The Discipling Of Mytra

by Rich Coffeen

“Rich Coffeen has created a reformed alternative to the Left Behind books and… envisioned a future almost as realistic as that of the ill-fated Firefly series.”
- The Puritan Board

In the Year of Our Lord 3125…

Born into a church that eschews cybernetic implants, Sarah Chen is an outcast in her team sent by Interplanetary Missions to open the closed world of Mytra to the Gospel. Beset by insecurities and scorn, she longs for nothing more than acceptance.

Mytra is an isolated paradise in the Galactic Core, founded by radical humanists determined to live out their ideals. Inhabited entirely by men, socially engineered to be homosexual, the planet is governed by tyrannical AIs who will stop at nothing to preserve their Makers’ dreams.

Alex, a Mytran boy enslaved by his robots, has four months remaining until his coming of age ceremony. If he refuses to become a man, the very robots who raised him will carry out his execution. Alex and his small Order of resistors have no hope of survival, until Sarah’s ship arrives in orbit.

Against tyrants who would kill their own people before losing a single soul, how will Alex and Sarah free Mytra?

Genres: Christian, Science Fiction, Fiction

430 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2009

About the author

Rich Coffeen lives in Deerfield, IL with the wife of his youth, Therese. They share seven beautiful children in their crown.

A reverend in the PCA, Rich currently pastors the youth of North Shore Chinese Christian Church. He and his family have dedicated themselves to cross-cultural ministry, serving as missionaries in Japan for a couple years, and to Chinese communities in the States.

Rich’s mission work and love for the science fiction genre inspired him to write books which show Christians victoriously bearing the name of Christ to every planet and star.

Reviews

[Benjamin Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to review. Somewhere between a 3-4. I’m rounding up because the book kept me turning pages and it made me think a lot. Written by a PCA pastor, it aims to be explicitly Christian Sci-Fi. The characters and plot are interesting; the ending was disappointingly underwhelming. Some parts of the book were compelling, others were sloppy. There was a long historical speech from the villain in the story that was very poorly written - excessively lengthy, repetitive, juvenile, and unrealistic. Numerous typos throughout the book. Despite these complaints, the story was overall very interesting and thought provoking.

I had some significant disappointments about some of the morality and theology of the characters in this book, for example, the repeated use of “my God” with no owning this as a breach of the third commandment, and a (supposedly Christian) AI’s use of a picture of Jesus on the cross in evangelism with the AI then immediately claiming never to have committed a sin of commission (second commandment).

The nature of subject matter like AI, implantation, modification, cyborgs, and futuristic “corporate” “worship” beg moral questions that I think the author didn’t necessarily intend to answer. The form of corporate worship described in the book was very thought provoking to me and increased my appreciation for real, Reformed corporate worship in opposition to the grotesque substitute described in the book.

Scriptures weren’t always handled as carefully as I would prefer (when coming from believing characters), but the book was full of Scripture throughout, and there was a strong focus on the principle of the Lordship of Christ over all. There was a clear stand against evils like homosexuality which was commendable in this age of tiptoeing around such issues.

All in all, an interesting read and a worthy stab at developing a Christian Sci-Fi, but I can’t recommend it to all. Parents should read this book before letting their children do so as there is much adult subject matter, especially focused on human sexuality, which, while the sexuality is never described explicitly, I’m on the fence over whether it was a bit too pervasive.

[Lillian McCulloch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique, intellectual novel that pursues a premise that gripped me from the start: foreign missions in space. The plot was suspensefully written, full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Even stronger was the character writing--flawed human beings struggling to do the right thing. Mission work is messy, and I appreciate how the author refused to portray it with any pretense of perfection. That being said, there are other elements I think could have been executed better, such as Sarah and Alex's relationship, worldbuilding the galaxy outside of Mytra, and setting up the climax with appropriate foreshadowing earlier in the book. This was a thought-provoking read, that I enjoyed a lot.

[Sally Mander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm, Christian Science Fiction. Thought it'd be something I'd like to read. When it mentioned TRIGGER WARNINGS, it lost me. Deleted off of all of my devices.

