A Case of Conscience Book Review

I didn’t know much about author James Blish before picking up this book. One thing led to another, and A Case of Conscience ended up on my TBR. I decided to go ahead and read it, and I was definitely surprised. Let’s get into the review.

Originally published as a novella in 1958, winner of the Hugo Award in 1959, and eventually lengthened to a novel, A Case of Conscience follows a Jesuit priest on an alien planet. Father Ramon also acts as a scientist in dealing with the alien race on the remote planet. But as a Jesuit, he’s mostly concerned with the aliens’ sense of morality. Eventually, before Ramon leaves with his team, one of the aliens gifts him an unborn child. This child hatches after the team returns to Earth. Father Ramon then sets out to study the child’s development.

By the time the book appeared, not a lot of science fiction dealt with themes of Catholicism or religion in general. The themes, in general, ask how salvation and redemption work when facing an alien race, though it also creates its own theology in a way. The story follows a made-up variation of Jesuit theology said to be what may occur in the future. However, I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the incorporation of this theology. Especially when the book focuses on the main character, Father Ramon. Having him struggle with the broader religious themes of the book made him a very fleshed-out character. Toward the end, especially (not to spoil anything), when the alien race is threatened, the way Ramon reacts brings a lot of emotion to the story that I appreciated.

The book splits into two parts, but I found the parts that focused on Father Ramon more interesting than the alien child. With the way the book developed, those sections almost seemed to detract from the main story. The ending also moved quickly, but I enjoyed the way things wrapped up and how they ended ambiguously. Since the story continues, I might need to keep reading to see how everything plays out.

In the meantime, I dove back into my TBR. Things might be crazy the next couple of weeks since I’m heading back to the States, but that means better time zones for me. See you all later this week for another writing post. Happy writing!

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