Infinite Space, Infinite God

Religious-themed science fiction is not a new genre, from classics like A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr., to nearly anything from Gene Wolfe. One of the best known collections was edited by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley called Sacred Visions. Yet this new volume of 15 short stories in the genre of Catholic Science Fiction is a treat for the fan of either genres. The authors tackle themes of morality, science, and the role of religion in humanity's future in new and engaging ways. The authors present a future where both the church and science play roles; both are integral to human development and human self -understanding. Yet occasionally the two do clash. Lori Z. Scott's The Harvest, about a colony on the moon, with a Doctor priest who tries to balance healing both the body and the soul is one example. But how do you minister to a soul in a cloned HuNome who was grown for organ transplant purposes? (HuNomes are sub-humans with animal gene splices to better prepare the organs for transplants and as labourers building our colonies in space.) Adrienne Ray's story Hopkins' Well about settlements on Mars, where the Military is trying to maintain control of the planet against crazy Catholics that are part of a larger group of Christians, is another example. The final selection is A Cruel and Unusual Punishment about the Sinn Fein, and a man who calls himself a soldier while most of the world considers him a terrorist. Written around the Stations of the Cross, it is a story of the death penalty and an alternative that may have been worse. It is one of the most powerful pieces. Each of the stations begins with a quote from famous authors: William Blake, Thomas Merton, Evelyn Waugh and others, tying this vision of the future to our past. This collection is great for introducing a reader to a wide range of authors in a short breadth, some whose styles you will love, some you will not and some you will be undecided about. The advantage of such a collection is you can discover new authors whose writings you will wish to pursue in greater depth. As such, this collection will be a treat to any fan of Science Fiction, a religious Catholic, or just someone interested in the questions of spirituality and our future as we move forward through the millennium.

I recently read Starlight 3 and it was terrible. "Science fiction" but mostly fantasy, the stories were mostly idea sketches rather than stories. E.g. "What if God is arbitrary and capricious and we are supposed to love him because he is the source of all pain, and what if the world were filled with the random visitations of angels" ... ok. Interesting idea, but not much story there (heck, not much of an idea either). Lots of that sort of sketch, a good reminder as to why I don't read many sf short story collections any more. On the other hand, I have to compare Starlight 3 to Infinite Space, Infinite God which is moving. It is a collection of science fiction stories by Catholics, written with religion as a strong influence. But they are stories first. Some of them are very moving, some are very touching, but they are stories. The concept sketch gets out of the way on the title page and the rest of the volume is solid stories. A good example is the one "furry" story. A long time ago there were hard SF stories about genespliced animal based sentients that examined themes such as race, freedom, hope and humanity. They were not excuses for porn or slash or mary sue incursions, but real stories that were intended to highlight the human condition and the reality of humanity. Infinite Space, Infinite God includes a "furry" story, but the story extrapolates current trends, blends them to address real human issues while telling a real story, in a believable setting, without being distracted by extraneous sexual or violent themes. Excellent work, clearly executed. The same is true of the urban punk story. The story is strong and overwhelms the distopian setting, creating a real experience that is memorable. I'd review the rest of the stories, they are pretty much just a strong, just as complete, just as moving. There isn't enough room to do them all justice, but this book deserves five stars.

Like any Christian Science Fiction, the idea of Catholic SF seems to be a contradiction in terms--perhaps more so given the infamous stands the Catholic Church has taken against against scientific theory all those centuries ago. But, Galileo's trial is ancient history and for the last 1000 years, Catholic scientists (including priest, monks and even some saints) have received encouragement and support from the church. It is no wonder, then, that writers have become fascinated with the concept of how the Catholic church will meet the challenges of the future--and SF is just the vehicle for this. This 2007 EPPIE award-winning anthology includes SF concepts from time travel to transporter technology, genetic engineering to alien abduction, interstellarcolonization and uncontrolled inter-city violence told from a Catholic world view. All of the ISIG short stories are well-crafted and entertaining--the latter a real surprise for me considering that I do not number among the millions of sci-fi fans in this world. The range of intensity in this volume kept me reading because I couldn't predict what I'd discover when I turned another page. We see the teenager Frankie off to evangelize to alien beings; we sit with Saint Francis of Assisi as he ministers to the needs of a mannaro; we make the pilgrimmage alongside an IRA 'terrorist' as he makes his way through the stations to enlightment. The three described above: "Interstellar Calling," "Canticle of the Wolf," and "A Cruel and Unusual Punishment" were my favourites. And one more thing, it is pretty darn refreshing to read good fiction that does not haul out the fictional stereotypes of predatory priests or knuckle-rapping nuns. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories included in Infinite Space Infinite God and liked the fact that they forced me to ponder and question.

