James Blish's "A CASE OF CONSCIENCE"
Book review by Dennis D. McDonald
This classic novel from 1959 is amazingly creative. While it does not anticipate the Internet and is a bit too cavalier about faster than light phenomena, the author provides not only dense technological and social frameworks but constantly throws surprises at the unwary reader.
I wonder, for example, if James Cameron consciously or unconsciously lifted some alien world ideas from this for AVATAR? Also, parts of the plot are eerily reminiscent of Heinlein’s 1961 STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND.
Whatever. A CASE OF CONSCIENCE thoughtfully addresses profound and basic religious concepts in the context of an alien culture that appears to be “godless” yet operates at a very high level of sophistication and tranquility. It's not till four earth scientists — one of whom is a Jesuit priest and biologist -- descend on the planet that things get dicey. The team of four has a definite job: evaluate the planet’s cultural and natural resources, then recommend whether to establish “commerce” with the planet or label it “off limits.”
Members of the team are aware of the implications their evaluation may have on driving a possible colonial (i.e., exploitative) relationship with the planet. What the priest finds himself wondering is the driving point of the novel: how can a nearly perfect, peaceful, money-free, and governmentless planet have developed such an advanced society and technologies without any concept of God?
This central question could be enough to drive the novel all by itself but Blish layers on detail after detail comparing the two planets in terms of social order, biology, geology, communications, evolution, child rearing, militarism, nuclear energy, and mob psychology.
Not everything attempted by the author succeeds. The novel was after all published in 1959 and based on a novella from 1953. But Blish keeps the ideas and plot twists coming. Not surprisingly, this was a Hugo award winner for best sci-fi novel of the year 1959.
For the most part, it still holds up. It has certainly reminded me that it might be well worth my time to revisit other “classic” sci-fi novels. Recommended.
Review copyright © 2022 by Dennis D. McDonald