The
inside scoop on the science fiction short story, “The Convert” is that it’s
about 4,700 words or 19 pages (according to Amazon.com) The story was selling
for $1.99, and has now been reduced to $0.99.
Back
in 2002, there was a publisher’s call for short stories to be included in a
Christian Science Fiction anthology. I was intrigued with the idea of combining
Christian fiction with science fiction. While I’ve written science fiction and
also written about faith, I’d never merged the two. I really enjoyed creating
this thought-provoking story.
The
idea for "The Convert" started with the phrase "Bless me,
Father, for I have sinned." If this was to be the beginning of my story, I
then wondered why the speaker needed God's forgiveness or blessing. To give the
tale a science fiction twist, I created an unusual dilemma for the main
character, Father Wren. The question "The Convert" asks is: who is
the real convert in this story?
Although
a short story, this little science fiction gem has a long history and has
garnered lots of awards. It first appeared in a digital anthology, LEAPS OF
FAITH, where it was a Dream Realm Award Finalist in the Anthology category.
Then
“The Convert”, was also included in a print version of LEAPS OF FAITH,
published by TheWritersCafe.com, and was a finalist in the prestigious EPIC
Awards (now EPIC eBook Award) for Best Anthology.
LEAPS
OF FAITH also was voted a Top Ten Finisher in the prestigious Preditors and
Editors Readers Poll.
Here is a book
trailer for LEAPS OF FAITH, which includes “The Convert”:
What
ties all these Christian science fiction stories together in LEAPS OF FAITH
including “The Convert” is the theme of faith depicting challenging times or
ethical dilemmas.
Once
the contract expired, I offered “The Convert” by itself on Amazon.com,
Smashwords.com, and other internet sites.
When one of his congregation wants to marry an alien who is more flora than
fauna, what's a priest to do??
Amazon.com and Smashwords
This
book is part of the Fascinating Sci-Fi line.
“The
Convert” also was voted one of the top seven stories of LEAPS OF FAITH. Here
are some wonderful reviews:
The
Convert takes an entirely different angle and addresses a person's faith versus
human prejudice and the role it might play if there is every close contact with
races who differ from us in very obvious ways. Susanne Marie Knight [short
story] is an interesting tale about an indigenous alien who wishes to marry a
human colonist to his planet. In this tale a priest must decide if he has the
right under God to marry this alien to a human. He goes through a lot of
psychological struggle, but when he hears the story from the alien, he begins
to look at the situation with his heart. Also included in this story is how
abusive we can be, simply because we don't understand, or do not seem to have
the capacity to understand things that do not fit into our little spectrum of
understanding. A wonderful story that is beautifully told.--Christian Science
Review.
FIVE
STARS! Quantum physicists, amazed by the symmetry of the universe, have said
that the more they delve into the quantum mechanics, the more convinced they
become of an existence of a higher power. Karina and Robert Fabian merge
science and faith in an anthology of fifteen Christian science fiction stories
that ignites our imaginations... In Susanne Marie Knight's 'The Convert,'
Father Wren has an equally awesome decision to make. He's the only priest on
the Ophiuchi 4 colony and must decide the marital fate of Chloe and Ping. She's
a deaf human; he's a telepathic tree.--Scribes World Reviews
Highly
Recommended! ... the stories engrossed me from the beginning. Though
SF/religious in nature (as stated by the publisher), each story managed to be
more than that. They cover the gamut of human experience--doubt, faith,
adventure, and conflict. I found the juxtaposition of futuristic story elements
and inspirational elements compelling. Each aspect blends seamlessly into a
unique collection of stories. Regardless of your faith or reading preferences,
don't miss this collection of stories from FrancisIsidore Electronic Press,
including such authors as Leslie Brown, Peter Bell, Michael S. Poteet, Susanne
Marie Knight, Greg Beatty, and many others. It poses intelligent questions and
offers honest answers. This is a book designed to make you think, and it
achieves its goal.--Dog-eared Webzine
Leaps
of Faith contains fourteen stories by twelve authors. The stories delve into
different aspects of space exploration, time travel, hard science, evangelism
in space, robot rights, and contact with extraterrestrial lifeforms. Though
much of the work deals with Christian (and often Catholic) concepts, belief and
general faith also drive many of the stories. Some of the stories are pure
adventure. Others are deep, philosophical works that struggle with science and
belief. And, still others are humorous looks at our human selves. "The
Convert" by Susanne Marie Knight and examines how far Christianity can be
extended to alien species.--Myshelf.
Leaps
of Faith will undoubtedly go down as one of the best collections of Christian
science fiction in this new century. Katrina and Robert Fabian have pooled
together some incredible talent... This book will certain entertain and
challenge the reader. If you enjoy short stories, this is for you.--Yellow30
Sci Fi
The
book was a real delight to read, and the authors wrote their stories well. It
was easy to become immersed in each tale as they followed one common theme. I
give LEAPS OF FAITH two thumbs up!--Midwest Book Review
This
is a collection of stories from authors who explore many different aspects of
science and faith, and what that all means when science makes another
discovery, or when we reach out to alien races... I found the collection over-all
thought provoking and a good read. --Author's Choice Book Reviews
I
highly recommend this book. It not only entertains, it makes you
think.--MyShelf.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My
snippet from real life: I was born under the sign of Pisces, and am a self-confessed
incurable romantic. So, to me, love can conquer all. I couldn’t resist writing
a story of two people from dissimilar circumstances who overcome their
differences. In “The Convert” one of the strangest pairings I created was with
a human, Chloe, and a being who was more flora than fauna, Ping. They bridged
the gap separating them with beautiful music. And who doesn’t love beautiful
music?
Ping’s voice reflected ecstasy. He then started singing.
Breathtaking rapture inundated Father Wren’s senses, almost overloading
them. This melodious song was fairly bursting with supreme love and
beauty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love is an extremely powerful emotion--physically,
mentally, and spiritually. I hope you enjoy this unusual science
fiction story with Father Wren, Chloe, and Ping.
Happy reading,
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing
With A Twist!
