Book Review: Flight by Chuck Black – A Sci-Fi Reimagining of Moses With a Tech-Driven Twist

By L. J. Anderson

Today we’re diving into Flight by Chuck Black, the second book in the StarLore Legacy series—a Christian science fiction retelling of the life of Moses. As a longtime fan of speculative fiction and biblical storytelling, I found this entry both engaging and thought-provoking, though not without some theological and literary issues worth discussing.

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🚀 Summary: What Flight Is About

Flight picks up during the dramatic period in Moses’ life when he returns to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and deliver the Israelites. But instead of ancient Egypt, this narrative unfolds in a sci-fi universe with hyper-advanced technology, interdimensional beings, and high-stakes space drama.

Chuck Black imagines a world where God (called Elyon) performs miracles not through divine omnipotence, but via sufficiently advanced technology. It’s an ambitious concept that makes for compelling reading—but also raises important theological questions.

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👍 What I Liked

• Pacing & Structure: Flight flows better than the first book, Nova. The story feels more cohesive, with a clear climax and satisfying emotional arc.
• Faith Challenge: The main character, Daeson, faces a crisis of faith after experiencing loss—a powerful reflection of how many believers wrestle with God’s presence in suffering.
• Emotional Resonance: The ending doesn’t shy away from hard questions about God’s perceived absence. It mirrors real-world faith struggles, and encourages readers to lean into Scripture and God’s promises.

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👎 What Didn’t Work

1. No Magic, Just Technology

Chuck Black is known for avoiding magic in his stories, even when dealing with divine characters. In Flight, God’s actions are presented as advanced technology, not supernatural power.

This blurs the line between God and man, suggesting that someone could “become like God” by mastering the tech Elyon uses.

This weakens the theological framework and strips the story of any true spiritual dimension, especially when applied to angels, demons, and divine acts.

2. Angels & Demons = Evolving Beings?

In the book, spiritual beings (analogues to angels and demons) are learning and growing—a concept not supported by biblical accounts, where angels are created fully formed and act according to God’s command. This may have happened considering Satan and his angels’ fall, but Flight shows that the angels grew significantly despite there being little-to-no evidence to support the idea biblically.

Even more concerning is the idea of demonic possession via technology, described on page 68. This undermines the deeply spiritual nature of demonic activity and reduces it to sci-fi mechanics.

3. Marriage in the Afterlife

There’s a brief romantic exchange (p. 132) implying marriage lasts into the next life. While emotionally touching, it doesn’t align with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 22, where he says we “will be like the angels” and not given in marriage.

It’s a small issue, but worth noting for those seeking doctrinal accuracy in Christian fiction.

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📘 Verdict: A Thought-Provoking Read with Caveats

Overall, Flight is a stronger entry in the StarLore Legacy series than its predecessor. It’s well-paced, emotionally grounded, and offers real spiritual questions for readers to wrestle with.

However, the technological reinterpretation of divine power and the reduction of spiritual warfare to science fiction elements may be a dealbreaker for those who value strong theological consistency in Christian fiction.

🙏 Final Thoughts

Chuck Black’s Flight pushes the boundaries of Christian sci-fi. While the book may not land theologically with everyone, it raises good questions—and that’s always a valuable thing in literature.

Thanks for reading!

If you would like to purchase Flight, it can be bought directly from my bookstore or on Amazon.