Luthando Coeur interview with Bryen O'Riley, author of The Chronicles of Quat: The Stone
LC: The Stone offers us a glimpse of a world in which science and faith interweave. How did you come to feel the force of such an opposition?
BrO:... I think that it is science’s fault really. Regardless of your faith--whether Christian, ancient Norse, Muslim, Wiccan, Jewish, Mormon, whatever--science is adamantly telling you that something of what you believe is wrong. That it didn’t or doesn’t happen. Science has the audacity to claim to have knowledge about those non-quantifiable, unobservable phenomena that your belief claims. Yet, science is only able to deal in quantifiable, observable events! I say, “Science keep your nose out of others' business! Stick to what you know, like photosynthesis, and leave the rest alone!”
To me, that very real element of our world – in which science and faith collide – is a great basis for a fantasy world where both sides can be beefed up a little bit with fantastical elements and made to compete for power. Who will win? You’ll just have to read The Chronicles of Quat series to find out!
LC: You and I have talked about the novel, obviously. I am quick to point out some of its Steampunk elements. The more I think of it, though, it is actually this clash between science and faith which is at the basis. Science's encounter with faith, and vice versa, was a feature of periods subsequent to the 1890s (the Steampunk 'Era.')
