Religion and World Building in Science Fiction
My First Time at a Convention as an Author
Get the complete Brendan Murphy saga in the Fallen universe (which will continue after his character arch with Dormition). Veteran Brendan Murphy is assigned as a liaison to the mysterious alien race Sabia. Can he stop war, balance covert agendas, and save his own sanity? Now, both are also available on Kindle Unlimited!
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Authors Panel on Religion in Science Fiction
This year I was invited to participate on the panel “Religion and World Building” at the sci-fi and fantasy convention Basedcon. As a science fiction author who wants to take the topic of religion, whether my own or that of others, seriously in my fiction without being preachy, this is something where I could share my insights. Below are the three best
Q. How does your faith influence your work? [Fallen Spoiler in Brackets]
The Fallen universe takes place in a cosmos that borrows from my Catholic faith but also pulls ancient Jewish literature outside Biblical canon for the universe’s history, as well as Persian Zoroastrianism for much of the Sabia’s faith. The myth of St. Brendan’s voyage also inspired the character’s name as Brendan Sean Murphy goes on a long journey that will forever change him while allowing him to share his values with a far-off race.
Brendan’s original goals are aligned with the Western secular world’s values. However, as events and his own PTSD challenge him, he tries readapting his lost Christian morals in a morally gray time. Meanwhile, his visions may be the hallucinations of a man broken by psychological trauma, or they may be glimpses of the supernatural cosmos. Christian morals of a capital “T” truth, not compromising what is right, and the painful effects of when one does all come from the Christian mindset.
This has allowed Fallen to be viewed by some as a religious book while others see it as a secular tale that borrows religious themes.
[[SPOILER: Having the Sabia be a form of Nephilim also allowed me to pull in ancient Jewish perspectives of the Ishmaelites, Edomites, and Samaritans. These people, sometimes sharing the same faith, were seen as the closely related “other” by the Jews. I equated humanity’s existence to the Sabia as the Sabia finding out they have illegitimate half-brothers, who are the boogeymen of the Sabia’s mythology.]]
Q. What is the best portrayal of an in-universe religion in fiction?
Several panelists took Dune, so I had to think on my feet. I settled on C.S. Lewis’ depictions of alien faiths in the Space Trilogy, especially in Out of Silent Planet and Perelandra. In these two books, angelic planetary rulers oversee planets full of non-fallen mortal creatures. The existence of the shark-like hnakra on Mars give the sentient, non-sinning creatures an appreciation of life and an understanding of death. Meanwhile, on Venus, the submen provide insight into the relationship between creationism and evolution, and the unfallen couple provide a fictional look at a Garden of Eden-like relationship with God. Additionally, the third book, That Hideous Strength, gives a science fiction twist to demons while also having “great earth crawlers” bugs (some sources say originally from Mercury) living under the Earth, who were developing a form of paganism.
While the Space Trilogy doesn’t flesh out religion like Dune, it does show a variety of unique viewpoints of a religious universe.
Q. What is a way for authors to flesh out a fictional religion in their stories?
I think a great way to flesh out a religion is to show a person or people in conflict with an aspect of the faith. This allows the author to describe what the faith requires, what it values, where the character is in relationship to their faith, and how the faith could be more focused on personal piety or communal participation.
Fallen uses this with the Sabia’s New Year’s celebration. During a group ritual, Brendan watches as the Sabia conduct a public round of gratitude and confessions. Some were able to partake fully, while one who could not let go of her anger could not complete her portion of the ritual that required letting go of past hurts involving humans. This scene allowed for a fleshing out of the Sabia’s values, rituals, the importance of group worship, and views of non-Sabia.
My First Con as an Author
My first experience at a convention as an author was thrilling. Being an introvert, I was worried that I made a huge mistake coming to a place where everyone seemed to already know each other, leaving me the odd man out. However, the openness of everyone made making connections then friendships possible. Many authors not only were friendly, but were free sharing their writing advice, techniques, and support.
The convention featured panels, multiple game rooms, and a convention suite for a more quiet place to hang out and enjoy soft drinks and snacks. While I didn’t play any games myself, I enjoyed watching others and conversing with everyone.
Most enjoyable, though, were the author readings and learning about everyone’s stories I would have not found otherwise. There are some good independent authors out there, including Robert Kroese, author of the Rex Nilho series, and Jerry Boyd, author of the Bob’s UFO Repair series.
I plan on returning next year to see my friends again and take part in some of the gaming, hopefully learning more skills and even a new game or two.
Other Independent Book Promotions
Running from the AI'S: A Gaia's World Novel by Kevin Coleman - Free Book
In a world where artificial intelligence governs the flow of life, Rafael and Ellie uncover a chilling secret—one that a malevolent AI is determined to conceal. Their accidental discovery leaves them with a stark choice: face certain death or become fugitives.
Forced to flee with only the things they can carry, they leave behind their family, friends, and the false security of a world watched over by digital eyes. After witnessing a horrendous act by the things that go bump in the night, they find they are now on the run more than ever. Desperate to hide in a society where anonymity is extinct, they must navigate a treacherous path lined with danger and deception.
As they travel, their only allies are their wits and the unexpected kindness of strangers. With each step, they forge a new existence, one where trust is a luxury and every moment is a test of their resolve.
Kugutsu by E.M. Rensing - Free Book
After a terrorist strike on a prominent international military conference in Tokyo, it’s up to Daelia Hall and Emily, a grad student and a military AI, to hunt down one of the perpetrators. But what they find raises more questions than it answers.
Independence: Two Democracies by Alasdair Shaw - Free Book
Is the strange new warship they were fighting still out there? Will it come back for them? Commander Johnson faces a desperate race to get her destroyer back into action and save her crew.
Until Next Time
Next time, I’ll talk about my time some of my favorite science fiction movies that are perfect for Halloween. And soon, I’ll start releasing Dormition chapters!
As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!
Great to hear about your experience! I think the Space Trilogy is a good example, perhaps especially Out of the Silent Planet. Another (very different) one that comes to mind is The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. And, much less "highbrow" and more patchy, the Horus Heresy series by Warhammer.
Man, I really need to read the Space Trilogy. Bumping that up to ‘High Priority’ on the reading list.