Question concerning scripture...

[Destroyer2000]

Alright, I'm in the process of writing a sci-fi story, but I don't want to have anything in there that may be offensive to Christians, besides some things that are just part of it; space combat and such. Anyway, I meant things mainly like terraforming planets, other universes (multiverse, anyone?) and dimensions. Also, I was wondering...a friend of mine who wrote one of these had a race called "Angels" because they looked like Angels, though as far as I know, he made it clear that they were not God's angels, just an alien race that humankind thought resembled them. Sacreligous? I just wish to avoid anything anti-Christian in any way.

EDIT: Also, what about Earth's destruction by an unknown Alien race? Cliche, yeah, but still...a common element in Scifi.

[Anna Mae]

I don't see any problem with calling them Angels.

As to Earth's destruction by an unknown Alien race, that depends. Is God present in your story (does He exist in the world you have constructed)? If He is present, His overall plan should be considered in the story and we should see Him at work. If He isn't, hey, why not?

[Destroyer2000]

I haven't the slightest idea how to incorporate God into it, besides having a Christian main character...who fights and kills?

[IZ&Trigun4life]

LOL aliens Multiuniverse...totally cool, no worries here. As for fighting and killing, depends.

[Steeltemplar]

I haven't the slightest idea how to incorporate God into it, besides having a Christian main character...who fights and kills?

Angel is simply a word:

In English, Angel.
In German, Engel.
In Italian, Angelo.
In French, Ange.

I could go on. But the point is that it is a word and not a proper name. It needs its definition in order to retain any religious nature. If one says that a cute small child is "a little angel", it's hardly a sacreligious remark.

However, as with the above, the term "angel" does evoke comparison in peoples' minds. So while I would say it would not be wrong or sinful to name them this, I advise against it anyway. Perhaps some name that is similar to angel. I think this will come across better to the reader. Especially if you ever have to mention actual angels of the heavenly variety.

Earth's destruction is fine, I suppose. God never told us the when and where of the future per se. Only in vague terms. So who knows? Humanity might someday encompass many worlds instead of just Earth. Or the apocalypse could be next Tuesday. The point is I think you should be fine in that sense.

As "who fights and kills?", I am not sure if you are asking if this is alright. But I will answer anyway, it certainly is. Many fine Christians have served in the military and have fought and sacrificed for their nation. Just remember to follow God's laws in the process (no murder, etc.).

[Destroyer2000]

It won't be detailed, I can assure you; think mecha. Star Wars. Ships blowing up, not necessarily a person dying so much as a ship being lost.

[uc pseudonym]

A good question to ask would be: do you want this story to be explicitly Christian? Keep in mind that just because you're putting forth a non-Christian world that doesn't mean you can't have any sort of morality. But if you have a basic story that isn't in any way religious, trying to put religious material into it will only degrade both.

Meanwhile, Anna Mae more or less stated my thoughts as to the rest.

Also, I'm going to move this to writing shortly. I realize you'll get fewer page views there, but it is more fitting.

[Destroyer2000]

AH, you posted before me; yeah, the main character will be fighting military style. Defending humanity and such.

[Destroyer2000]

We have a writing page...? Wow.

[Kaligraphic]

I'd advise against calling an alien race "Angels", not because of any religious connotation, but simply because it suggests that we are naming another intelligent race. Plus, it sounds like a code-name. It is generally better in sci-fi to give alien races more distinct names - i.e. Kzinti, Klingon, Wookiee, Taelon, Alkari, Whateveroid. Use of correlations with Earth mythology as in, say, Star Trek is actually connected through the names of the stars, providing an astronomical, rather than mythical connection.

Or maybe it's just that calling them angels would kind of sound like you couldn't think of a better name.

But that's not a scriptural objection, just a literary one.

[CDLviking]

Narnia had multiple universes and killing in it. I doubt that anyone considers those works anything but classics of Christian fiction.

As far as creating a believable science fiction world that conforms to your beliefs, write down a few rules for your universe to keep it on track, and follow those rules to their logical conclusions.