The concept of Karina and Robert Fabian's Infinite Space, Infinite God, an anthology of Catholic sci-fi, was an intriguing one--Catholicism and science . . . and science fiction to boot? come on, everyone knows that the two are incompatible--remember Galileo, people? Was this a group of writer-heretics? Oh goodie--rebels--that was enough to gain my attention. Of course, I am being facetious here. I write Biblical cyberpunk and receive a similar reaction whenever I mention it! And, so to my review . . . The backbone of ISIG is the editorial commentary. The Fabians introduce ISIG with a commentary on science and the Catholic church. While there are those Christian legalists who would dissect the Fabian's argument, I found it interesting, however, unnecessary to apologize for writing sci-fi, whatever one's beliefs. It is fiction, fantasy, written by authors glorifying Him with their talents. But I digress. Within the book itself, the Fabians introduce each segment of stories with thought-provoking discussion: "The Catholic Church and Humanity," ". . . Evangelism," ". . . its Servants," etc. The result is a well-organized survey of well-crafted and entertaining Catholic sci-fi. Some of my favorite stories in ISIG: In Karina Fabian's "Interstellar Calling," Frankie, a sixteen-year-old is tired and disillusioned with her life--and like many folks in this position, blames God. The author lulls the reader seemingly into a romance story or at best, a growing-up story. But Fabian changes gears smoothly to provide the heroine a chance at a cool life-changing event. Every anthology needs a good spy story and in "The Mask of the Ferret" (Ken Pick and Alan Loewen) we have an intergallactic version of secret agent (priest) on the trail of a fugitive smuggler. The ancient artifact the priest seeks is dangerous cargo for the interstellar craft and its unusual group of travelers and crew. The storyline is enjoyable and the characters a real kick (sorry real fans of intergallactic-ness) though I have to say my imagination isn't developed well enough to clearly envision the disparate group assembled on board! "A Cruel and Unusual Punishment" (Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff) is the fascinating journey of a Sein Finn soldier, slated for death row, who gains redepemption through the Zagorsky experiment. A must read! And finally, Simon Morden's "Little Madeleine." I was eager to read a sample of Dr. Morden's work. I'd recently read his essay Sex, Death and Christian Fiction and wanted to determine for myself where his fiction fit . . . in the 10% or the ninety (you'll have to read his essay to decipher this code) of Christian fiction. Like the rest of the stories contained in ISIG, "Little Madeleine" did not disappoint. The concept of the Joans, warrior-nuns who protect God's servants, is pretty darn cool. Morden is a talented writer who sends the CBA church-lady-protective filters flying, a la Little Maddeleine herself. The Fabians have amassed a fine group of writer

To travel where no one else has gone before might be the appeal to regular readers of science-fiction. I'm not one of those. I prefer to focus on all the drama that resides right here on earth. So, when I decided to purchase a copy of Infinite Space, Infinite God, the 2007 EPPIE award-winning Catholic science-fiction anthology edited by Karina and Robert Fabian, it had more to do with my curiosity over how they would mesh the Catholic Church into science fiction than with my burning desire to read it. And I have to admit, I approached the task of reading it with a hint of trepidation. What if I got to page 3 and couldn't go any further? Could a book of this nature appeal to a reader whose only experience with science-fiction is the television shows Star Trek and Star Trek the Next Generation? The answer is a resounding, YES! Never before have I regretted the end of a story as much as I did after I finished each of the fifteen stories included in Infinite Space, Infinite God. Each story drew me in with the depth of its characters, uniqueness of its plot, and its powerful endings. I never knew what to except in the next story, but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Infinite Space, Infinite God opens up with The Harvest by Lori Z. Scott. A smart choice since it is one of the most thought-provoking stories. Dr. Barry Martinez joins the Moon Project Base, living amongst a mix of humans and HuNomes--genetically altered people stemming from the Human Genome project. While HuNome #17 longs to be free of her oppressors, the Catholic Church debates whether the HuNomes have souls--making the harvesting of their organs and birthing of new HuNomes unethical. Dr. Martinez's exposure to the HuNomes he does his best to avoid leave him with some questions too. It it those questions that put him in danger and the answers which allow him to find his true calling. Our Daily Bread by Robert and Karina Fabian finds Deacon Ray McHenry struggling to decide if he will continue his work at the Blair Mining Station or return to earth and his wife, Connie. When the supply of eucharistic hosts is lost, Deacon Ray must do everything in is power to help his congregation accept the loss of the most important symbol of the Last Supper. Attempts to secure a new supply are unsuccessful, but suddenly new hosts keep appearing. Is it a miracle? Is it the work of a good samaritan? And will Deacon Ray ever be able to leave the Blair Mining Station after the curiosity over the duplicating hosts increases the size of the congregation? Ken Pick and Alan Loewen collaborate on an intriguing tale filled with mystery and suspense. Mask of the Ferret brings together a variety of humans and lifeforms on the Free Trader Coventry--a freight runner bound for Alorya. Its passengers include Father Eric Heidler, a human woman and her daughter, a Selkie, and a construct named Jill Noir. Unbeknownest to the Captain and her crew, someone has snuck an ancient artifact onboard Coventry and he/she/it