The Book Of Strange New Things By Michel Faber

In the science fiction genre, religious faith is not usually a common theme. However, through a mysterious setting, vivid imagery, and the emotional influence of separated characters, “The Book of Strange New Things” by Michel Faber portrays the main character’s ability to hold on to faith when facing an uncertain situation. “The Book of Strange New Things” has an unusual setting. The main character Peter is sent off to the mysterious planet Oasis, which Peter had hardly any knowledge of. Peter describes atmosphere as feeling like, “The air here was a presence, a presence so palpable that he was tempted to believe that if he could let himself fall the the air would simply catch him like a pillow.” (Faber 63) Even the air on the planet was strikingly different. As a result, being on a whole new planet was frightening and took a lot of courage, but he followed his heart and ventured into the unknown, because he had faith that God would protect him.
Light years away, Oasis was far different from the earth that we know. Peter described the terrain by saying, “The ground was chocolate brown, and so densely-compacted that the tyres travelled smoothly across it with no jolts to the suspension. Here and there, the terrain was spotted with patches of white mushrooms or speckled with a haze of greenish stuff that might be moss.” (Faber 103). Oasis was barren and unfamiliar. The author’s use of imagery helps paint a picture in the reader’s minds of how different the world Peter was experiencing was. Going to a place so strange and unfamiliar took a great deal of