Seventh-day Adventism in Popular Culture - Representations in Literature

Representations in Literature

The popular website Adherents.com comments on literary science fiction or fantasy references as:

"This is a surprisingly short list. Seventh-day Adventists form one of the ten largest international churches in the world. They have distinctive history, culture, doctrine and literature which could certainly provide subject matter for fiction. Seventh-day Adventists are often well-educated as well as devoutly and alternatively religious. They would make interesting characters in any form of fiction. Yet the SDA Church and its members are rarely mentioned in science fiction, fantasy, or any other genre."

It also speculates reasons why the cultural references are so few. According to the website there are no known science fiction or fantasy authors who are themselves Seventh-day Adventists.

In Black Boy (1945) by Richard Wright, "Granny" is said to be a Seventh-day Adventist.

In Alas, Babylon (1959) by Pat Frank,

"He said, 'Jim, maybe I could be persuaded to trade for honey.'"

"'I'm sorry, Randy. We're Adventists. We don't drink whisky or trade in it.'"

In The Stand (1978) by Stephen King,

"...biked out to north Boulder... Boulder's 'old' residents. Stan Nogotny said it was as if the Catholics, Baptist, and Seventh-day Adventists had gotten together with the Democrats and the Moonies to create a religious-political Disneyland."

The Brothers K (1992) by David James Duncan includes Adventist characters.

In Towing Jehovah (1994) by James Morrow,

"'The Lord was lookin' out for him.' The freckled sailor slipped a tiny gold chain from beneath his polo shirt, glancing at the attached cross like the White Rabbit consulting his pocket watch.

Neil winced. This wasn't the first time he'd encountered a Jesus aficionado. As a rule, he didn't mind them. Once at sea, they were usually diligent as hell, cleaning toilets and chipping rust without a whimper, but their agenda made him nervous. Often as not, the conversation got around to the precarious position of Neil's immortal soul. On the Stella, for example, a Seventh Day Adventist had somberly told Neil that he could spare himself the "trouble of Armageddon" by accepting Jesus then and there." (see: Seventh-day Adventist eschatology)

In The Terminal Experiment (1995) by Robert J. Sawyer,

"'But isn't immortality boring?'"

"...'Forgive me... but that's one of the silliest ideas I've ever heard... I want to read all the great books, and all the trashy ones, too. I want to learn about Buddhism and Judaism and Seventh Day Adventists. I want to visit Australia and Japan...'"

In the award-winning Tree of Smoke (2007) by Denis Johnson, a fictional character Kathy Jones, a Seventh-day Adventist aid worker, is included.

Horror novelist Ray Garton was raised Adventist, as was fellow novelist Steven Spruill. They claim to be the only Adventist novelists they know of.