Parabolic Orbits: A Speculative Fiction Anthology Inspired by the Parables of Jesus

by Ben Avery, Kerry Nietz, Kathleen Bird

Jesus’ parables used familiar elements to teach timeless truths. In these pages, you are invited to revisit his messages through the imaginative tropes of sci-fi.

In this follow-up anthology to A TIME FOR EVERYTHING you will

* A mining colony on a planet with dangerous secrets in Kerry Nietz’s “Pest Control”

* A prisoner serving a life sentence on a doomed world in Denise Bruggers’ epistolary “The Debt”

* An immortal facing death for the first time in Kathleen Bird’s “Walk in the Light”

* An unproven military squad in a high-stakes battle for the survival of their city in J. L. Burrows’ “Wasted Talent”

* The final hours of a centuries-long reality show in Earth’s orbit in Amy Walsh’s “The Great Selection”

* A colony representative who must take unusual measures to get the attention of an uncaring bureaucracy in Elizabeth Staab Van Deusen’s “The Stars from Home”

* And more!

These are the stories he told . . . retold across space and time!

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2025

About the author

A believer in the need for positive, all-ages entertainment, Ben Avery created and wrote Zondervan’s graphic novel series TimeFlyz and the comic book miniseries ArmorQuest to entertain readers with an exciting story, but also inspire and encourage readers to stand up and make a difference in their world. Avery’s comic book career began when he was selected by George R.R. Martin to work as the script adaptor of the comic book fantasy mini-series The Hedge Knight, based on novellas by the New York Times bestselling author. After that, Avery went on to co-write/co-create the critically acclaimed Lullaby and The Imaginaries for Image Comics, co-create and write the children’s literature inspired fantasy The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles, develop and write the historical epic Kingdoms for Zondervan, and the sequel mini-series The Hedge Knight II, published by Marvel Comics. In addition to writing, he has been an English teacher, a college resident director, and a youth treatment specialist for sexually abused children. Avery lives in Indiana with his wife and four children.

Reviews

[Mike Bogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this intriguing story collection, each author takes the skeleton of one of Jesus’ best-known parables and clothes it in new flesh.

The space backgrounds often employ familiar Star Trekish tropes, so sci-fi fans may feel as though they’re in familiar territory. What may not be so familiar is the ingenious manner in which the authors translate Jesus’ parables into sci-fi terms.

For me, the standout tale is J.L. Burrows’ “Wasted Talent.” The action is brisk, the characters are solid, and the payoff is fitting. At the tale’s end, I wanted to keep reading about these characters. To be sure, this is an attribute shared by almost all the anthology’s tales.

Each story is well-crafted and imaginatively conceived, and I highly recommend this offbeat anthology.