If you love Jesus, read more Sci-Fi

I remember vividly the first time I read Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World. I sat on my bed, mouth agape, reading a startlingly accurate portrayal of 21^st century America. Our materialistic addiction to pleasure, our constant obsession with self-preservation, our yearning for social significance… it’s all there. For the tenth time since starting the book, I flipped to the front just to make sure. Yes. Brave New World was written in 1932.

However, Huxley is not the only one writing prescient interpretations of humanity. He is only one of thousands of science fiction authors who have asked the hard questions about life, morality and the human condition in ways that no non-fiction book ever can.

But what’s the point in reading sci-fi books? Go to any Christian bookstore and you will find row upon row of books claiming to capture the essence of today’s world. Isn’t that enough? Of course not. Most of these books end up obsolete and laughable within ten years. Why is it that non-Christian sci-fi has a longevity and relevancy far greater than the “spiritual” fluff with which we constantly immerse ourselves?

The answer? We don’t know what we’re missing.

Now, I am not ignorant of the reputation sci-fi has garnered as a hangout for nerds, geeks and losers. Many of these socially awkward people are attracted to technology, science and shiny objects that can blow up planets. But that should be no excuse for Christians to ignore the vast reservoirs of truth that can be found within the pages of a good sci-fi novel.

Most sci-fi books are about normal humans in abnormal situations. They ask the question, “what would life be like if…” They give the reader a chance to question his or her own world by stretching the boundaries of reality.

For example, Dune by Frank Herbert explores the consequences of a prophetic view of the future. The Road by Cormac McCarthy delves into the essence of patriarchal love in a post-apocalyptic world. Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh describes what humanity would look like if cloning and genetic manipulation were commonplace. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson depicts a world without Christianity. The list goes on and on.

Now, you are probably thinking “Ok, ok! I get the point! But what does this have to do with being a Christian?”

Everything.

Science fiction books will challenge your worldview, expand your mind and occasionally disturb you. They will take you out of your comfort zone into a broader and more meaningful understanding of the world. The result of all this? A stronger faith, a less ignorant approach to other cultures, and a creativity that will blossom beyond what you ever thought possible.

Sci-Fi will make you a better Christ-follower.

Of course, you could continue to be safely tucked into your theological bed by a bunch of Christian authors who see the world exactly the way you do, believe all the things you believe, and care only about preserving their fading point of view, but tell me… what’s the fun in that?