Islands in the Sea

"Islands in the Sea" is a short story written by Harry Turtledove.

In "Islands in the Sea," Constantinople and thus the Eastern Roman Empire fell to Muslim invasions, leaving the Western Roman Empire without a buffer state.

Centuries later, Muslim and Catholic emissaries visit a heathen king whose land is between both empires, in an attempt to convert him to their respective religions. After much prosyletizing, he converts to the Muslim faith because the Caliphate commands a stronger empire than the Pope. The participants realize that Christianity is doomed to remain in an isolated part of the world without a powerful empire supporting it.

Criticisms
In "Islands in the Sea," one Catholic emissary makes the statement that Jesus stated that no more prophets would follow after John the Baptist. This statement is not recorded in any of the Gospel, nor is there any indication that it was part of Christian dogma during the 700s AD. When asked about this statement, Turtledove stated that it was not a Christian belief, yet in the story he attributes it as one.

"Islands in the Sea" is based on the Khazars, who are believed to have converted en masse to Judaism following a similar debate.