RELIGION AT THE EDGE OF MADNESS
As an author, I’m taught to always avoid two subjects when appearing in public: politics and religion. Despite the warning, I’ve mentioned politics numerous times on this blog in relation to my SCI-FU (Science-Based Futuring) novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (Browser search “The Edge of Madness Gaynor”). After all, it is a futuring work, and as such presents many opportunities of reflecting on the nature of politics in the future. So, now it’s time for religion.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS begins after TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by William Maltese and Raymond Gaynor, with a United States of America in economic shambles and the complete dis-integration of federal services. Sound familiar? In THE EDGE OF MADNESS, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live. One challenge is religion, or rather, spirituality. While many today don’t distinguish one from the other, they’re quite different when standing at THE EDGE OF MADNESS.
Religion has continued down it’s repeated pathway, from spirituality to social club to tax-free business. Spirituality, the intimate personal relationship between an individual and a higher power, is no longer a necessary part of religion. With the further businessification of religion and its eventual elevation to a politically-correct entity, some, objecting to the status quo, can be expected to go in search of something new. This pattern is repeated over the centuries. Remember that SCI-FU is “science-based” futuring, and science is all about repetition leading to the same outcome.
One religion that retains a modicum of spirituality is nature worship, which, merging with the belief that a higher power’s actions are, by definition, not fully comprehensible to the worshipper (or it wouldn’t be a higher power) — call this “magic” — and we have Wicca. Part spirituality, part religion. And that’s what Simi Andry Jan [Jan-Rho], one of the three protagonists, daughter of legendary patriot-revolutionaries Adlephius Tripler and Amelie Stewart, as a coven high priestess espouses. In fact, Andry, in her mind, is presented the opportunity of obtaining her heart’s desire but only through letting go of it through Wicca, a power challenge not unlike that experienced by at some point by many religious adherents.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS reflects back a plausible future in which humans still must deal with the fundamental questions of life, but in an increasingly complex and dangerous milieu. Remember when your parents and grandparents mused on how much better life was in the past? Substitute “simpler” for “better” and I believe you can begin to imagine the challenging world of our children and children’s children. But why imagine when you can experience it first hand in THE EDGE OF MADNESS:
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
THE EDGE OF MADNESS begins after TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by William Maltese and Raymond Gaynor, with a United States of America in economic shambles and the complete dis-integration of federal services. Sound familiar? In THE EDGE OF MADNESS, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live. One challenge is religion, or rather, spirituality. While many today don’t distinguish one from the other, they’re quite different when standing at THE EDGE OF MADNESS.
Religion has continued down it’s repeated pathway, from spirituality to social club to tax-free business. Spirituality, the intimate personal relationship between an individual and a higher power, is no longer a necessary part of religion. With the further businessification of religion and its eventual elevation to a politically-correct entity, some, objecting to the status quo, can be expected to go in search of something new. This pattern is repeated over the centuries. Remember that SCI-FU is “science-based” futuring, and science is all about repetition leading to the same outcome.
One religion that retains a modicum of spirituality is nature worship, which, merging with the belief that a higher power’s actions are, by definition, not fully comprehensible to the worshipper (or it wouldn’t be a higher power) — call this “magic” — and we have Wicca. Part spirituality, part religion. And that’s what Simi Andry Jan [Jan-Rho], one of the three protagonists, daughter of legendary patriot-revolutionaries Adlephius Tripler and Amelie Stewart, as a coven high priestess espouses. In fact, Andry, in her mind, is presented the opportunity of obtaining her heart’s desire but only through letting go of it through Wicca, a power challenge not unlike that experienced by at some point by many religious adherents.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS reflects back a plausible future in which humans still must deal with the fundamental questions of life, but in an increasingly complex and dangerous milieu. Remember when your parents and grandparents mused on how much better life was in the past? Substitute “simpler” for “better” and I believe you can begin to imagine the challenging world of our children and children’s children. But why imagine when you can experience it first hand in THE EDGE OF MADNESS:
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
No comments have been added yet.
