New Catholic Fiction

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bravado
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bravado

Guest
Hey all,

I’ve not posted here in a long spell. For anyone looking for some fresh Catholic fiction in the sci-fi genre, I can offer a new book: Razorback: Premonition. It’s on Amazon. The blurb is here–enjoy!

"Albert Malleus was the greatest captain in Fleet history–before his disgrace. Now, a decade later, he is given a chance at redemption: he is to captain the Fellowship, a mining scow turned transport, as part of the greatest evacuation convoy in history. The convoy’s destination is Vernovum, a paradise that promises new beginnings for the remnants of the human race.

“At odds with his ship and crew, Malleus’s ruthless style of command quickly alienates allies and emboldens enemies. Beset with mutiny, malfunction, and his own indifference, Malleus’s tenure aboard the *Fellowship *promises to be short. With the situation collapsing into chaos, Malleus must find a way to save the Fellowship, protect the convoy, and complete the mission. That is, if he still believes in the promise of Vernovum.”
 
What, exactly, makes it Catholic fiction? I’m not seeing anything in the blurb about Catholicism.
 
Kay_Cee said:
What, exactly, makes it Catholic fiction? I’m not seeing anything in the blurb about Catholicism.
Click to expand...
The blurb does not contain overt Catholic references, though it has symbolic ones. The book was designed to appeal to a wide audience–the hope being that people will become invested in the story despite perhaps having an anti-Catholic bias. The book is missionary in its spirit.

The narrative contains very Catholic references, symbols and teachings. For instance, the book has a priest, the holy sacrifice of the mass, sacraments, moral teachings, doctrines, etc., but care was made to avoid it ever becoming preachy. There is also a lot of allegorical and symbolic framework at play.

On the cover, for instance, the character facing the sun is holding a crucifix in his left hand, and the ship’s name “Fellowship” is a synonym and thus a symbol of the Church (the ship as “vehicle of salvation”). The name Albert Malleus represents the conflicted soul while also being a type of Christ and a representative of man’s fallen nature (“Alb” = “White” or good as well as being a priestly garment and “Malleus” = the Latin words for both evil and hammer - representing man’s forceful will).

The book can be decoded as an allegory for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

It is Catholic literature, but you may have to get past the cover to see it (unless you spot that crucifix on the front)

Cheers!
 
1neophyte said:
What was his disgrace?
Click to expand...
Albert Malleus’s disgrace is revealed as part of his character development in the book.

But, in the interests of feeding interest…

Albert Malleus’s disgrace came after he led the Earth’s armada against a fleet of scavengers. Outmatched in tech, Malleus gave the desperate order to ram the enemy vessels. This tactic won the day and saved the Earth but destroyed the terrestrial fleet and caused the deaths of hundreds of military personnel. Because of these costs, Malleus was judged criminally negligent and reckless, was stripped of his rank and dishonourably discharged and imprisoned, hence his public disgrace.

That backstory will explain Malleus’s bitter and cynical edge, but also his heroic undertones and allows for the plot to progress along with the characters.

Thanks for the question!
 
Looking forward to reading this. I totally agree with your goal to keep the Catholicism from being in-your-face. It’s not an easy tightrope to walk.

I’ve sworn to buy no more from Amazon until my finances improve, but put it on my Wish list.

.
 
reggieM said:
Well - congratulations! I hope you will be very successful.
Click to expand...
Thank you! Very kind of you to say!
Viki63 said:
Looking forward to reading this. I totally agree with your goal to keep the Catholicism from being in-your-face. It’s not an easy tightrope to walk.

I’ve sworn to buy no more from Amazon until my finances improve, but put it on my Wish list.

.
Click to expand...
Yes, Catholic culture is taking a beating, but I believe the spray and pray method is not the best versus trying to find people where they’re at and working with them: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” as St. Francis de Sales used to say. I hope this book finds an audience and is good enough on its own merits to make its mark in Fiction in a very saturated genre.

Thanks for your support–I hope you have the chance to read it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top