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think that an author describing a character's actions and ideas implies *endorsement* of those actions you probably won't enjoy this book.

But if you enjoy watching characters who aren't perfect responding to the extreme pressures enabled by the unusual situations that go along with science fiction, you might well find this book to be enjoyable and stimulating. The author is particularly good at defeats that enable a good outcome and master strokes that spell calamity for the one who delivered them.

It must be acknowledged that there are signs in the text of an imperfect editorial process.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the Year of Our Lord 3125, and teenage Sarah Chen, with an IQ of 220, is the slowest member of a team with twenty members on the ship Veiled Glory sent by the InterPlanetary Missions Agency to open the closed planet of Mytra, an isolated humanist paradise inhabited entirely by homosexual men and boys who know nothing beyond their world. Beset by insecurities and scorn, she longs for companionship and the chance to prove herself. Alex, a Mytran boy enslaved by robots, has four months remaining until coming of age on his twentieth birthday. If he refuses to obey his Rulers’ traditions, the very robots who raised him will carry out his execution. Alex and his Order of Wilderness resistors have no hope of survival, until Sarah’s ship arrives in orbit.

Alex is captured by Sarah’s team to get more information about Mytra, but, mistaking them for robots because of their neural implants, he kills all the members except Sarah, so she alone must convince him to help her open the planet up. Can she get Alex to listen to her? Against secretive tyrants who would kill their own people before losing a single soul, how will Sarah and Alex free Mytra? And what will happen to Sarah? The Discipling Of Mytra has been called a Reformed alternative to the Left Behind books. This novel is really not suitable for young children. There are references to drinking wine, the “d” and “h” words are used as interjections, and a moderate amount of talk about sex occurs, though nothing vulgar, obscene, or pornographic. After all, the plot involves a planet of homosexuals, and there is also mention of lesbians.

Depending upon their background, not all sincere believers will be in agreement with even some of the theological concepts woven into the story, such as total hereditary depravity, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, justification by faith alone, the role and form of baptism, and dancing in worship. However, I liked the way the author includes non-politically correct truth about such subjects as morality, humanism, and homosexuality. Some might wonder if it’s really possible to have “Christian science fiction” or not, but those who would like science fiction with fascinating technology and a Christian twist where character development is central to the story should find this book interesting. Again, as one reviewer wrote, “There are some adult themes in the book so I’d recommend reading it yourself before giving it to anyone younger than 15 to read.”

[Tim Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off very poorly, I almost stopped reading it. The first few chapters are all over the place and don’t have a coherent flow. Once through those first few chapters, the book gets incredibly good. There are so many good analogies to missions in this book. There are also many things in the book that made me think about cross cultural missions in a different way. I do with the chapters in this book were shorter. The chapters could take me up to 45 minutes to read with no breaks/natural stopping points the entire time. This could make me feel drained after finishing a chapter and feeling like there is a huge task in front of me to start the next one.

[Laura Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original, complex and intriguing, this hard SciFi deals with some difficult topics in a most extraordinary way. In spite of the fact I am not often interested in tech heavy hard science, this was engrossing. I was often surprised by the way the author used Christian evangelism in the story, as well as some unexpected directions it took. I have never found such a mix of Christianity and AI before. I will warn that it does deal with sexual situations, though it’s not explicit. It’s a long read, but worth it.

[Caylah Coffeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters: 5/5
These are the most moving characters I have ever read. I had never seen such real Christian characters live out their lives in an exciting adventure story in a way that entertained, made me cry, left me convicted in my spirit, and enthralled me with new ideas. Trigger warning: they sin. A LOT. This is not a soft, sweet story. These are messed up, hurt people, who hurt each other, yet see amazing growth through God, and get to experience a thrilling story. In other words, it’s like hearing a real life testimony, one that really impacts you, and yet it’s the kind of tale we all crave, as delightful as Lewis, Homer, and Star Wars. I read it again and again and resonate more with these characters each time. Also, they’re just super interesting people - an analytical genius with lots of trauma, a loner missionary with some messed up genetic engineering, and a slightly psychotic AI who just got some really… interesting upgrades.

