'The Sun Eater' Novelist Christopher Ruocchio Explains How Sci-Fi Ignoring Religion Does Religion A Disservice
The Sun Eater novelist Christopher Ruocchio has explained why he believes that science fiction authors ignoring religion does the genre a disservice.
In an interview on the 2 To Ramble YouTube show, Ruocchio discussed how his reversion to his Catholic faith influenced the series and how the books integrate religion.
At one point in the discussion he shared, “I think science fiction has done religion a disservice by pretending it will just go away. Human beings are, I think, intrinsically spiritual whether or not we want to be. And so that’s a dimension of human life that’s not going anywhere even if the nature of the worship or the object of it changes.”
“My science fiction has a strong religious element to it. It’s not a Christian element explicitly. There’s a couple characters who are. But they do not dominate the narrative in any way. It’s not like that.”
Ruocchio is not alone in making such comments. Foundation writer Isaac Asimov made similar comments in his essay “Religion and Science Fiction.”
Asimov stated, “It is impossible to write science fiction and really ignore religion. What if we find intelligent beings on other worlds. Do they have a religion? Is our God universal, and is he/she/it their God as well? What do we do about it? What do they do about?”
“This point is almost never taken up but, since it would certainly arise if such beings were discovered in actual fact, science fiction loses touch with reality in taking the easy way out and pretending religion doesn’t exist,” he added.
Ruocchio is simply stating the obvious. Human beings have always been spiritual, and pretending that advanced technology or some enlightened future will magically erase that fundamental part of who we are is lazy, dishonest, and bad storytelling.
Great science fiction explores truth about humanity, not ideological fantasies where religion conveniently vanishes so the author can push whatever message is trendy this week.
Fandom Pulse is reader-supported independent journalism. Paid subscribers get exclusive scoops and investigative reporting daily.
Dive into Space Fleet Academy: Year One, the bold, unapologetic sci-fi epic that’s the real answer to woke Starfleet Academy nonsense! Humanity’s future hangs by a thread and Earth’s elite Space Fleet Academy trains the next generation of officers to defend civilization against cosmic threats, alien dangers, and internal decay. The book explores high-stakes space battles, rigorous training, and timeless values of duty, honor, and human excellence.
If you’re tired of sanitized reboots and craving a fresh, no-holds-barred academy adventure that actually respects heroism and exploration, grab this book now.
Seems like Asimov had a few stories that touched on religious questions, but by and large, religion seemed to be missing from his fiction. I would rate him as being even more atheistic than Arthur C. Clarke, which is saying something.