# List of science fiction literature with Messiah figures

List of science fiction literature with Messiah figures is a list of sci-fi novels, short stories and comics in which Messiah figures play a thematic role. In contrast to theological-scientific works or Jesus novels, which deal with the life and teachings of the Messiah Jesus Christ from a religious perspective, sci-fi literature places the messianic theme in the context of the fantastique, such as time travel, space travel, alternative realities, parallel worlds, distant planets with extraterrestrial life, paranormal abilities, futuristic cybernetics, reproductive cloning, etc.
Messiah figures, who are “sometimes depicted unsympathetically as deluded, dishonest, or misinterpreted figures whose doctrines are more harmful that helpful”, are just one aspect of several religious themes that are interpreted in sci-fi literature.

## List of sci-fi literature

| Title | Author | Form | Year | Editor/Journal | Topic |
| When the Sleeper Wakes (also The Sleeper Awakes) | H. G. Wells | Novel | 1899 | Harper & Brothers | Graham falls asleep and wakes up 200 years later as a celebrity and the richest man on earth. He experiences the misery of the workers, refuses to be manipulated by the ruling plutocrats and fights and sacrifices himself for the rebellious masses. |
| When It Was Dark: The Story of a Great Conspiracy | Cyril Ranger Gull, aka Guy Thorne | Novel | 1903 | London Greening & Co | A world is plunged into chaos by a conspiracy against the existence of and faith in Jesus. |
| Around a Distant Star | Jean Delaire (pseudonym of Pauline Celestine Elisa Touchemolin) | Novel | 1904 | John Long Ltd | A spaceship equipped with a super telescope flies to a distant planet at 2000 times the speed of light in order to witness the last days of Christ in retrospect. |
| Made in His Image | Cyril Ranger Gull | Novel | 1906 | Hutchinson | A world in chaos is redeemed through renewed faith in Jesus. |
| "The Baumoff Explosion" (also Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani) | William Hope Hodgson | Short story | 1919 | Nash's Magazine | Using a self-invented drug, the scientist Baumoff assumes the identity of Jesus - with terrible consequences for him. |
| "Jesus Christ in Texas" | William Edward Burghardt Du Bois | Short story | 1920 | Harcourt, Brace and Howe | The Second Coming of Jesus Christ in 20th century Texas |
| They Call Me Carpenter: A Tale of the Second Coming | Upton Sinclair | Novel | 1922 | Boni & Liveright | The Second Coming of Jesus Christ triggers affection and conflict. |
| This Above All (1943: Above All Else) | Matthew Phipps Shiel | Novel | 1933 | The Vanguard Press | Companions and followers of Jesus live unrecognized as immortals on earth and wait for his return. |
| Superman | Jerry Siegel und Joe Shuster | Comic | 1938 | Action Comics | Stories about the extraterrestrial Kryptonian Kal-El, "a popular culture messiah", who fights for the good cause as the superhuman "saviour of the helpless and suppressed". |
| "Farewell to the Master" | Harry Bates | Short story | 1940 | Astounding Science Fiction | An extraterrestrial messiah warns and saves the earth. |
| What Dreams May Come | John Davys Beresford | Novel | 1941 | Hutchinson | The protagonist becomes the creator of a utopian society through his dreams. |
| "The Man" | Ray Bradbury | Short story | 1949 | Thrilling Wonder | Space travelers on a distant planet learn of the arrival of Jesus. |
| Time and Again (also Time Quarry and First He Died) | Clifford D. Simak | Novel | 1950 | Galaxy Science Fiction | A spaceman imbued with psychic powers by aliens returns to a very different Earth. |
| "The Skull" | Philip K. Dick | Short story | 1952 | If | Conger can gain release from jail if he kills a man 200 years in the past before this man becomes the founder of an influential anti-technology cult. With the skull of this Founder, Conger travels to the year 1960, where he makes a surprising discovery. |
| "The Traveller" | Richard Matheson | Short story | 1954 | Chamberlain Press, Born of Man and Woman | A professor travels back in time to the crucifixion of Jesus to report on it as a neutral observer. |
