Jews In Space, or "OMFG, Cohen's Jewish!"

[rydra_wong]

So I was reading Chris Moriarty's (very enjoyable) science fiction novel Spin State recently, and, somewhere around page 248, I sat bolt upright and shrieked words to the effect of "OMFG, Cohen's actually JewishOkay, I realize that the fact that it took me half the book to consider that a character named Cohen might be Jewish might seem to indicate

Comments

[popelizbet]

I only recently noticed, because I am not quick on the uptake, that most of the named golems in the Discworld that are not named directly after their function (Pump 19) have Yiddish names. It's not really extensionalized into "Jewish" as to character identities, though.

[rydra_wong]

Golems are really one of the classic Jewish sci-fi/fantasy tropes, aren't they? (Spin Control features wars being fought by a military AI system called EMET ...)

And in fantasy, Mary Gentle's Ash: A Secret History has war golems, and China Mieville's Iron Council centres round a golem-maker called Judah Low.

[popelizbet]

The golems are some of my favorite characters in the Discworld, because their story allows Pterry to really go after some of the stupid, stupid dehumanizing shit that people do to other people and illustrate how stupid it is. He's also attacked a couple of anti-Semitic arguments very forcefully through the golem characters, IIRC.

[popelizbet]

Also noted, because I went home and picked up Feet of Clay - there are kosher butchers in Ankh-Morpork, despite there being no (identified) Judaism.

Strange indeed.

[devohoneybee]

There's an old collection of sci fi stories about Jews and Jewishness edited by Asimov called Wandering Stars (and More Wandering Stars). One story stood out about a group of aliens who petitioned to be allowed to convert to Judaism. What to circumcise was debated for quite some time.

Whorf's parents (the father is played by Theodore Bikel, who also plays Susan Ivanova's rabbi) read as Russian Jews, but are never stated as such.

There was an old, really wonderful novel by Isadore Haiblum called The Tzadik of the Seven Wonders, about a time traveling wunder-rebbe.

[redthroatedloon]

Actually, Wandering Stars was edited by Jack Dann (Asimov wrote the intro), but otherwise I echo your recommendation. It includes Ellison's marvelous "Looking for Kadak" (mentioned elsewhere on this thread) and a number of other stories by excellent writers.

[txtriffidranch]

I second Wandering Stars: it's full of funny, poignant, terrifying, and enraging stories, and all of them are worth reading.

[rydra_wong]

Looks like I definitely need to find a copy ...

[millefiori]

In Hyperion by Dan Simmons, one of the main characters is Jewish. If you aren't familiar with the book/series, this one (the first) is sort of a futuristic Canterbury Tales and Sol Weintraub is one of the pilgrims who tells his story. Due to the events in the story he is famous and known in the media as 'The Wandering Jew.'

[rydra_wong]

*facepalms*

I have read Hyperion, but it was a while back and I'd completely blanked on Sol. Thanks for reminding me!

[millefiori]

Hee -- now that I've reminded myself I want to go read it again!

[midnitemaraud_r]

I was going to mention this one this morning, but I was in a rush to get out of the house. They're still my favorite science fiction books. Don't forget part 2 - Fall of Hyperion :-P

[unovis]

There are a handful of stories taking place offworld in Wandering Stars: An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy and Science Fiction, ed. Jack Dann (1974), and More Wandering Stars (1981).

[sainfoin_fields]

Hee, Dr. Zoidberg. On that note, I think Leela might be Jewish as well. Her parents certainly fulfill various stereotypes, although since she didn't know them until she was an adult she wouldn't have realized she belonged to any Earthican ethnicity.

[rydra_wong]

Hee, Dr. Zoidberg.

I blame Adam Roberts *g*.