A Case of Conscience - 5th Hugo Award Winner (1959)
5th Hugo Award Winner (1959)
First published as a novella in 1953 but was later extended to a full novel
James Blish also adapted Star Trek episodes into short novels.
“ From now on I will be a citizen—a citizen of no country but that bounded by the limits of my own mind. I do not know what those limits are, and I may never find out, but I shall devote my life to searching for them, in whatever manner seems good to me, and in no other manner whatsoever. ”
Overview
The basic premise is a catholic priest encounters aliens with morality, but no religion and the priest is shook. The book has 2 parts.
The first part is about 4 researchers on an alien world who were sent there to collect data and advise on how humanity should approach the world. Should they colonize it, trade, quarantine it etc.
The 2nd part of the novel is set on earth and deals with the ramifications of the researchers’ recommendations & actions that occurred on the alien world.
Pros
Aliens with no God but morality dealing with a God fearing catholic is fun.
The aliens and the world are unique & weird, they still hold up today. There not just little green men or humanoid aliens. They are uniquely alien.
Writing is coherent and the 1st part of the novel really hooks you.
It’s aged well. It has avoided some of the main tropes that sci-fi is known for which makes it a fun read.
Cons
The 2nd part of the novel is a mess
The pope & the church still have tremendous power. But it doesn’t really explain how. Space travel is now common, aliens are more common yet the catholic church is the same.
Plot & characters are over the place. It’s quite jarring considering the first part was put together so well.
Should you read it?
Yes. This book is weird & unique. It dosen’t have the same Sci-Fi tropes other books do. Part 2 almost ruins the book but it’s still worth a read.
My Rating
256 pages