The Coldfire Trilogy

Another one of those authors who feels the need to keep their first and middle names shrouded in mystery on the covers of books, C.S. Friedman is better known for writing science fiction novels such as "This Alien Shore" and "In Conquest Born" than for fantasy. In the early nineties Friedman wrote a set of novels rooted in science fiction but expressed through fantasy called The Coldfire Trilogy. The premise of the series was based on the familiar science fiction concept of humanity sending a massive ship from Earth out into the unknown reaches of deep space to find a new planet to colonize. Once the ship landed, the colonists of course were confronted with a veritable deluge of issues that they could not have foreseen or been prepared for.

The planet the colonists landed on, Erna, has a very strange quality not present on earth. Erna has some sort of energy referred to as the Fae which seems to emanate from below the planet's surface. This force, entirely alien and unknown to humanity, reacts to the emotions of humans and causes spontaneous changes that shouldn't be scientifically possible. The stronger and more prevalent the emotion, the more likely a change is to occur. The collective fear of a people could spawn whole species of monstrous creatures. Early on in the colony's history one of the most prominent colonists decides to completely destroy their space traveling vessel, stranding all of the people on Erna to contend on their own with the Fae and leaving them no ability to communicate with their home world.

These science fiction concepts are mostly kept firmly in the background of the story, which is most decidedly a fantasy tale. Many years after the destruction of the colony's space ship humanity has spread across the continent and built themselves into a standard fantasy quasi-medieval society with only a few vestiges of the technology that they once mastered. Humans have found ways to mold and shape the Fae to their liking in a method not at all dissimilar to the tales of the past of wizards who could work magic. Some few blessed people are even born Adepts, with a natural talent to see and work the Fae that others can only dream of. The main character is Damien Vryce, a priest of the Church of Human Unification. He hails from a sect of the church that is more tolerant of sorcerers than the rest of the organization. Damien finds himself repeatedly at odds with one of the leaders of his church, who seeks to eradicate the Fae entirely, or at the very least render humans unable to use it.

One of the most compelling aspects of the series is Damien's internal struggle as he comes into conflict with his Church and his beliefs. He eventually meets with the Church's founder and discovers that his entire system of beliefs was originally created for reasons that are entirely at odds with how those beliefs are taught in the present time. He is forced to work with individuals he would normally kill outright for the good of his Church and the people it is sworn to protect, even though his Church may brand him a heretic for it.

The other reason these books are of note is their overall idea. In a world where reality can be changed based on the number of people who believe something, nearly anything can be possible. The Church of Human Unification is based on church beliefs and practices from the long ago time of Earth, and the highest leaders of the church are working to have enough people follow their practices so that the deity they believe in will actually come into existence, if that deity doesn't exist already. The idea of men creating a God based on the strength of their belief is a highly intriguing one that can spawn many a nights pondering.