I just finished Michael's D. O'Brien's latest book, Letter to the Future. Of the books I've read by him it was not his best, but it was still good, and far better than most popular fiction today.
I was amused to see the protagonist was a fan of Chesterton, and that his uncle whose cabin he goes to includes works by Chesterton and Tolkien on his bookshelf.
It occurred to me as I read that O'Brien, a devout Catholic convert with a love of the classics, a concern with the secular government becoming totalitarian and repressing religious people, and the faith-filled nature of his fiction, might have fit in with the Inklings. I can imagine him sharing his works with the members of that illustrious group.
And though Chesterton was not an Inkling, he did influence and inspire them. As an artist - O'Brien illustrates the covers of his books - he might have had a lively discussion about art with Gilbert, that noted doodler and former art student.
Moreover, O'Brien's views about literature, children's literature, and the culture, are certainly in line with those of both Chesterton and the Inklings.
I first encountered O'Brien back in the 1990s when I read Father Elijah: An Apocalypse and interviewed him for an article for the diocesan newspaper. The book was one of a number of such works that came out at the time filled with concern about society and the threats of government control guided by the antichrist/Satan.
I later read others of his works. Eclipse of the Sun and Plague Journal continued with his apocalyptic/dystopian concerns, as does Letter to the Future.
I also read The Fool of New York City, The Lighthouse, and By the Waters of Babylon, books that did not dwell on dystopian notions. I've heard that The Lighthouse (my favorite book by him) might even be developed into a movie.
The premise of Letter to the Future is the government and the culture are increasingly attacking people of faith. Indoctrination in schools, medical assistance in dying, censorship, and more dark forces with which we are currently dealing are all introduced. A group of devout Catholics are drawn together after having dreams/visions, and head to the mountain cabin of the protagonist's late uncle. Along the way they face the growing chaos and violence taking over society, but also find others who share their calling, or who need to be rescued. A community forms, with faith and friendship at its core. So, when the inevitable "apocalypse" comes, they have the means and necessary support to survive and thrive.
The book is a hope-filled one, not dark and cynical like too much dystopian fiction.
I enjoyed the book. It is well-written. The characters are interesting - though there come to be so many of them that I got a bit confused (that may be my weakness). Given that he's dealt with some of these themes before it seemed less original, which in one of the reasons I say it's not his best.
Still, well worth reading.
O'Brien is one of the few contemporary writers I always read with pleasure. Good thing I have a few more books by him on my bookshelf waiting to be read.
Meanwhile, I nominate O'Brien to be an honorary Inkling.
