The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke is a thought-provoking science fiction short story centered on a Jesuit priest and astrophysicist aboard a spacecraft exploring the remnants of a supernova in the Phoenix Nebula. As the narrative unfolds, the priest grapples with the duality of his scientific role and his religious faith, particularly when the crew uncovers a significant archaeological artifact from a long-lost civilization that perished due to the supernova. This civilization, depicted through their artwork and recordings, evokes deep empathy as they appear humanlike and possessed a rich culture, only to have their survival thwarted at the brink of interstellar exploration.
The story delves into existential questions about faith, divine mercy, and the implications of cosmic events on human understanding of God's justice. The priest's internal conflict intensifies as he calculates the timing of the supernova's light reaching Earth, leading to a profound and tragic realization. Ultimately, the narrative questions the relationship between suffering and the existence of a higher power, leaving readers to reflect on the moral and theological dilemmas that arise in the face of cosmic indifference. "The Star" invites contemplation on the intersections of science, faith, and the fate of civilizations, resonating with those interested in both speculative fiction and philosophical inquiry.
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The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
First published: 1955
Type of plot: Science fiction
Time of work: The twenty-sixth century
Locale: Aboard an exploratory spacecraft
Principal Character:
The narrator , a Jesuit priest and astrophysicist
The Story
The unnamed narrator, a Jesuit priest, is the astrophysicist on an exploratory scientific spacecraft. He is constantly reminded of this duality by his shipmates and by the very decorations and features of his room. The Jesuit speaks throughout the story to an unnamed "you" who is often unknown, sometimes himself, at times St. Ignatius Loyola (founder of the Jesuits), and finally, God. The narrator's several brief asides show his distress over something the ship has discovered.
The ship has come to the Phoenix Nebula, the remains of a star that became a supernova, to try to reconstruct the events that led up to the catastrophe and, if possible, to learn its cause. Expecting to find only the burned star, the ship makes a much more exciting, and ultimately poignant, discovery. The last planet of the star's system survived the burning, and an artifact is sending out a beacon from its surface. Although untrained for this unexpected archaeological work, the crew enthusiastically sets out to discover what secrets and treasures have been waiting through the centuries for discovery and rescue.
A monolithic marker leads the men to the hopes of the race doomed by the supernova, a civilization that knew it was about to die and had made a last bid for immortality. The artifact contains artwork, recordings, and written works, including keys for their translation. It also contains photographs of beautiful cities and happy children playing on beaches under the then-quiet sun. Although the vanished people most likely left only their best, as the narrator acknowledges they had a right to do, their remains show the men from Earth a civilization that could reach neighboring planets, that possessed beauty and culture, but that ran out of time and was destroyed on the brink of interstellar travel, which might have allowed some of its people to survive. To add to the sorrow the men feel, the race looks humanlike, inviting even more empathy.
The men, who teased their astrophysicist on the journey to the nebula about his religious beliefs, ask him how such destruction can be reconciled with God's mercy. The Jesuit tries to accept this questioning and answer it, but cannot. He wonders if even St. Ignatius could have reconciled this situation, although he recognizes that God has no need to justify his actions to humankind. When, as the ship's astrophysicist, he makes his calculations, he finds something that severely tests his own deep faith. He calculates the date of the supernova and when its light reached the Earth.
The reason for the narrator's doubt and seeming despair becomes clear in the final line of the story. Every day stars go nova and every day races die, but this tragedy has a horrific irony for the theologian: "What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?"