Christopher Lansdown has recently written two very different but similarly themed novels, Ordinary Superheroes and A Stitch in Space. The first focuses on a bunch of people with typical problems but exceptional abilities who are out to save the world from a powerful destructive force, and the second centers around on priest’s journey to look after souls on the far edge of the galaxy.
Ordinary Superheroes is a good-hearted romp. As the story opens, we meet Jack, Nick, and Jane, three young roommates in New York who just happen to the superheroes Mega Ninja, Mockingbird, and Mr. Macho. The alias “Mr. Macho” is an unwanted one, obtained through unfortunate yet humorous means, and this reflects the common trope that preternatural abilities are as much curse as blessing. Over the course of the novel, the superheroes are given a magical mission to prevent a horrible villain from wreaking havoc, blending adventure scenes with self-discovery.
Religious themes play significant roles in both novels. In some ways, Ordinary Superheroes, which deals with religious themes in far less overt manners, incorporates religion better into its narrative. In one crucial scene, one of the heroes is forced to reexamine her beliefs about religion, and we learn that she had lived under the presumption that Jesus was just another superhero who had lived a couple of millennia earlier. The revelation that divine forces exists severely shakes up her worldview.
Discussions of theology are far more prominent in A Stitch in Space, where nearly half the book is devoted to explanations of what Christianity is– and isn’t, along with defenses and explanations of religion. In A Stitch in Space, Fr. Xris is sent to a distant planet to minister to souls on the final frontier, and along the way he has a lot of in-depth conversations about faith and theology in between attacks by space pirates. Some readers may find the long elucidations didactic, although Fr. Xris serves as a far more effective and intelligent means of conveying information about Christianity than is commonly found when Hollywood tries to allow the faithful to explain their religion… and fails miserably. A Stitch in Space serves as an effective work of apologetics, though it often puts religious debate over narrative action.
Notably, Lansdown’s introductions and postscripts are particularly interesting because they provide insight into his personal philosophies and views on literature. They should not be overlooked at the end of the novels. In one addendum to Ordinary Superheroes, Lansdown states that “Fiction is a wonderful thing, and like all wonderful things, it is dangerous precisely in proportion to its virtues. At its best, fiction allows us to live, in our imaginations, in a better world than the one that we do. I don't necesarily mean a more comfortable world; indeed as much as we may be addicted to comfort in modern society, I think any lover of adventure stories would agree that as scary as the idea is, comfort and happiness are to some degree enemies, or at least will be until we're better than we are now. We live in a fallen world, which non-christians can simply call an imperfect world, and fiction allows us to at least glimpse shadows of what the world should be like. When it is working correctly, it lifts us up and inspires us to make our world more like what it should be. When it goes wrong, it can degenerate into mere escapism. Rather than inspiring us to live our lives better, it can become a way of not living our lives at all, of trying to live someone else's life instead of our own.”
Lansdown comes across as a man who really loves books and has a lot of great ideas. He also does an excellent job of explaining his goals in writing and the messages he is trying to convey, saying:
“Though the main character in this work does a fair amount of what might be called evangelization, this novel is in no way intended to be a manual for evangelization. Evangelization must always be tailored to the individual, and Fr. Xris's interactions with each person are meant for that person alone.
If one does want to draw lessons, I suggest that they be the general lessons which are probably obvious before reading this work: Become very familiar not only with the faith but also with the questions people tend to have about the faith. Be extremely patient. Be as good as you can possibly be in everything that you do.”
Lansdown’s books are all about ideas, centered around people with a lot of heart and moral courage. These books are very different in topic and style, and it will be interesting to see what he writes next.
This review first appeared in Gilbert!
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