With the eyes of the sf community already on Port Huron, Michigan as the site of Peter Watts’ arrest and trial, it’s an interesting coincidence to discover a local blogger there warning his fellow citizens against sf writers generally.

A post to Way of Life Literature features a black-and-white photo of Isaac Asimov thoughtfully grasping his chin with one hand as he looks the reader in the eye. But this is not a fan site. Asimov is exhibited as one of many reasons to “Beware Science Fiction” on a blog hosted by the Fundamental Baptist Information Service of Port Huron. The reason for the warning?

Science fiction takes the reader into a strange world without God. Oh, there might be “a god,” a “force,” but it is definitely not the God of the Bible, and the prominent names in this field are atheists.

Seems to me there’s no denying that, although some will be offended to see it treated as a bug rather than a feature.

And yet, science fiction isn’t monolithic (no Kubrick reference intended).  If some apologists are concerned sf will erode people’s faith, that is by no means the inevitable outcome. Consider C.S. Lewis, former atheist, whose fame as a writer of sf and fantasy followed his conversion to Christianity. Lewis also issued a famous warning of his own:

“Really, a young Atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for him on every side.”

P.S. While Peoria is mentioned in the headline because the old cliche resonates with this story, in fact SF really does play in Peoria, once home to writer P.J. Farmer and fan Ed Connor (Moebius Trip).

[Via the two Davids — Klaus and Langford.]