of the books you can buy such as Amish Vampires in Space .
I can't say what's better or worse (since I haven't read that actual book but got a chuckle that there was even such a thing) because it's all subjective. If you find you like books over video games for your escape, all the power to you. If you prefer games, so be it. Choose your poison. But don't bad mouth one as somehow worse then the other.
And if they were just talking about education well, there are actually tons of educational games so...
If you liked the Ender universe, try the offshoot series for Ender and Bean. Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind are more philosophical and deal with Ender coming to terms with killing all the Formics. Everything after Ender's Shadow follows Bean and the other Battle School kids as the world superpowers try to achieve global domination after the Formic War, it's more about military and political strategy. They're both great, but very different.
For something new, check out Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and its sequel, Children of God. Here's the Publishers Weekly description of The Sparrow:
An enigma wrapped inside a mystery sets up expectations that prove difficult to fulfill in Russell's first novel, which is about first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. The enigma is Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit linguist whose messianic virtues hide his occasional doubt about his calling. The mystery is the climactic turn of events that has left him the sole survivor of a secret Jesuit expedition to the planet Rakhat and, upon his return, made him a disgrace to his faith. Suspense escalates as the narrative ping-pongs between the years 2016, when Sandoz begins assembling the team that first detects signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and 2060, when a Vatican inquest is convened to coax an explanation from the physically mutilated and emotionally devastated priest. A vibrant cast of characters who come to life through their intense scientific and philosophical debates help distract attention from the space-opera elements necessary to get them off the Earth.
Oh, and I almost forget, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is so freaking amazing. If you want a new fictional universe to explore, this is it. Well written, ridiculous plot twists, tons of interesting and unique characters that you hate with a passion until you read the chapter written from their point of view, then you fall in love with them. I watched the first two episodes of Game of Thrones before deciding I wanted to read the books first. I stayed up way later than I planned to because I just had to read the next chapter, then the next, then the next book, until I'd read all five in no time and might read them again because I'm addicted to the characters and universe. It's just such rich content that you'll find yourself flipping back and forth to re-read different parts. You won't regret it.
The Sparrow. I loathed this book. Jesuits in space. However, I think it would be funny for those who got it.
check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0449912558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341599508&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sparrow+russell
it's fiction, but the author does a good job of considering this question philosophically via empathy (the title ends up adding depth to a cliche christian sentiment in a way that was probably not intended, but is true nonetheless).
Mortal Engines :P - Thanks OP
I have this and have found it useful
Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N33B5GE/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i1
Hardcover
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0464162661/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_thcv_p1_i0
Amish Vampires in Space
My favorite religiously-themed fiction book: The Sparrow
Yikes I reeeeeeally hope they are not going the [hover for spoiler](/spoiler alien) route.... that's a big nope for me :/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sparrow_(novel)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0449912558/R1VLVTYCBFUYI/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_1?ie=UTF8&cursor=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0449912558/R346EEJCNWLWYG/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_7?ie=UTF8&cursor=7
Edit: ok well I can't figure out how to properly hide what I am talking about but those who look up the plot of the book should know what I'm talking about.... going in that particular direction would really feel like jumping the shark for me and I'm not here for it :/
RE: Does God fart. You should check out Religion War by Scott Adams and if your up to it read the first book God's Debris.
If you're into Sci-fi type books, you should check out The Sparrow. Easily one of my favorites that draws on philosophy, religion, linguistics, space travel, and more.
There was a follow-up called "Children of God" which I'd recommend if you like the first one.
Try the BBC adaptation it's fab. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Omens-Radio-dramatisation-Dramatisations/dp/1910281913/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426182742&sr=8-2&keywords=good+omens