"Discovering God" in Science Fiction

KodyBoye · Nov 20, 2011

Hello,

I know I've already started a topic similar to this (Atheistic Fantasy) for the fantasy section, but an idea struck me and I thought I'd ask for people's opinions.

Anyhow, here's the question -- have there been plots where, in science fiction novels, the group of characters 'discover' who or what 'God' (doesn't have to matter which God they are) 'is?' I'm sure this has been done before, but I figured I'd ask to see if anyone knew of anything with blood in the similar vein.

Carl Sagan's Contact used this theme, to a degree, but I can't say I enjoyed the novel that much because I was overwhelmed with the scientific aspects of it. I won't go into the details because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but it follows this idea and uses it in the end to (I think) a fairly decent degree.

thothguard51 · Nov 20, 2011

In SF, many have used the searching for god theme, but I can not thing of a single one I have read where a GOD was discovered and proven to be GOD and not just another higher alien intelligence.

Now Mythology and Fantasy are different beasts, lots of gods in fantasy and mythology...

Ian Isaro · Nov 20, 2011

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is one of the major examples of this. I'm less sure about straight science fiction, but Asimov has at least one short story that ends up addressing the issue (The Last Question).

If you're willing to look outside of novels, pick any Japanese RPG and there's a pretty good chance a deity of some sort is the final boss.

MJNL · Nov 20, 2011

Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer does just that.

JimmyB27 · Nov 21, 2011

In the HHGTTG they discover god's last message to his creation, written in thirty foot high letters on the side of a mountain. The message is "We apologise for the inconvenience".

May not be the sort of thing you're looking for though. :tongue

maxmordon · Nov 21, 2011

An episode of Futurama called "Godfellas".

Torgo · Nov 21, 2011

You may be interested in TOWING JEHOVAH by James Morrow, in which the two-mile long corpse of God is found floating in the Atlantic Ocean and the Vatican dispatches a supertanker to tow Him to a tomb carved out of the Arctic ice.

lbender · Nov 21, 2011

Depends on what you're looking for. David Eddings, in his Mallorean series, has his characters find a replacement for the god (of the group of several that exist) that was killed in the previous series.

MJNL · Nov 21, 2011

Also, Philip K. Dick's last series focuses on God... Having a hard time remembering what it's called, though.

ETA: One of the books was called The Divine Invasion.

Ardent Kat · Nov 21, 2011

C.S. Lewis is well-known for his Christian allegorical fantasy aimed at children, The Chronicles of Narnia.

He also wrote a lesser-known Christian allegorical SF trilogy aimed at adults. The protagonist is a skeptic and by coming to another planet explores spiritual & social matters. First book is Out of the Silent Planet.

Martin Persson · Nov 22, 2011

Would't discovering a god using the scientific method by definition make him a part of our universe? Then he would not be a god, just a godlike being. Like Q in Star Trek, omnipotent but bounded by the laws of nature.

benbradley · Nov 22, 2011

I'm reminded of the Clarke short story "The Nine Billion Names of God."

thothguard51 said:
In SF, many have used the searching for god theme, but I can not thing of a single one I have read where a GOD was discovered and proven to be GOD and not just another higher alien intelligence.

Now Mythology and Fantasy are different beasts, lots of gods in fantasy and mythology...

That makes me think of ... something like this:

Martin Persson said:
Would't discovering a god using the scientific method by definition make him a part of our universe? Then he would not be a god, just a godlike being. Like Q in Star Trek, omnipotent but bounded by the laws of nature.

Ah, if that bolded part is true, then he's just some demigod, with a lower-case d. There, Q, come and get me.

If something Supernatural were to interact with the natural world in a consistent and repetitive way, that would be evidence for existence of the Supernatural, but this "supernatural" thing would then be part of the natural world.

If God shows Him/Her/Itself in the natural world and demonstrates supernatural powers such as going faster than the speed of light in a vacuum (or even faster than neutrinos), then "the natural world" would include these things that God demonstrates He can do.

TheRob1 · Nov 22, 2011

In my own sf manuscript one of the characters has an encounter with God. Neither he nor his team are searching for God, but since the character is one his own personal journey he bumps into God in the waiting room of a dentist's office.

MJNL · Nov 22, 2011

Ah, benbradly, but that discounts the idea that the being could have created the laws of physics and still be bound by them. To me, if it created the universe then it is a god, be it bound within the universe or not.

Martin Persson · Nov 23, 2011

benbradley said:
If God shows Him/Her/Itself in the natural world and demonstrates supernatural powers such as going faster than the speed of light in a vacuum (or even faster than neutrinos), then "the natural world" would include these things that God demonstrates He can do.

Then our universe and the laws of nature would extend to some elements we define as supernatural. Thus the god would be bounded within those extended laws.

"Discovering God" in Science Fiction

KodyBoye

New kid, be gentle!

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Ian Isaro

New Member

MJNL

A Little Lost

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

maxmordon

Penúltimo

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

lbender

MJNL

A Little Lost

Ardent Kat

Kill your television

Martin Persson

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

TheRob1

Trained by the soft master

MJNL

A Little Lost

Martin Persson