Should a Christian read or watch science fiction?

Science fiction, also called sci-fi or SF, is a popular genre of books and movies that feature visionary tales set in the future and imagine the changes that will come in technology, society, or the environment. Good sci-fi features compelling storylines, strong characters, and imaginative settings and premises. Writers of science fiction craft their stories to entertain but also weave in social commentary or explorations of the human condition. Many times, SF stories serve as allegories for the real world. Science fiction novels and movies differ widely in subject matter, style, diction, and tone. The same is true for books of any genre, and that’s why it’s impossible to offer blanket approval or disapproval.

Some science fiction is utopian, imagining a world of improvements and advancement; other sci-fi is dystopian, presenting a dismal, hopeless vision of the future. Sometimes, the lines are blurred, and what seems to be a utopia is eventually revealed as a dystopia. Both utopian and dystopian SF have their pitfalls, and content is key. Dystopian stories such as Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange tend to be violent with a lot of swearing and sex and overall bleakness. Utopian stories naturally extol the virtues of secular humanism—given enough technology and learning, we can save ourselves. The Star Trek universe is rooted in such a premise.

Entertainment is always more than that. Art is not created in a vacuum; the artist’s worldview is always present. Art and entertainment are vehicles of communication, and all communication involves either truth or falsehood or some mixture of the two. Even if a sci-fi author intends his fiction as pure entertainment, all stories inevitably contain an element of teaching. And teaching is a spiritually serious endeavor (James 3:1), no matter what the medium.

As with most “gray” areas in life, we should ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and follow our conscience (Romans 14:23). For some, Star Wars goes too far in its teaching of the Force, an all-pervading power used by heroes and villains alike. Episode I: The Phantom Menace attempted to give the Force a biological foundation, but that theme was never developed; the fact remains that Jedism/Sithism is a religion of sorts, complete with a virgin birth claimed by a Sith lord. Add to that such lines as “Only a Sith deals in absolutes” (from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), and there’s plenty to give a Christian pause.

At the same time, the Star Wars saga offers storylines that include self-sacrifice, courage, redemption, and the triumph of good over evil. Several characters face the choice between good and evil, and the decisions they make have profound ramifications for themselves, others, and the entire galaxy.

The Christian consumer of sci-fi must carefully filter what he reads and watches through a biblical lens. Understanding that George Lucas is a Buddhist, Isaac Asimov was an atheist, and Robert Heinlein was an agnostic “freethinker” helps in weeding through some of the ideas present in their movies and books.

In reading science fiction, it’s good to choose stories that don’t promote (or assume) a non-Christian worldview. Some sci-fi ideas are simply fictional. Others are not only fictional but contrary to the truth presented in Scripture. Colossians 3:1–2 reminds us to set our minds on things above. Philippians 4:8 explains what those things are: the true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely.

If a particular science fiction novel or movie contains material that is not honorable, pure, lovely or admirable, then we are not to dwell on it. Some people can read or watch things and forget them immediately afterward. Most people, however, are affected, some deeply, by the things they take into their minds. If the elements of a sci-fi story do not contain the things listed in Philippians 4:8, then we are to find something else to think on.

Many good, wholesome science fiction stories are available. C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy is an example. Stories such as “The Star” by Arthur C. Clarke and “The Man” and “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury are also commendable.

Science fiction is just a location in which to tell a story, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with sci fi as a genre. It’s the story that matters and how it’s told. In all things, God promises to give wisdom without finding fault (James 1:5). We can ask God to convict us of things that may be questionable, and His Spirit will speak to our hearts as we yield to Him for guidance.