| "The Star" | Arthur C. Clarke | Short story | 1955 | Infinity Science Fiction | Astronauts discover the securely hidden remains of a very Earth-like civilization that was destroyed by a supernova. The lead astrophysicist, a Jesuit, calculates when the light of this explosion could be seen on Earth. |
| A Canticle for Leibowitz | Walter M. Miller, Jr. | Novel | 1959 | J. B. Lippincott & Co. | After a global nuclear war, the Jewish electrical engineer Leibowitz preserves books and knowledge of the world as a converted Catholic and order founder. He is tortured and murdered, but over the millennia his image evolves into that of a saint. |
| "Robot Son" | Robert F. Young | Short story | 1959 | Fantastic Universe | In a distant future, the machine god, who ensures that everything technological functions, creates a son who demands repentance and worship from people. |
| Stranger in a Strange Land | Robert Heinlein | Novel | 1961 | Putnam Publishing Group | The last survivor of the Mars colony is brought to Earth. Equipped with superhuman abilities, he experiences life on Earth, deeply touches the people he meets, is finally killed by the mob, but lives on as a spirit being. |
| "The Rescuer" | Arthur Porges | Short story | 1962 | Analog Science Fiction and Fact | A journey back in time to the crucifixion of Jesus in order to save him is prevented. |
| "The Streets of Ashkelon" (also An Alien Agony) | Harry Harrison | Short story | 1962 | Brian Aldiss's New Worlds #122 | Aliens conduct an experiment to decide between empiricism and faith in the resurrection of Jesus. |
| "Seven Day's Wonder" | Edward Wellen | Short story | 1963 | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction | The Second Coming of Jesus is told in first-person narrator form. |
| "A Rose for Ecclesiastes" | Roger Zelazny | Short story | 1963 | The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction | On Mars, the earthling Gallinger learns the high language of the Martians, studies their sacred texts and inadvertently becomes the predicted prophet of a new age. |
| The Dead Lady of Clown Town | Cordwainer Smith | Novel | 1964 | Galaxy Science Fiction | A Jeanne d'Arc variant takes place on a distant planet. |
| The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch | Philip K. Dick | Novel | 1964 | Doubleday | In an environmentally degradaded world, Palmer Eldritch facilitates the lives of millions of people with the alien drug Chew-Z - but Eldritch's identity and intentions are shrouded in mystery. |
| Behold the Man | Michael Moorcock | Short story | 1966 | New Worlds | Karl Glogauer travels back in time to the Holy Land. When he finally finds Jesus, he has to make a difficult decision. |
| You and Me and the Continuum | James Graham Ballard | Novel | 1966 | Roberts & Vinter | The Second Coming of Jesus in modern times, which is completely different from what was planned. |
| Lord of Light | Roger Zelazny | Novel | 1967 | Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction | On a distant planet, technically superior earthlings control the existence of the native species like a god. The protagonist Sam is a renegade who fights against this oppression in the role of Siddhartha Gautama. |
| Jesus Christs | Arthur John Langguth | Novel | 1968 | Harper & Row | The multiple deaths and subsequent resurrections of Jesus lead to always new situations. |
| The Masks of Time (also Vornan-19) | Robert Silverberg | Novel | 1968 | Ballantine Books | A time-traveling messiah from the year 2999 proclaims the future of Earth. |
| Past Master | Raphael Aloysius Lafferty | Novel | 1968 | Ace Books | The inhabitants of the planet Astrobe live in prosperity and abundance, but are experiencing social and moral decline. They bring Thomas Moore out of his time to save them with his moral knowledge and show them the right way. |
| Planet in the Eye of Time | Brian Earnshaw | Novel | 1968 | Hodder & Stoughton | 700 years in the future, students take part in an expedition through a time portal to investigate the miracle of Christ's resurrection. |
| The Last Starship from Earth | John Boyd (aka Boyd Bradfield Upchurch) | Novel | 1968 | Weybright & Talley | An AI pope rules an alternative world in which a revolutionary Jesus (without crucifixion) has overthrown the Roman Empire and established a worldwide theocracy. |
