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ac_lytle's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Interesting premise, thought provoking.
jjmclellan's review
2.0
A lot of irrational Catholic paranoia and bizarre philosophical arguments
How can a perfect Eden like world exist without a knowledge of god? Well obviously it must be because the planet was created as a trap by the great Diabolical adversary! A lot of bizarre Catholic rigamarole and paranoid delusions.
The only saving grace of this book is that it was relatively short.
How can a perfect Eden like world exist without a knowledge of god? Well obviously it must be because the planet was created as a trap by the great Diabolical adversary! A lot of bizarre Catholic rigamarole and paranoid delusions.
The only saving grace of this book is that it was relatively short.
category_fury's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
One of the strangest and most well written books i've had the pleasure of experiencing. Blish is inimitable. sometimes frustrating and odd but so so unique erudite funny entertaining. ahhh loved this one
matthewbrand's review
3.0
Started with a really interesting premise. Then it went full 60s sci-fi (ok, late 50s) and went into the wacky social upheaval. The entire second half of the book felt incredibly rushed and could've done with a bit more transitions and world-building. I also might've benefited from being Catholic to understand some nuance.
mahmabaer's review
1.0
Here are a series of texts I sent my mother as I was reading the book.
1/8 "I'm also reading a book for my "set in the near future" book prompt. It's called "A Case of Conscience".
2/8 "It's absolutely terrible.
1/8 "I'm also reading a book for my "set in the near future" book prompt. It's called "A Case of Conscience".
2/8 "It's absolutely terrible.
madmadder's review
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
loonyboi's review against another edition
2.0
This started with a lot of promise. A very Le Guin-esque setup. But then in the second half it all fell apart. A similar version of this story would be tried again a few years later with much better results in [b:Stranger in a Strange Land|350|Stranger in a Strange Land|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1156897088l/350._SY75_.jpg|908211] . My recommendation is to skip this one and read that instead (also Le Guin's Hanish cycle).
compmanjx3's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I've read anything quite like A Case of Conscience. The novel follows several scientists who have been sent to a habitable planet called Lithia, populated by Spock-like hyper-rational bipedal reptiles, to determine what Earth should do with it.
The first half of the novel concerns the debate between the scientists, one of whom is also a Jesuit priest, about the fate of Lithia. I found this section totally absorbing, but this may betray my fondness for science and my Jesuit schooling.
The second half is totally nuts, and way WAY ahead of its time. It doesn't work as well as the first part, but it still raises heaps of fascinating questions. I wish it had spent more time on them, and perhaps I need to turn to Blish's other works for further exploration.
Highly recommended to anyone with a taste for science fiction and philosophy.
The first half of the novel concerns the debate between the scientists, one of whom is also a Jesuit priest, about the fate of Lithia. I found this section totally absorbing, but this may betray my fondness for science and my Jesuit schooling.
The second half is totally nuts, and way WAY ahead of its time. It doesn't work as well as the first part, but it still raises heaps of fascinating questions. I wish it had spent more time on them, and perhaps I need to turn to Blish's other works for further exploration.
Highly recommended to anyone with a taste for science fiction and philosophy.
Spoiler
Seriously though, WAY ahead of its time. In this book a 10-foot tall sentient lizard raised by earthlings basically founds the alt-right. Bonkers.onus_jott's review
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bigenk's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A masterful exploration of how religion, specifically Catholicism, would reconcile with novel alien life. It's truly amazing the depth of theme and philosophy exploration that Blish was able to pack into two small novellas. A group of human men, which includes a priest from Peru, are tasked with deciding if a planet populated by sentient lizards is deserving of a place within the galactic federation of humanity. While the other men in the group want to, in various forms, exploit the planet for its resources, the priest insists that the planet should be quarantined, as he sees the life and ideas on it to be the work of Satan.
Blish was one of the early hardliners when it came to scientific accuracy in science fiction. It's clear from his work that he practiced what he preached. There is a fair amount of logical scientific explanation, and other arguably dry topics, and yet Blish was able to hold my attention easily throughout. The novel comes off as being extremely well researched, as if it was poured over to hone every sentence as best he could. This effort extends to the world building and aliens themselves. The culture of the Lithians is surprisingly deep and well explored, including their specific scientific advancements, and behavioral customs. The context surrounding human life is similarly interesting, with most life on earth existing in derelict bunkers from a prior age, that are straining the social condition of society at large. Blish is also prescient in his comments on planned obsolescence, and the power that corporations like DuPont and Monsanto will have.
The clear meat of the story revolves around the religious concerns that Father Sanchez works through in his head. Is it possible to be moral and secular, in the specific way that Christians are moral? If God and Satan are real, can Satan directly create physical phenomenon or life in the universe? Is there a difference between divine intervention and physics as we understand it / if a phenomenon is explainable by scientific standards, does it make something less divine or less like the hand of god moving through the world? These questions are explored wonderfully. There's also a satisfying conclusion that perhaps helps to answer them, but is clearly ambiguous enough that the reader is expected to do a lot of thinking on their own.
There is a brief sag towards the beginning of the second novella, when some of the titular characters spend time observing social behaviors at a party, that I struggled to get through. Other than that the novel is well paced and perfectly sized to accomplish it's goals. I compare it a lot to The Canticle for Lebowitiz, another religiously themed novel that I also greatly enjoyed. It's really hard to say which is definitively better, but they both certainly deserve a place in the highest echelons of science fiction literature.
Blish was one of the early hardliners when it came to scientific accuracy in science fiction. It's clear from his work that he practiced what he preached. There is a fair amount of logical scientific explanation, and other arguably dry topics, and yet Blish was able to hold my attention easily throughout. The novel comes off as being extremely well researched, as if it was poured over to hone every sentence as best he could. This effort extends to the world building and aliens themselves. The culture of the Lithians is surprisingly deep and well explored, including their specific scientific advancements, and behavioral customs. The context surrounding human life is similarly interesting, with most life on earth existing in derelict bunkers from a prior age, that are straining the social condition of society at large. Blish is also prescient in his comments on planned obsolescence, and the power that corporations like DuPont and Monsanto will have.
The clear meat of the story revolves around the religious concerns that Father Sanchez works through in his head. Is it possible to be moral and secular, in the specific way that Christians are moral? If God and Satan are real, can Satan directly create physical phenomenon or life in the universe? Is there a difference between divine intervention and physics as we understand it / if a phenomenon is explainable by scientific standards, does it make something less divine or less like the hand of god moving through the world? These questions are explored wonderfully. There's also a satisfying conclusion that perhaps helps to answer them, but is clearly ambiguous enough that the reader is expected to do a lot of thinking on their own.
There is a brief sag towards the beginning of the second novella, when some of the titular characters spend time observing social behaviors at a party, that I struggled to get through. Other than that the novel is well paced and perfectly sized to accomplish it's goals. I compare it a lot to The Canticle for Lebowitiz, another religiously themed novel that I also greatly enjoyed. It's really hard to say which is definitively better, but they both certainly deserve a place in the highest echelons of science fiction literature.