Book Juggling

I read somewhere that you should only read books that you can't wait to pick up again once you've been forced to set them down. I won't argue with that, but what do you do when you're reading three such books?



The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 - Lawrence Wright

While touching on the ancient origins of Middle Eastern terrorism, Wright focuses mainly on what led to the birth of Al-Qaeda, starting with Egyptian scholar Sayyid Qutb's seemingly innocent visit to post-WWII America. How does one man's disgust with what he sees as America's degenerate cultural landscape lead to the horrors of 9/11 nearly half a century later? Wright's painstaking research and clear writing bring the often confusing ideologies and methods of Al-Qaeda (and pre-Al-Qaeda) terrorists into sharp focus.

This is an outstanding, non-technical book for those who want to understand the terrorist mind. I'm listening to this one in the car, so a few more book trips should help me finish the last two discs. But I'll definitely purchase a paperback copy.



The Privilege of the Sword – Ellen Kushner

This one was on my "To Read, But Not Urgent" list for quite some time until I saw that it's been nominated for a World Fantasy award. Young Katherine is called away from her humble (and poor) village existence to stay with her uncle, the Mad Duke of Tremontaine, who has drafted her for training as a swashbuckler. Sure, it sounds like just another tale of high fantasy, but Kushner masterfully weaves corrupt political machinations, a rigidly immovable social structure, dazzling swordplay, a little romance, and so much more. And there's no magic, other than Kushner's superb writing, rich in detail and character.



The Truth Is Out There: Christian Faith and the Classics of TV Science Fiction – Thomas Bertonneau and Kim Paffenroth

I picked this up at Ollie's (a bargain/discount chain in the area), thinking it would be a quick, light read. Boy, was I wrong. The Truth Is Out There, written by an English professor (Bertonneau) and a professor of religious studies (Paffenroth), is not an easy read, but it is fascinating. The authors examine Dr. Who, Star Trek (TOS), The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone, X-Files and Babylon 5, showing how each series contains elements of Christianity.

I'd certainly recommend you read the book, but here are a few of the basic ideas associated with each series:

Dr. Who – Kingship, dominion, and false gods

Star Trek – Freedom (and free will), human responsibility, humility and moderation (especially in light of the Prime Directive), compassion, self-sacrifice

The Prisoner – Human freedom, the false idol of the state, war and violence, alienation and community

Twilight Zone – Sin (especially the legacy of original sin) and grace

X-Files – Apocalypse, truth and the distortions of truth, symbolism

Babylon 5 – Universal gospel, healing, plurality and love

While Christianity is their main focus, the authors also touch on Judaism, Buddhism, and other belief systems. It's not an evangelistic book, but rather an examination of how elements of Christianity have (knowingly or unconsciously) seeped into classic sf television. I'm almost finished with the X-Files section and look forward to the chapter on Babylon 5, a show I have never seen. (Although the first disc from Season One just arrived from Netflix yesterday.)

As much as the book is enjoyable and thought-provoking, I wish the authors would consider a book on current (or more current) television shows with sf elements, such as Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Heroes, Firefly (now defunct), Carnivale (also defunct), to name just a few.

Juggling three highly enjoyable books. Things could be worse.