- Paperback: 291 pages
- Publisher: Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.; annotated edition edition (5 Mar 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0664229018
- ISBN-13: 978-0664229016
- Product Dimensions: 22.5 x 13.7 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 389,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
In this thorough and engaging book, Gabriel McKee explores the inherent theological nature of science fiction, using illustrations from television shows, literature, and films. Science fiction, he believes, helps us understand not only who we are but who we will become. McKee organizes his chapters around theological themes, using illustrations from authors such as Isaac Asimov and H. G. Wells, television shows such as "Star Trek" and "The Twilight Zone," and films such as "The Matrix" and "Star Wars." With its extensive bibliography and index, this is a book that all serious science fiction fans--not just those with a theological interest--will appreciate.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
I am a huge fan of science fiction films and literature and all else SF, and I am also a spiritual kinda guy.
This book examines many of the greatest sci-fi books and films and more looking at the many multiple metaphors, allusions and interpretations of stories and narratives, plots, characters and tales. It offers a very enjoyable new point of view on many of the classic sci-fi stories that we know, asking to consider them in other ways, and wondering what the writers and film makers might have been exploring themsleves. Very cool deep book indeed.
This book examines many of the greatest sci-fi books and films and more looking at the many multiple metaphors, allusions and interpretations of stories and narratives, plots, characters and tales. It offers a very enjoyable new point of view on many of the classic sci-fi stories that we know, asking to consider them in other ways, and wondering what the writers and film makers might have been exploring themsleves. Very cool deep book indeed.
Format:Paperback
McKee uses an impressive amount of SF books and films to argue that SF can be regarded as the middle ground between the rather distinct areas of religion and science. After establishing this hypothesis and outlining the necessary definitions the subsequent book divided into 10 sections:
1. Gods of the Future
2. In the Beginning...
3. Inside Data's Brain: Mind, Self and Soul
4. In the Fullness of time: Free Will and Divine Providence
5. Dark Stars: Sin and Evil
6. Christ, Prometheus, and Klaatu: Alien Messiahs
7. Believing and Knowing: Faith and Religious Experience
8. Good News from the Vatican: The Future of the Church
9. Imagining the Afterlife
10. The Last Days (and After)
The sections use a whole host of examples to back McKee's ideas up, he of course makes other points and some very interesting ones at that, that caused me to think differently about many SF texts. But it's the bigger picture that McKee excels at condensing, making complex points that concern theology (a very tricky thing to do) .But there is an air of naivety to McKee's research; he states towards the end that SF is creating the faith of the future but he doesn't consider that SF with its scientific sensibilities and realistic approach is inherently distrustful towards religion and that religious themes in SF are most commonly present to debunk superstition and tend to try and prove that religious ideals are able to be explained by some physics somewhere. Although he proves it time and again McKee doesn't answer what I would think is one of the most important questions here and that is why is there such a strong religious imagination in SF, that's because there is no sophisticated philosophising. Also he doesn't analyse anything in huge detail instead he tends to dip into many different examples to prove a particular point for each section. Never mind, this is still a very interesting book, easy to understand, it gives you an alternative look at SF and is very open minded, which is something I value.
1. Gods of the Future
2. In the Beginning...
3. Inside Data's Brain: Mind, Self and Soul
4. In the Fullness of time: Free Will and Divine Providence
5. Dark Stars: Sin and Evil
6. Christ, Prometheus, and Klaatu: Alien Messiahs
7. Believing and Knowing: Faith and Religious Experience
8. Good News from the Vatican: The Future of the Church
9. Imagining the Afterlife
10. The Last Days (and After)
The sections use a whole host of examples to back McKee's ideas up, he of course makes other points and some very interesting ones at that, that caused me to think differently about many SF texts. But it's the bigger picture that McKee excels at condensing, making complex points that concern theology (a very tricky thing to do) .But there is an air of naivety to McKee's research; he states towards the end that SF is creating the faith of the future but he doesn't consider that SF with its scientific sensibilities and realistic approach is inherently distrustful towards religion and that religious themes in SF are most commonly present to debunk superstition and tend to try and prove that religious ideals are able to be explained by some physics somewhere. Although he proves it time and again McKee doesn't answer what I would think is one of the most important questions here and that is why is there such a strong religious imagination in SF, that's because there is no sophisticated philosophising. Also he doesn't analyse anything in huge detail instead he tends to dip into many different examples to prove a particular point for each section. Never mind, this is still a very interesting book, easy to understand, it gives you an alternative look at SF and is very open minded, which is something I value.
Format:Paperback
Gabriel McKee has evidently read an amazing amount of Science Fiction novels and short stories as well as watching films and TV series. His book looks at different philosophical and religious ideas and how they are used in SF, explaining their use in particular SF books/series and occasionally relating the thoughts to philosophy. Able to quote both St Augustine and Star Trek, this is an engaging and easy to read book which shows the broad range of views in SF, particularly relating to deities, faith, human nature and the future and has an extensive bibliography and index which will no doubt be helpful to SF fans. Although referencing Christian beliefs, this book isn't aiming to be a presentation of the Gospel through SF links, it is rather a collation of different views that might interest SF fans and because of this its appeal is probably limited.
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