@Shkshkshk @rpg Clarke's 3rd Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
So magic users are going to be really confused, because this magic is totally unlike anything they've ever encountered.
Think hard about how D&D magic interacts with the alien tech.
@KitMuse @bookstodon A couple of Heinlein novels that spring to mind are Job and Stranger in a Strange Land, both of which have religious themes.
Also the science backed religion in the first Foundation novel by Asimov. And Childhoods End by Clarke has some broad cosmic themes to it, although they don't emerge till late in the book.
Edit. Sorry, just noticed you wanted to avoid the Golden Age
@Shkshkshk @rpg E.g. does "befuddle" work on the ship's AI? Can you cast a fireball through a force field?