“The Book of Strange New Things” is first and foremost a love story. The love between lovers, god and his creations, a pastor and his flock and more importantly the love we have for our idealised selves. Michael Faber in his fourth novel weaves an unsettling look into what it means to be human, using the deepest corners of space as a backdrop to explore the maniacal longing inherent in every being.
“The Book of Strange New Things” tells the story of Peter, a young christian chosen from a sea of like minded missionaries to preach the word of God to the indigenous inhabitants of the newly settled plant of Oasis. Upon leaving his wife fellow christian Beatrice and their cat Joshua on Earth, Peter takes the Jump to Oasis and soon begins to thrive on the strange and alien world. Not finding comfort or sense of camaraderie amongst the human on Oasis, Peter eager to begin his godly quest journeys out to the Oasan settlement. Arriving to their chantings of Amazing grace, already having accepted the love of god into their hearts, Peter finds himself immersed in their world. A world where the inhabitants are three feet tall, have no discernible faces and more disturbingly no emotions. Despite the intrinsic differences between the Oasan's and Homo Sapiens both their settlements are run on a bizarrely common functionality, in this brave new world …show more content…
Despite the wondrousness of the events occurring, nothing is ever viewed as momentous. Rather it is hidden and twisted behind empty platitudes, praising a god who apart form words on a page appears to have no hand or care in the events as they occur in the novel. In particular, Peter, wraps himself in a cocoon of godliness, wherein he takes a voyeuristic role in his life. This isn't to say that christianity has no positive role, Peters compassion for his fellow USIC workers and the oasans is the shinning light for faith in Faber's
“The Book of Strange New Things” tells the story of Peter, a young christian chosen from a sea of like minded missionaries to preach the word of God to the indigenous inhabitants of the newly settled plant of Oasis. Upon leaving his wife fellow christian Beatrice and their cat Joshua on Earth, Peter takes the Jump to Oasis and soon begins to thrive on the strange and alien world. Not finding comfort or sense of camaraderie amongst the human on Oasis, Peter eager to begin his godly quest journeys out to the Oasan settlement. Arriving to their chantings of Amazing grace, already having accepted the love of god into their hearts, Peter finds himself immersed in their world. A world where the inhabitants are three feet tall, have no discernible faces and more disturbingly no emotions. Despite the intrinsic differences between the Oasan's and Homo Sapiens both their settlements are run on a bizarrely common functionality, in this brave new world …show more content…
Despite the wondrousness of the events occurring, nothing is ever viewed as momentous. Rather it is hidden and twisted behind empty platitudes, praising a god who apart form words on a page appears to have no hand or care in the events as they occur in the novel. In particular, Peter, wraps himself in a cocoon of godliness, wherein he takes a voyeuristic role in his life. This isn't to say that christianity has no positive role, Peters compassion for his fellow USIC workers and the oasans is the shinning light for faith in Faber's