[Arnobius]

[quote="Kaligraphic"]I'd advise against calling an alien race "Angels", not because of any religious connotation, but simply because it suggests that we are naming another intelligent race. Plus, it sounds like a code-name. It is generally better in sci-fi to give alien races more distinct names - i.e. Kzinti, Klingon, Wookiee, Taelon, Alkari, Whateveroid. Use of correlations with Earth mythology as in, say, Star Trek is actually connected through the names of the stars, providing an astronomical, rather than mythical connection.

Or maybe it's just that calling them angels would kind of sound like you couldn't think of a better name. ]
Well, you could make clear that this is just what the humans call them, like a slang term, while the race has its own name for itself.

As for my thoughts in general:
With uncomfortable details (like disagreements over life in space, evolution vs creationism, etc) you can do what many authors do and not address what you don't find necessary for the story, You're creating a story, not writing a doctoral thesis on theology. Tolkein didn't deal with whether or not balrogs were monsters or demons, or whether elves had souls. When writing Christian fiction, address what you think is important and don't get bogged down in the controversial stuff... unless that is the purpose of the writing

[Destroyer2000]

Well, I want a long story...like my friends. I was put to shame by his 300 page novel, when I thought my 15-20 page story was good. Now that I think about it, well...heh. I need to describe stuff...I'm somewhat good at writing now, but anyone got any tips?

THe reason I posted this thread in the first place is because I was going through a phase where everything I did seemed like sin; it bothered me. The enemy was attacking me badly, and I'll admit I'm not completely over it. I still struggle, as I will until the day I die or am taken. Anyway, I had heard some verses, they bothered me because they were taken out of context, and I thought I no longer had any chance to make it to Glory. Times like that make EVERYTHING dreary.

Anyway, back to the point. Any tips?

[Kaligraphic]

Read a lot of sci-fi. Don't make too many ninja aliens. Never be stoned on television because that just looks stupid.

[ClosetOtaku]

Well, I want a long story...like my friends. I was put to shame by his 300 page novel, when I thought my 15-20 page story was good. Now that I think about it, well...heh. I need to describe stuff...I'm somewhat good at writing now, but anyone got any tips?

Why is length an issue? Sci-Fi authors like Bradbury and Asimov wrote short stories all the time. Some of the best Philip K. Dick and William Gibson works are short (20-30 pages). Check out Stephen King's The Mist sometime - 130 pages, not even a novel. Plenty of excellent short works out there. Rather than focusing on a novel, why not just focus on a story -- and let the life cycle of the story determine the length?

As for "Angels", consider the following: The lands Columbus discovered in the 15th century were called the West Indies, the inhabitants Indians, all because of a mistaken impression that Columbus had found India. The term "Indians" has been set aside within my lifetime (being replaced by "Native Americans") because of a concerted effort to re-name the indigenous inhabitants; otherwise, they would still be collectively described by that name 400 years later.

If an alien race were to be named "Angels", therefore, it would likely be because they were misinterpreted to be some sort of supernatural beings when first encountered -- and the name just stuck. Otherwise, there seems to be no really good reason why an alien race would be called "Angels".

As for not being offensive: forget it, you will offend someone somehow (presuming enough people read your work, which is not guaranteed by a long shot). Instead, focus on the essentials: Why do you write? What are you trying to say? What makes your ideas, your concepts, your plot any different than the plethora of dreck already available online, in pulp sci-fi magazines, in that used paperback store on the corner, in fanzines... I think you are putting the cart before the horse. First, write something worth reading. Then I'd start worrying about public reaction.

If this sounds overly harsh, it is because I've had the opportunity to read the works of "nascent authors" many times. The vast majority of it is garbage: no structure, poor grammar, no character development, no continuity, "deus ex machina", Mary Sue self-referential wish-fulfillment fantasy masquerading as fiction. The worst part about this is that many writers fail to see -- even after much criticism -- where they are falling short, and continue to churn out works suffering from the same maladies time after time. If you wish to succeed, you must be open to having yourself flayed. Worrying about offending someone is not a good starting point.

Your comparison to your friend worries me. You want a long story "like your friends'". That seems a long way from the creed of a true writer -- "We do not write because we want to; we write because we must." Perhaps you should examine your motives. If "success" equals "a work of approximately 300 pages", the point of writing is missed. Pay no attention to your friend or, if you must, only attend to what mistakes and errors he made in his writing, and avoid them.

