Science fiction inspired by Hebrew Bible

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Science fiction inspired by Hebrew Bible

1timspalding
maaliskuu 23, 2021, 1:13 am

I'm looking for interesting speculative fiction, especially stories, inspired by Bible stories, especially the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures. The religious content is not primary to me here, and I'm certainly not looking for the Left Behind novels.

I'm interested after my son and I recently read the Ted Chiang story "The Tower of Babylon" (appears in Stories of your Life and Others). If you don't know it, Wikipedia's explanation is fairly good.
"The story revisits the tower of Babel myth as a construction megaproject, in a setting where the principles of pre-scientific cosmology (the geocentric model, celestial spheres, etc.) are literally true. It is Chiang's first published work."
It's a weird, cool story with a lovely ambiance and a neat twist.* I'd love to find others like it.

I know (and love) the Space Trilogy by Lewis.

* In conception, it reminded me of Celestial Matters by Richard Garfinkle, which also imagines pre-scientific cosmogony (in this case Greek and Chinese) is true. But it's better in many ways.

22wonderY
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 23, 2021, 6:05 am

Well, just to start thing off in the proper order

Creation stories, not necessarily science fiction:

The Egg, Andy Weir
The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Twain
The Creation Memos, Geoffrey Atkinson
The Glitch in Sleep, John Hulme
How to Create a Flawless Universe in Just Eight Days

Oh, it was a craze for a short while to create videos of The Egg. Look for them on YouTube and have fun.

3smirks4u
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 23, 2021, 1:40 pm

Most of C. S. Lewis, such as The Chronicles of Narnia; but I don't think it qualifies as science fiction.

4Unreachableshelf
maaliskuu 23, 2021, 11:29 am

The Deathbird by Harlan Ellison immediately comes to mind.

5lorax
maaliskuu 23, 2021, 12:19 pm

I'm not quite sure how to answer this question, because most of the stories I can think of that are inspired by the Hebrew Bible wouldn't be at all similar to the Chiang. (James Morrow's stuff, for instance. You'd hate it, he's not exactly sympathetic toward Christianity.) You may want to try some of Chiang's other stories - there aren't many, he's not a fast writer, but they're very, very good. Hell is the Absence of God is set in a specifically theistic universe, and wrestles with the question of what religion means when the existence of God is as inarguably true as the existence of gravity. It's not exactly cheerful. That's the most specifically religiously oriented one I can think of of his, but frankly I don't think it's among his best.

62wonderY
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 23, 2021, 1:48 pm

Back in the depths of time, 1971, came an anthology called Other Worlds, Other Gods. Two stories are OT based.

The Cunning of the Beast, by Nelson Bond is Genesis 3 based.
Prometheus by Philip José Farmer is a Moses story.

7timspalding
maaliskuu 23, 2021, 11:01 pm

>5 lorax: James Morrow's stuff, for instance. You'd hate it, he's not exactly sympathetic toward Christianity.

I don't know where you got the idea that's a requirement. I don't get the sense Chiang is either, but I haven't looked him up or anything.

Yes, I haven't read Hell is the Absence of God yet. At the moment I'm looking specifically for Bible take-offs.

>2 2wonderY:

I need to give Farmer another try.

8Aquila
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 23, 2021, 11:51 pm

>1 timspalding: Is that the story with the people living in the tower as they build it. I didn't know it was his first published story, cool.

Noodling through the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction might get you some references, there's certainly no shortage of Shaggy God stories, but finding stories inspired by other parts may be harder:
http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/religion
http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/adam_and_eve
http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/golem

There's Many Waters, the least well known of the Wrinkle in Time sequels, which is a Noah story.

I would think you'd find James Morrow's stuff interesting, Tim.

9lorax
maaliskuu 24, 2021, 11:43 am

timspalding (#7):

I get that impression because every time we discuss hateful attacks on groups on LT the one example that you always bring up is anti-Catholic statements, which made me suspect it was a touchy subject for you.

10librisissimo
huhtikuu 15, 2021, 9:30 pm

Try this one by Asimov. One of my favorites.
"How it Happened" aka "Six Days"
http://www.sumware.com/creation.html

He also wrote a nonfiction book on the Bible.
https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Asimovs-Guide-to-the-Bible-The-Old-...