| Isle of the Dead | Roger Zelazny | Novel | 1969 | Ace Books | The world creator Sandow faces his enemies on his own world in order to save his friends. |
| Dune Messiah | Frank Herbert | Novel | 1969 | Putnam Publishing | (Vol. 2 of 6) Paul Atreides is the regent of the desert planet Arrakis and, as “Muad'Dib”, the messiah for the religious Fremen. Before he disappears into the desert as a blind preacher, he must prevail against adversaries within to protect his children. |
| Messiah Trilogy: vol. 1 The Rector | Anthony Storey | Novel | 1970 | Rizzoli International Publivations | The Second Coming of Jesus in modern England |
| "The Messiah" (auch Welcome Aboard) | Ray Bradbury | Short story | 1971 | Welcome Abord Magazine | A Martian Empath can not only embody Jesus, it must do so. |
| The Book of Stier | Robin Sanborn | Novel | 1971 | Berkley Publishing Corporation | As in Tommy, a messiah who appears out of nowhere with alien rock music attracts a large following. |
| "Eyes of Onyx" | Edward Bryant | Short story | 1971 | Ballantine Books | In the winter of a bleak future, Juan and his father offer shelter to a pregnant woman and her partner. The father helps with the birth of the baby, who has deep black eyes. Juan has a hunch. |
| The Astrologer | John Cameron | Novel | 1972 | Random House | An astrologer investigating reports about the Second Coming of Christ gets into trouble. |
| Messiah Trilogy: vol. 2 The Centre Holds | Anthony Storey | Novel | 1973 | Marion Boyars | The Second Coming of Jesus in modern England |
| "Let's Go to Golgotha!" | Garry Kilworth | Short story | 1974 | Sunday Times Weekly Review | A journey back in time to the crucifixion of Jesus suggests that the crowd in attendance consists only of time-travel tourists. |
| Messiah Trilogy: vol. 3 The Saviour | Anthony Storey | Novel | 1978 | Marion Boyars | The Second Coming of Jesus in modern England |
| Kalki | Gore Vidal | Novel | 1978 | Random House | Before an apocalyptic war, the protagonist James J. Kelly stages himself as the reincarnation of the Hindu deity Kalki in an elaborate religious hoax in order to repopulate the earth after the destruction of humanity. |
| Jesus on Mars | Philip José Farmer | Novel | 1979 | Pinnacle Press | Jesus, who lives among the Krsh on Mars, travels to Earth with a fleet as a savior, where his arrival triggers affection but also hostility. |
| The Walking Shadow | Brian M. Stableford | Novel | 1979 | Fontana | A time traveler, accompanied by his followers and exposed to temptation, wants to ensure the survival of mankind in the distant future. |
| Smile on the Void: The Mythhistory of Ralph M'Botu Kitaj | Stuart Gordon | Novel | 1981 | Berkley Publishing Corporation | At the end of the 20th century, the richest man in the world finally realizes his true destiny. |
| The Divine Invasion | Philip K. Dick | Novel | 1981 | Timescape Books/Simon & Schuster | Yahweh is reborn, but he, his mother and their friends are in danger - but they are not alone. |
| Mission | Patrick Tilley | Novel | 1981 | Little, Brown and Company | Second coming of Jesus: A man wounded in his hands, feet and ribs is found in New York. |
| The Cross of Fire | Barry N. Malzberg | Novel | 1982 | Ace Books | A man escapes from a technocratic, cold future by undergoing drug-induced therapy in which he puts himself in the shoes of religious figures, including Jesus, and lives through their lives. |
| The Gospel According to Gamaliel Crucis (also The Astrogator's Testimony) | Michael Bishop | Novel | 1983 | Kudzu Planet Productions | Second Coming of Jesus in the form of an extraterrestrial praying mantis |
| The Man in the Tree | Damon Knight | Novel | 1984 | Berkley Books | A messianic giant with paranormal powers changes the world. |
| Godbody | Theodore Sturgeon | Novel | 1986 | Donald I. Fine | Godbody changes people's lives in a small town in New England, but not everyone likes it. |
| Only Begotten Daughter | James Kenneth Morrow | Novel | 1990 | William Morrow and Company | The novel tells the story of Julie Katz, the half-sister of Jesus, who is born through “inverse parthenogenesis” in the United States. |
| Live from Golgotha | Gore Vidal | Novel | 1992 | Random House | Time travelers from several eras influence the life of Jesus Christ. |