Writing fiction palatable to Christians is tricky. I enjoyed George MacDonald immensely. I liked Frank Peretti, although his narrative ran out of steam before he ran out of pages. I think Larry Burkett should never be allowed to write a work of fiction again -- the stuff he has put out so far is abysmal. So, it is not an easy undertaking even in the best of circumstances. But you will go nowhere if you can't write well in the first place.

So, you asked for advice, you got it. Write. Write well. Be very open to criticism. Don't worry about your friend. Don't worry about offending people. A "Christian who fights and kills" will offend a portion of the population, Christian and non-Christian alike. Write about him/her and see what happens. Good luck.

[Destroyer2000]

Thanks. One thing...I hear so much about it, but what the heck is 'dues ex machina'? Wasn't there a game by that name at some point?

From the sound of it, having a Christian character wouldn't work that well. Moral based, perhaps?

[ClosetOtaku]

"Deus Ex Machina", from the Wiki:

Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that refers to an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.... It originated with Greek and Roman theater, when a mechane would lower actors playing a god or gods on stage to resolve a hopeless situation. The phrase is often translated as "god comes from the machine", where the machine referred to is the crane device employed in the task.

As far as your character not being a Christian... why not? Have there not been Christians who fought wars throughout history? What is their point of view?

Perhaps you should read two opposing novels about future combat. In both, neither protagonist is Christian (at least as we understand the term). One is Heinlein's Starship Troopers. The other is Haldeman's The Forever War. The former is considered conservative (to the point of fascism, according to some critics), the latter is considered an anti-war tale (not surprisingly written during the Vietnam era). You can see that in both, the main character transcended the action and got to the heart of the metaphysics of why we fight (or why we shouldn't fight).

So, how would a Christian in a future war be any different from a Christian who fought in, say... the Spanish-American War? World War I? II? Korea? Vietnam? Persian Gulf? Iraq?....

Don't get me wrong, there might be differences. It's your story. Why can't technology and the advancement of human thinking prevent wars? Will Democracies ever go to war with one another? If warfare becomes increasingly remote-controlled, what are the human implications? How should a Christian respond under such circumstances?

I think you have good potential for an interesting story, but good potential is not enough (as per my previous post). But don't throw in the towel just because the task seems daunting.

[uc pseudonym]

In terms of if you want your main character to be Christian: I stand by what I said before (that is, the question "is it necessary?"). However, I'll add that your characters don't have to reflect perfect theology. In fact, they shouldn't. I have quite a few theological positions, but my characters frequently hold different ones.

This is a relatively good example. As ClosetOtaku pointed out, Christians have approved of and participated in war. Even if you disapprove of this position, you can still write about it, because it is an honest reflection of reality. The question is what you want the story to accomplish in terms of theme.

Well, I want a long story...like my friends. I was put to shame by his 300 page novel, when I thought my 15-20 page story was good. Now that I think about it, well...heh. I need to describe stuff...I'm somewhat good at writing now, but anyone got any tips?

Writing long is easy; writing well is difficult. I've seen some authors who turn minor events into epics on a regular basis. Not by bogging the text down in description, but simply by introducing a lot of elements and dialogue that seems to have a purpose at the time but doesn't serve the story. I'll echo ClosetOtaku in saying that you shouldn't aim for any specific length. Use as many words as the story warrents.

[Destroyer2000]

I just think it will be really confusing trying to write a story that takes place long after our time. I mean, I don't even know that humanity will exist then. Granted, this is a FICTION story, but I just haven't got the slightest idea how to associate God into it.

[creed4]

Write it how God tells you to write it.
As for how to put him in it Pray about it, He will help you,
I am also glad to hear other christian are writing Scifi, I to am writing some.

[Kanerou]

As for my thoughts in general:
With uncomfortable details (like disagreements over life in space, evolution vs creationism, etc) you can do what many authors do and not address what you don't find necessary for the story, You're creating a story, not writing a doctoral thesis on theology. Tolkein didn't deal with whether or not balrogs were monsters or demons, or whether elves had souls. When writing Christian fiction, address what you think is important and don't get bogged down in the controversial stuff... unless that is the purpose of the writing

Thank you. I have been so stuck on that.

But to reiterate, agree, add my two cents to an alread-addressed point, whatever, yeah, book length isn't everything. I love length myself, but a short, well-written story is better than a long story that stinks.