The Faith of Beasts
The Faith of Beasts
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Background
Literary Context: The Book of Daniel and the Babylonian Exile
In 587 BCE, the Babylonian Empire under King Nebuchadnezzar II conquered the Kingdom of Judah, destroying the Temple in Jerusalem and deporting much of the Israelite elite to Babylon. This period, known as the Babylonian Exile, forced a captive people to navigate life within a powerful, foreign empire. The biblical Book of Daniel is set during this era, describing how Daniel and his companions serve in the Babylonian court while maintaining their cultural and religious identity under immense pressure. Daniel rises to prominence as a wise interpreter of the king’s dreams, occupying a precarious position as both servant and leader.
In The Faith of Beasts, Abraham and Franck purposely adopted this biblical narrative as the template for a science-fiction story: The alien Carryx are the Babylonians, conquering the human world of Anjiin and abducting a select group of its most skilled citizens, “a little under four thousand” out of billions (4), to serve their empire. This mirrors the historical exile of Judah’s upper class. The humans and the other captive species experience a “forced integration of cultures” like the ones that the Babylonians imposed, as they’re required to labor in the Carryx empire’s war effort (Liptak, Andrew. “Power Imbalance.” Transfer Orbit, 18 Apr. 2026). The protagonist, Dafyd Alkhor, becomes a direct parallel to Daniel. Once a lab assistant, he’s elevated to the role of intercessor between humanity and their captors, becoming “the voice of the Carryx” to his people (6). Like Daniel, Dafyd must balance the demands of his powerful masters with the survival of his community, all while secretly nurturing a plan for rebellion that echoes the apocalyptic hope for deliverance in Daniel’s visions.
Scientific Context: Convergent Evolution in Astrobiology
Convergent evolution is the process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similar traits to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. This phenomenon is widespread in nature; for example, bats, birds, and insects all independently developed wings for flight, while sharks (fish) and dolphins (mammals) separately evolved streamlined bodies for efficient movement through water. In the field of astrobiology, some scientists hypothesize that the universal laws of physics and chemistry could make convergent evolution a predictable force across the cosmos. This suggests that life on other planets, facing similar environmental challenges like the need for locomotion or sensory perception, might develop forms recognizable to humans.
The Faith of Beasts uses this scientific principle to ground its world building. Biologist Jessyn Kaul explains the concept to an archeologist, noting how different species can be mistaken for one another because “[a]n environment tells you how to live in it” (74). This explains the familiar forms of the novel’s diverse alien species, such as “gray-winged moth-bat things” and “featherless herons” (23, 34). More significantly, the concept provides a framework for the novel’s central revelation. When Jessyn discovers that the fruit on an enemy planet contains DNA and is essentially a pear, the initial scientific explanation would be convergence. However, the truth is common ancestry: The enemy that the Carryx have been fighting is also human. The theory of convergent evolution provides a plausible scientific smokescreen, both for the characters and the reader, delaying the realization of this important connection.
Genre Context: The Space Opera
Space opera is a science-fiction subgenre defined by epic scale, high adventure, and interstellar conflict. The term was coined in 1941 by author Wilson Tucker, initially as a critique of what he saw as formulaic “horse operas” (Westerns) set in space. Over time, the genre has evolved to encompass complex tales of galactic empires, warfare, and rebellion. A recurring theme within space opera is the story of an oppressed community fighting for freedom against a tyrannical, technologically superior empire. The most iconic example is Star Wars, in which the Rebel Alliance resists the Galactic Empire. Frank Herbert’s Dune series similarly features the Fremen, an indigenous people rising up against the galactic powers exploiting their world. More recently, the authors’ own previous series, The Expanse, centers on the Outer Planets Alliance, a militant movement of asteroid miners fighting for liberation from the dominant inner planets.
The Faith of Beasts situates itself firmly within this tradition of rebellion. Humans abducted from their home world of Anjiin represent an oppressed minority living under the absolute control of the powerful Carryx empire. The central political plot follows Dafyd’s secret efforts to sow the seeds of a future insurrection, telling his confederates that he wants to raise the new generation of human children “to revolt against the empire” (88). By invoking these classic genre elements, the novel engages with a familiar narrative of resistance against overwhelming odds, setting personal struggles against a backdrop of galactic importance.
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