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The Seraphim Rising
When six winged, self-professed angels arrive on Earth and put forward as the Messiah a drug-addled, mentally deranged video star, Carson McCullough, a liaison hired by the angels, determines to find out the truth behind the visitation. Original.
- GenresScience Fiction
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 18, 2023
For some random SF paperback I wasn't expecting this to be as enjoyable as it was. I found the story interesting and I liked the writing style. It was easy for me to want to keep reading. The ending was a little disappointing based on what things seemed to be building up to, but not enough to ruin the whole experience.
Supposedly being set in a "near future" world (based on 1997), the technology wasn't too far off from what we have today, aside from a few notably more advanced things. As a work of science fiction, it didn't feel antiquated in that way. I really liked the exploration of what would happen in a situation like this, how the Seraphim's arrival impacted Earth, society, politics, and religion. The fact that the Seraphim have a Disney-esque American theme park dedicated to them is just so very plausible.
That being said, this book seems to really have it out for gay people specifically. They were mentioned so frequently and in such a negative light that I sort of expected it was going to be relevant to the plot in the end. In a vaguely christian-based book I guess the simple explanation for this is homophobia, and surely if you don't want to read homophobic/transphobic statements, steer clear. However, my reading of it (as a queer person reading it in 2023, 26 years after publication) is that Carson's repressed queerness is at the heart of his character and the reason for all these observations. I can't help but chuckle at the trigger which caused him to leave the seminary -- the image of a set of bathroom doors labeled "men, women, other" -- and his belief that as a celibate priest, he'd fit squarely in the "other" category. The book almost touches on something here ;) come on Carson, embrace it!
I found his attachment to Zeke heartwarming. Perhaps if he'd been able to allow himself to think about the nature of those feelings or act on them (other than ) this book would have ended differently (or at the very least, Carson's character arc would have come to its inevitable conclusion). I could go on about my queer reading of this book, such as how Carson frequently notices women's bodies but never actually makes any attempts to pursue them, as often happens in books like this (despite leaving his "queer" vow of celibacy behind). Or how Carson and Zeke are saved from captivity by the Gay Liberation Front and find refuge in the home of an elder lesbian. The way queer androgynes are central to the plot...
But well. I think very few people have read this book in general, so I'd probably just be talking to myself.
Supposedly being set in a "near future" world (based on 1997), the technology wasn't too far off from what we have today, aside from a few notably more advanced things. As a work of science fiction, it didn't feel antiquated in that way. I really liked the exploration of what would happen in a situation like this, how the Seraphim's arrival impacted Earth, society, politics, and religion. The fact that the Seraphim have a Disney-esque American theme park dedicated to them is just so very plausible.
That being said, this book seems to really have it out for gay people specifically. They were mentioned so frequently and in such a negative light that I sort of expected it was going to be relevant to the plot in the end. In a vaguely christian-based book I guess the simple explanation for this is homophobia, and surely if you don't want to read homophobic/transphobic statements, steer clear. However, my reading of it (as a queer person reading it in 2023, 26 years after publication) is that Carson's repressed queerness is at the heart of his character and the reason for all these observations. I can't help but chuckle at the trigger which caused him to leave the seminary -- the image of a set of bathroom doors labeled "men, women, other" -- and his belief that as a celibate priest, he'd fit squarely in the "other" category. The book almost touches on something here ;) come on Carson, embrace it!
I found his attachment to Zeke heartwarming. Perhaps if he'd been able to allow himself to think about the nature of those feelings or act on them (other than ) this book would have ended differently (or at the very least, Carson's character arc would have come to its inevitable conclusion). I could go on about my queer reading of this book, such as how Carson frequently notices women's bodies but never actually makes any attempts to pursue them, as often happens in books like this (despite leaving his "queer" vow of celibacy behind). Or how Carson and Zeke are saved from captivity by the Gay Liberation Front and find refuge in the home of an elder lesbian. The way queer androgynes are central to the plot...
But well. I think very few people have read this book in general, so I'd probably just be talking to myself.
May 6, 2011
To say it briefly: This was a very interesting take on a typically religious topic that tried too hard to be progressive and "challenging." I did not feel that I got to know some of the characters nearly as well as I would have liked, nor was I able to see the effects of the main characters on the masses, which is what the book appears to try to address.
February 10, 2014
An interesting first book by the author. Interesting premise, and an enjoyable read.
(Disclaimer : Elisabeth and I went to college together...)
(Disclaimer : Elisabeth and I went to college together...)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews