One of the most unfortunate things about the sci-fi genre to me is how heavily it is inundated with humanistic and naturalistic thinking. The genre needs more ideological diversity and I believe the Christian worldview especially can bring a lot to the table. M.R. Leonard makes a noble attempt at this in “Pilgrims.”
Setting aside the ideological aspect of the book for a moment, the story is based on a truly unique and intriguing premise. If you genuinely hate religion (or Christianity in particular) and can’t stomach even considering it, you’ll have a hard time with this book. But if you can allow your imagination some flexibility, you will find one of the most novel storylines in the sci-fi genre. The characters are written with depth, and there are numerous unexpected twists and turns. It’s a solid story, and the high-value performance is icing on the cake.
However, the perspective of the story is heavily and unabashedly Catholic. It’s heavy-handed at parts to be honest. I think a bit more wrestling with questions or more balance in general would have made the story more believable and engrossing. As it is, the story seems rather ad hoc in this regard, which I think is unfortunate as it lessens the story’s scope of appeal and thus impact.
That said, Leonard’s take is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is typically filled with nihilism and hopelessness. Sci-fi needs more stories like this! I highly recommend giving this book a listen. It’s not a 5 in my mind, but I’d definitely give it 4.5 stars if I could.