The Quest for Saint Aquin
Encyclopedia
The Quest for Saint Aquin is a science fiction
short story
by Anthony Boucher
originally published in 1951 in New Tales of Space and Time. The Quest for Saint Aquin was among the stories selected in 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one the best science fiction short stories of all time. As such, it was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964
.
, religion
has been banned and the Catholic
church has gone underground, relying on secret cells and symbols as in the days of the early church. The narrator is a crypto-priest named Thomas, who is charged by the secret Pope with finding the resting place of a semi-legendary figure called Aquin. Aquin had been an evangelist of great power who converted all those who listened to him preach, and his body supposedly never rotted after his death. The Pope believes that this miracle, if true, will be a powerful tool in winning new converts.
Thomas is provided with an intelligent multi-terrain transportation device called a "robass," to assist him in reaching the area where Aquin's body supposedly rests. To his surprise, the vehicle is theologically literate and tries to persuade him to abandon his quest, arguing for example that he had not been asked to find Aquin, but rather to report that he had so that the pope could begin the process of canonization
. Thomas resists the robass' persuasive arguments in the main, though he does succumb to the temptation to drink and carouse with a pretty half-Martian barmaid in a small town. The people in the town discover he is a priest, beat and rob him, leaving him for dead. He is rescued and nursed back to health by a Jew, and is able to return to his quest with the help of several secret believers in God. Various episodes from the New Testament
are echoed as his quest continues.
Ultimately, Thomas does locate Aquin, only to find that he was a robot, and that therefore the legend of his incorruptibility was true...in a sense: his body could not possibly have decayed as he was never made flesh. The robass had known this all along. The creature continues to try to pervert Thomas's intent, but is rejected. The priest realizes that if a robot, with its perfect logic, believed in God, others can be convinced of God's existence by simply using perfect reason. Thomas orders the robass to leave him alone and the story ends with him praying by the side of Aquin's body.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
originally published in 1951 in New Tales of Space and Time. The Quest for Saint Aquin was among the stories selected in 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one the best science fiction short stories of all time. As such, it was published in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964 is a 1970 anthology of science fiction short stories, edited by Robert Silverberg. It is generally considered one of the best, if not the best, of the many science fiction anthologies...
.
Plot summary
In a post apocalyptic technocratic future EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
has been banned and the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church has gone underground, relying on secret cells and symbols as in the days of the early church. The narrator is a crypto-priest named Thomas, who is charged by the secret Pope with finding the resting place of a semi-legendary figure called Aquin. Aquin had been an evangelist of great power who converted all those who listened to him preach, and his body supposedly never rotted after his death. The Pope believes that this miracle, if true, will be a powerful tool in winning new converts.
Thomas is provided with an intelligent multi-terrain transportation device called a "robass," to assist him in reaching the area where Aquin's body supposedly rests. To his surprise, the vehicle is theologically literate and tries to persuade him to abandon his quest, arguing for example that he had not been asked to find Aquin, but rather to report that he had so that the pope could begin the process of canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
. Thomas resists the robass' persuasive arguments in the main, though he does succumb to the temptation to drink and carouse with a pretty half-Martian barmaid in a small town. The people in the town discover he is a priest, beat and rob him, leaving him for dead. He is rescued and nursed back to health by a Jew, and is able to return to his quest with the help of several secret believers in God. Various episodes from the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
are echoed as his quest continues.
Ultimately, Thomas does locate Aquin, only to find that he was a robot, and that therefore the legend of his incorruptibility was true...in a sense: his body could not possibly have decayed as he was never made flesh. The robass had known this all along. The creature continues to try to pervert Thomas's intent, but is rejected. The priest realizes that if a robot, with its perfect logic, believed in God, others can be convinced of God's existence by simply using perfect reason. Thomas orders the robass to leave him alone and the story ends with him praying by the side of Aquin's body.