'Weird fiction' is an older term for science fiction, fantasy, and horror before these separate categories were so commercially institutionalised as they are today. The 'weird' might mix these categories in any combination. Probably the most famous weird fiction writers (frequently published in the early 20th century magazine Weird Tales) were H.P. Lovecraft (creator of Cthulhu) and Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan). There are now also 'New Weird' writers like China Mieville and Jeff VanderMeer. I think writers like Neil Gaiman also cross into weird fiction, as do the Hellboy graphic novels.
Adding 'theological' to the description 'weird' can mean that the strange and wondrous and horrific are being written about from a supernaturalist and theistic perspective. If Christian, then looking at Creation, Fall, and Redemption through the lens of horror, science fiction, and fantasy - usually of a darker shade. (Or vice versa: looking at weird fiction through the lens of Creation, Fall, Redemption.) But theological weird fiction can also be written from other perspectives, so long as it truly engages with possibilities of the divine and spiritual (Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods would be a perfect example of a non-Christian but very theological work of weird fiction).
This list is merely suggestive and contains many borderline and hybrid works.
Adding 'theological' to the description 'weird' can mean that the strange and wondrous and horrific are being written about from a supernaturalist and theistic perspective. If Christian, then looking at Creation, Fall, and Redemption through the lens of horror, science fiction, and fantasy - usually of a darker shade. (Or vice versa: looking at weird fiction through the lens of Creation, Fall, Redemption.) But theological weird fiction can also be written from other perspectives, so long as it truly engages with possibilities of the divine and spiritual (Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods would be a perfect example of a non-Christian but very theological work of weird fiction).
This list is merely suggestive and contains many borderline and hybrid works.
466 books ·
285 voters ·
list created August 3rd, 2012
by Daniel Petersen (votes) .
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Daniel
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Nov 29, 2012 03:03PM
I'm delighted to see that a number of people have contributed to this list. It'd be great to see succinct descriptions of the books you've added and why you think they're relevant to *theological* weird fiction. I'll try to do the same with my own contributions to the list.
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Some thoughts:1. Lovely list - many that fascinate me. Some I thought sure you'd miss were here (e.g. Hogg). Well done.
2. James Morrow! Towing Jehovah, Blameless in Abaddon, Only Begotten Daughter & Bible Stories for Adults especially. But really most of his books.
3. What about The Sparrow (and its sequel Children of God) by Mary Doria Russel?
4. And what of Octavia Butler? Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents perhaps. Butler is great.
5. You already have Gaiman, but the Sandman novels?
Thanks,
M
M wrote: "Some thoughts:1. Lovely list - many that fascinate me. Some I thought sure you'd miss were here (e.g. Hogg). Well done.
2. James Morrow! Towing Jehovah, Blameless in Abaddon, Only Begotten Daught..."
Thanks for your thoughts! The list isn't comprised just of my choices. A number of people have added to it now and given me a lot of things to chase up and look into - a good prospect! Thanks for the James Morrow recommendations. He's been vaguely on my radar for some years, especially Towing Jehovah, but I haven't gotten to him yet. Must move him up my reading list! I've never heard of Mary Doria Russel and Butler is yet another author I've been meaning to check out for years.
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