The Sparrow: The Most Horrifying Twist Ever

The Sparrow is a 1996 science fiction novel written by Mary Doria Russell. It takes its name from this Bible verse. In the Christian worldview, nothing happens in either heaven nor earth without God’s knowledge, even the seemingly innocuous action of a sparrow falling to the ground. Ostensibly it is the story of Earth’s first contact with alien life, but it is far more than that. This is a science fiction novel that explores themes surrounding spiritualism, religion, and faith, as well as the idea that evil actions can be and often are initially undertaken with benign and or even benevolent intentions. Sometimes a well-meaning purpose may lead to unexpected or even devastating results. And most of the time when events like this occur, upon reviewing the facts of the case it turns out it could have been avoidable had more caution and thought been employed. The opening lines of the book sum this up perfectly: “It was predictable, in hindsight.“ The Sparrow is one of the most disturbi