| The Hammer of God | Arthur C. Clarke | Novel | 1993 | Bantam Spectra | An asteriod threatens the technologized world community in which Fatima Magdalene, the prophetess of Chrislam (Christianity, Islam, and computer/brain interface) has her own goals. |
| Christ Clone Trilogy: vol. 1 In His Image | James BeauSeigneur | Novel | 1997 | SelectiveHouse | Second coming of Jesus through reproductive cloning of DNA from the Shroud of Turin |
| Christ Clone Trilogy: vol. 2 Birth of an Age | James BeauSeigneur | Novel | 1997 | SelectiveHouse | Second coming of Jesus through reproductive cloning of DNA from the Shroud of Turin |
| Christ Clone Trilogy: vol. 3 Acts of God | James BeauSeigneur | Novel | 1997 | SelectiveHouse | Second coming of Jesus through reproductive cloning of DNA from the Shroud of Turin |
| Corrupting Dr. Nice | John Kessel | Novel | 1997 | Tor Books | Time travel is commonplace in 2063 and the discovery of instant universes avoids time paradoxes. In this way, Jesus can be brought into modern times. |
| Jesus Video (germ. Das Jesus Video | Andreas Eschbach | Novel | 1998 | Schneekluth-Verlag | Time travel to the Holy Land |
| The Light of Other Days | Arthur C. Clarke und Stephen Baxter | Novel | 2000 | Tor Books | WormCams, which are based on wormhole technology, allow to see into the past and experience world history directly. In reality, Jesus was the illegitimate son of a Roman centurion and had actually visited Great Britain as a youth. |
| The Jesus Thief | Jamilla Rhines Lankford | Novel | 2003 | Great Reads Books | Second coming of Jesus through reproductive cloning of DNA from the Shroud of Turin |
| "Jesus Christ, Animator" | Ken MacLeod | Short story | 2007 | Pyr | Second coming of Jesus into a very changed world |
| Punk Rock Jesus | Sean Murphy | Comic | 2012 | Vertigo Comics | After the Second Coming of Jesus through reproductive cloning of DNA from the Shroud of Turin, he is presented in the media in a reality show. The rebellious Jesus causes adoration and rejection. |
| The Jesus Deal (germ. Der Jesus-Deal) | Andreas Eschbach | Novel | 2014 | Lübbe-Verlag | Time travel, the Second Coming of Jesus and the end of times |
| "Mecha-Jesus" | Derwin Mak | Short story | 2014 | EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing | In a fusion of Christianity and Shintoism, a Jesus android is used as a tourist attraction in a Japanese town. |
| The Savage Sword of Jesus Christ | Grant Morrison, Matt and Kevin Molen (the Molen Brothers) | Comic | 2017 | Heavy Metal Magazine 284 | Jesus as bodybuilt Nordic Messiah |
| Second Coming | Mark Russell, Richard Pace | Comic | 2020 | AHOY Comics | Return of Jesus as sidekick of a superhero |

## Literature

* Brisio Javier Oropeza: The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Pop Culture, Ed. Peter Lang, Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series (2005), ISBN 978-0-8204-7422-9
* Gabriel McKee: The Gospel According to Science Fiction: From The Twilight Zone to the Final Frontier, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (The Gospel According To... Series (2007), ISBN 978-0-664-22901-6
* James Frank McGrath: Religion and Science Fiction, Ed. James Clarke & Company (2012) ISBN 978-0-7188-4096-9
* James Frank McGrath: Theology and Science Fiction, Cascade Books (Cascade Companions) (2016), ISBN 978-1-4982-0451-4
* Jim Papandrea: From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films, Sophia Institute Press (2017) ISBN 978-1-62282-388-8
* Gary Wesley Westfahl: Science Fiction Literature Through History: An Encyclopedia (2 volumes), Bloomsbury Publishing (2021) ISBN 979-8-216-14234-8
* Michael Scheibach: Faith, Fallout, and the Future: Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction in the Early Postwar Era, MDPI, in Religions (2021) Bd. 12(7), p. 520 ff., doi:10.3390/rel12070520
* Frank Bosman: Messiah/Christ, p. 167-186 in Caitlin Salomon: Biblical Themes in Science Fiction, Ed. Nicole L. Tilford and Kelly J. Murphy, SBL Press (2023) ISBN 1-62837-459-4
* Paul J. Nahin: Time Traveling to Jesus, p. 147–174, in Paul J. Nahin: Holy Sci-Fi! Where Science Fiction and Religion Intersect, Springer (2024), ISBN 978-1-4939-0618-5