Fantasy Faiths

“The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom: Essays on the Intersection of Religion and Pop Culture”

From the publisher’s blurb: To the casual observer, similarities between fan communities and religious believers are difficult to find. Religion is traditional, institutional, and serious; whereas fandom is contemporary, individualistic, and fun. Can the robes of nuns and priests be compared to cosplay outfits of Jedi Knights and anime characters? Can travelling to fan conventions … Read more“The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom: Essays on the Intersection of Religion and Pop Culture”

“The Bacchae” (1991)

Elizabeth Hand’s short story The Bacchae takes place in a near-future world of sky-shields and mutant fish, awakening to dark-red, cultic magics: A shadow sped across the ground. For an instant it blotted out the sun and Gordon looked up, startled. He had an impression of something immense, immense and dark and moving very quickly … Read more“The Bacchae” (1991)

“Houses Under the Sea” (2003)

Caitlin R. Kiernan’s short dark fantasy story Houses Under the Sea introduces the charismatic academic-turned-Lovecraftian-cult-leader Jacova Angevine: When I close my eyes, I see Jacova Angevine. I close my eyes, and there she is, standing alone at the end of the breakwater, standing with the foghorn as the choppy sea shatters itself to foam against … Read more“Houses Under the Sea” (2003)

“I’m Starting a Religion” (MTV’s “True Life”, 2015)

This episode of MTV’s True Life series documents the efforts of two quirky 20-somethings – Seattle’s Unicole Unicron and Chicago’s Christopher Karl Allman – as they strive to establish their new religions (Unicultism and The People of Ieya, respectively). The documentary is listed as (S2015 E18) and originally screened in 2015, which should be plenty … Read more“I’m Starting a Religion” (MTV’s “True Life”, 2015)

“Mythopoeia” (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1931)

The following poem was composed by Tolkien in response to his friend C.S. Lewis’s remark that myths were valueless. It’s worth noting that, as a devout Christian, Tolkien could not conceive of a mortal creation that might equal that of an omnipotent deity, and so refers to myths as “sub-creations”. Somewhat ironically, the immense popularity … Read more“Mythopoeia” (J.R.R. Tolkien, 1931)

“The Gates of Horn: Being Sundry Records From the Proceedings of the Society for the Investigation of Faery Fact and Fallacy”

Originally published in England in 1926, The Gates of Horn is a mock-epistolary anthology of poems and faery stories by Bernard Sleigh (1872-1954). A talented artist in several media, Sleigh is best known today as the creator of An Ancient Mappe of Fairyland, Newly Discovered and Set Forth (1917); a scan of the entire Mappe … Read more“The Gates of Horn: Being Sundry Records From the Proceedings of the Society for the Investigation of Faery Fact and Fallacy”

The House of Black and White

The fantasy cultures in George R. R. Martin’s epic Game of Thrones stories have conjured a rich diversity of religious perspectives. The journey of Arya Stark, noblewoman by birth and killer by temperament, leads her to the House of Black and White, which is the temple, headquarters and thanatorium of a cult of priestly assassins known as … Read moreThe House of Black and White