Short Science Fiction Story Review – Douglas Thompson – Gargoyles

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2015 Mammoth / Robinsons Press – Spoiler alerts In 1948, Pope Pious 12th is visited at the Vatican by high level CIA operatives who arrange for him to meet a mysterious benefactor. This proves to be an alien, a survivor of the 1947 Roswell UFO incident who wants to discuss science with the Pope who cannot accept what he hears as it confronts his religious principles. The Pope rejects the alien’s offers of assistance to our World’s problems and goes mad over the years afterwards wondering if church gargoyles depict other aliens who have visited leading church figures over the centuries with similar offers. An interesting idea given a clever real World time and setting. We might well be benefiting from alien knowledge and support if not for the church sending them away again. Arthur Chappell