Plot: 4/5
There are some shockers in this one. I loved the twists and turns. It’s definitely not predictable. The author kept taking the story in unexpected and fascinating directions. I loved how unique it felt and how character driven the plot is. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the ending felt a bit rushed, slightly confusing, and didn’t draw out the emotion that was there in the finale.

Worldbuilding: 5/5
Fascinating! The larger world has a space opera feel. There is so much more to the history and cultures in this world that’s only hinted at. It’s clear the author has developed a vast universe with new religions, AI wars, politics, and more. The sub groups we do see have quite unique traditions and practices that I haven’t encountered in other sci-fi. Most interesting, was the development of new Christian traditions. This is often neglected, but it was fascinating to see how augmented humans might worship God thousands of years from now (the story takes place in our universe, which has been colonized). There were countless juicy tidbits like this throughout the story.

Writing: 5/5
The author is a master of the craft. The style is somewhat minimalistic in descriptions, which leaves room for imagination, and makes his existing descriptions even more powerful. With so many bloated novels filling the market that feel far closer to reports than poetry in style, it is such a breath of fresh air to read an author who understands that sometimes less is more. The chapters flow together excellently, the sentences are deft and moving, the dialogue is sharp and memorable and the author assumes the intelligence and creativity of the reader, leaving us to piece some things together, but not confusing us.

Impact: 5/5
It’s hard to fully explain the impact this story has had on me. As a lifelong lover of both Christ and sci-fi and fantasy, I have craved, but rarely found, stories that satisfy both passions. Even impactful works like those by Lewis and Tolkien rely on allegory or metaphor rather than directly bringing Christianity into a fantasy or futuristic world. This story not only combines outright Christianity and sci-fi adventure, but elevates both elements. Christian nerds often receive mockery from both sides - nonChristians will sneer at us for not treating faith and reason as though they are contradictory, and some Christians will act like we’re sinning by reading fanciful tales. This story is incredibly validating by making the combination seem utterly natural and edifying. It shows Christianity mattering in a future among the stars, and it shows God’s beautiful rulership over science in an unquestionable way. Some of the foundational fantasy works were written by Christians - why do atheists often rule these genres now? This book refuses to follow this trend, demonstrating excellence in craft, groundbreaking story elements, and weaving in biblical truths which cut me to the heart every time I read it. Why should we not learn how to share the gospel through reading fiction? What better way to practice logic, learn theology and psychology, and fall in love with God’s world than to see conversations play out between complex characters in a compelling story? Jesus himself used stories to explain ideas - this book does so as well, in an unforgettable way!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a re-read. Originally read this as a junior in high school, am reading it now as a senior in college. Just to begin: went to a parochial high school. So my ideas were different then. Then, I would have given it a 5/5 no problem. Enjoyed the science fiction aspect of it, enjoyed the religion aspect of it, hated the ending (so maybe a 4.5/5). NOW is a different story. This book made me ANGRY sometimes. Like the things that they rant on about about homosexuality and lust and blah blah blah blah. It's just stupid and banal and adolescent. Like, REALLY? Yeah, I get it, "Christians don't believe in being gay." (Which is bullshit, BTW) You don't have to shove it in my face every 30 pages. I LOOOOOVVVVEEEEE the premise of this book and I would have thoroughly enjoyed it if not for the stupid ass religious crap ignorance whatever being constantly shoved in my face.

To leave you with something important: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34 (THIS MEANS GAY PEOPLE TOO, RICH COFFEEN)

[Jeremy Gould · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an "interesting" read. I loved the technological aspect to it. I like the emphasis on evangelism with a futuristic/interplanetary tone. I don't feel I can recommend the book though, due to it's sexual overtones. Without too much detail, there is much attention paid to human sexuality and the interconnectedness shared within the proper relationship between man and wife. But the book just goes over the top, and unnecessarily so. The main conflict in the book could have been resolved a host of other ways without delving in to sexual detail.