The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

I picked up a new book by Mary Doria Russell titled The Sparrow (1997). It's another science fiction novel that I randomly chose when I was in Barnes & Nobles the other day. Well not totally random. It was after some productive writing on my last chapter on the development of classes of unprotected speech, and the formation of "true threats" doctrine in Watts v. United States (1969). I concede it sounds boring, and it's certainly no page turner, but it's what I do. Anyways, I decided to head over to B&N in Clarendon just to browse and give my brain some down time. I head over to the new releases, both fiction and non-fiction. If there's anything about B&N or Borders, it's the fact that they are all prearranged and ordered. It's like buying a mocha frappucino from any Starbuck's anywhere: you know it's the same at every one of them.

I make my way upstairs to the fiction and science fiction section. Again, the new releases are laid out prominently in its own section and I casually glance at the rows and rows of new books. I don't read a lot of fantasy novels. Stories about dragons, demons, sorcery, witchcraft, ancient kingdoms, bloodlines, blood feuds, a powerful sword, an even powerful ring, a king, a queen, a prince, a princess, a boy/girl to be king/queen, and every imaginable variation, does not appeal to me all that much. Don't get me wrong. Science fiction also has its conventions that defines the genre: aliens, space ships, planets, wars, photon torpedoes, transporters, warp drive, FTL, galaxies, universes, parallel realities, physics, non-physics or pseudo-science, first contact, nuclear holocaust, post-nuclear life, alien invasions, human rebellion, and so on. I find science fiction to be more appealing than fantasy although there are two that come to mind.

First is Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2004), a wondeful book about war and magic in 16th century England. Not only is it a solid narrative, but it is written like an intellectual history book complete with footnotes, discussions about the intellectual tradition of magic, and so on. The second author is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; and The Amber Spyglass (2003). It's an amazing fantastic story of children and their "familiars" caught in a horrific battle in parallel universes. There's even J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter series, but I digress ...

So I was browsing through the books, and to make an unnecessarily long post short I was intrigued by the cover on Mary Doria Russell's book. It's not superficial at all. It's a version of first impressions. I like it, or I don't, and luckily the cover was very attractive and unique that I liked it. I later found out on reading Russell's website about the origins of the cover art pieces as well: a cool mash of stars from the ceiling of Scrovegni Chapel (c. 1305), and birds from Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds (c. 1297-99). So picking up the book, I read the description on the back cover, seeing if I can recognize the names or publications. All mainstream ones which tells me the general public seems to like it. I think of it as locating the readership more than whether it really is a great book to read. So after scanning the back, I look to see if there's an author bio page: she was a paleoanthropologist. An academic? Now it's quite compelling. I turn to the first page to read her style and a bit more about the story.

I was hooked.

The Jesuit scientists went to learn, not to proselytize. They went so that they might come to know and love God's other children. They went for the reason Jesuits have always gone to the farthest frontiers of human exploration. They went ad majorem Dei gloriam: for the greater glory of God.

They meant no harm.

In short, the book is about a disastrous first contact mission to a new planet with an alien civilization by four Jesuit missionaries.

My first thought was, "What?!?" thinking about the near impossibility of the idea that the Church could organize such a venture. But then I thought about it more and realized they already did. I immediately drew upon the history of the Jesuits, the Catholic Church, and their colonial and imperial projects throughout the ages. The early history of the Jesuits was one of "first contacts."

That got me thinking.

And that's how I decided to buy the book. If there's any theme that I'll read in fiction or science fiction and fantasy novels, it's anything dealing with the Church, especially the Jesuits. Religion, theology, matters of faith, science fiction, fantasy, and, of course, politics will surely catch my eye; I'll always pick it up and give it a short read. That's certainly a lot more than all the other books that I pass by on the shelves.

And so far, I'm enjoying the book. :D