Introduction
In my previous posts, I have given some updates on the progress of my writing. (Unsettled Science and Imagination for Writers) Today I am stepping out a little further. I know there are those who think Science Fiction writing is anti-Christian, and they are entitled to their opinion, though I disagree. The first book I wrote and am editing deals with the interactions of three different alien species and the protagonist who is a young man from modern-day Earth. As a Christian, I believe God created the heavens and the earth, therefore all the alien races have humanoid appearances. After all, God created man in His image regardless of their specific place of origin.
Alien Societies
Cathardi
The events of the novel begin when an alien race, the Cathardi, comes to Earth seeking the one described in an ancient prophecy and revealed in dreams and visions to a member of their Sisterhood. They are a homogeneous society with a strict religious culture. They developed faster than light travel using a ‘gravity’ drive to create singularities, allowing them to move almost instantaneously from one point to another in the universe. Their appearance at the start of the novel seems to be an invasion despite their assurances of friendship. They are very human in appearance and resemble the Ocampa, (Tess), from Star Trek Voyager.
The Cathardi have only one race and one religion, though sects with different interpretations of their tenets exist. A council of nine members heads their government. Three members, chosen by the senior officers, represent the military. Three members, chosen by the elders of the Sisterhood, represent religious interests, and the last three, democratically elected, members represent civilian interests. Many in the sisterhood have advanced psychic abilities, enabling them to sense the emotional state of individuals, which can cause issues with the other factions. Because of issues with this and other unique traits that arise during intense worship, the Cathardi males and females worship separately.
Melal
Later in the novel, the protagonist travels to an orbital station jointly run by the Cathardi and the Melal, the second race. The Melal are also human in appearance, though different from the Cathardi. The world, that the station orbits, is slightly larger than Earth, so the inhabitants are shorter and more stoutly built than men or Cathardi. In their secular society, some follow the religious beliefs of the Cathardi, but most, though they may believe in the creator, do not. They use their association with the Cathardi to build trade and other commercial operations. Their society is perhaps the closest to modern America.
Their government is a democratically elected republic. The focus on financial prosperity includes businesses, especially on the space station, which has led to businesses that cater to the alien crews of the various freighters that come to the stations. These include drinking, gambling, and prostitution. The moral differences can cause problems between the Cathardi and Melal, but a separate but equal policy allows for cooperation between the races for running the station.
Urlak
The third alien society is the Urlak. They are the antagonists of the story. Their culture has developed over the centuries to where all Urlak are clones. They do not recognize God and use the conquest of other worlds to provide resources and occasionally new genetic material to improve their race. They have enhanced genetics for aggression and loyalty to the race. Though human in form, they are nearly hairless with muscular builds and orange skin. Their ability to conquer more worlds resulted after their first contact with the Cathardi. They deceived the Cathardi into thinking they were friendly, before turning on them and stealing their drive and weapons technology. Now they focus on finding and destroying the Cathardi home world.
Interactions and Dynamics
The Cathardi arrival presents many problems for the people of Earth. The existence of an alien race poses questions for both religious and scientific beliefs. Their profession of friendship considering their superior technology, seems disingenuous with their superior military presence over the planet. Many on Earth fear and distrust the Cathardi. Though they helped in building an orbiting station bringing interstellar trade. They also brought their advanced medical technology which they shared, and they trained pilots to operate interstellar spacecraft. To some, the negotiations that led to this cooperation seemed like a shotgun wedding. Did Earth have a choice?
During the initial contact with the Melal, the Earth travelers found a culture they could relate to more easily. The separate but equal policy highlighted the Cathardi superiority complex. Like Earth, the Melal had some lingering resentment against the Cathardi. These resentments showed in their music and arts. Plays and programs presented in eating establishments often ridiculed the strict Cathardi cultural and religious beliefs. The open availability to adult entertainment establishments acted as an outward sign of the Melal resistance to Cathardi control.
For their part, the Cathardi used a policy of isolationism to preserve their unique identity. They did not allow ships or crews from other planets to travel to or know the location of the Cathardi home world. This became more important to them after their contact and ensuing forty-year conflict with the aggressive and violent Urlak.
Conclusions
As the story unfolds it becomes necessary for the protagonist to put aside his prejudice to help the Cathardi. The Cathardi learn that isolation does not mean safety. It is hopefully apparent even with the stereotypical cultures presented in the novel, that men and women are the same everywhere if they have enough freedom to make relevant choices. Of course, there are other races and plot points in the novel currently in the hands of a developmental editor. If any of this sounds interesting to you drop me a note in the comments.
I had initially intended to write about Father’s Day from the point of view of a grandfather. But I started playing with Chatgpt, ChatGPT (openai.com), for ideas on a blog post that pertained more to my writing. This was the result. If you enjoy my posts please sign up using the pop-up form to receive notifications when I have new posts.