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{"id":1057,"date":"2011-08-04T10:55:17","date_gmt":"2011-08-04T14:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/exploringourmatrix\/?p=1044"},"modified":"2011-08-04T10:55:17","modified_gmt":"2011-08-04T14:55:17","slug":"top-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-of-all-time-with-focus-on-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2011\/08\/top-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-of-all-time-with-focus-on-religion.html","title":{"rendered":"Top Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of All Time (with focus on religion)?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Many of the sci-fi blogs I read (IO9<\/a>, Biology in Science Fiction<\/a>, and SF Signal<\/a>) mentioned NPR\u2019s choice of their top 100 science fiction and fantasy books, and then asked for people to vote for their top 10.<\/p>\n

When working on the book Religion and Science Fiction<\/em> that was just released, we adopted from the outset an approach that would make the book interesting and useful to those whose own choice of favorites might be different from those of a given contributor. Each chapter treats a specific theme<\/em>, such as artificial intelligence, good and evil, scientists playing God, or the sociology of fandom. It may focus on specific examples from the seemingly endless number of books, movies and TV shows in the sci-fi genre, but is written in such a way as to be not merely intelligible but relevant and easy to connect with other texts that touch on the same themes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What would your choice of the top 10 science fiction (or fantasy, if you prefer) novels be that touch on religion<\/a> as a major element in the story<\/em>? Feel free to let yourself be guided by NPR\u2019s suggestions, or come up with ones they didn\u2019t include in their top 100<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For me, I think my religion and sci-fi list would include the following:<\/p>\n

Dan Simmons\u2019 Hyperion Cantos<\/em> series<\/p>\n

Frank Herbert\u2019s Dune<\/em> series<\/p>\n

Mary Doria Russell\u2019s The Sparrow<\/em> and Children of God<\/em><\/p>\n

Ray Bradbury\u2019s The Illustrated Man<\/em> and\/or The Martian Chronicles<\/em> (his story \u201cThe Fire Balloons\u201d was only in some editions of the latter)<\/p>\n

Perhaps also Contact<\/em> by Carl Sagan, for this particular category.<\/p>\n

Then there are a great many that I would find it hard to choose between for the remaining slots.<\/p>\n

What would be on your list?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"