The Problem with Fantasy

by Scott T. Barnes

Christians writing fantasy literature face one unique challenge that most writers do not: how to deal with religion and spirituality in a made-up world? I provide here only partial answers and reflections, and would love to hear your opinions on this important topic.

‘Fantasy’ fiction comprises books as diverse as The Lord of the Rings; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; the Percy Jackson books; and arguably magic realism such as the Life of Pi.

When Dungeons and Dragons was brand new I played it with friends of all ages, including a published science fiction author. After several years of peaceful gaming, there came accusations from all over the media that Dungeons and Dragons led people to devil worship, satanic rituals, and dangerous role play. Most of the stories turned out to be made up, but the more the media reported on it, the more people did indeed try role play, which occasionally caused injury. Eventually the hysteria died down and Time Magazine just celebrated D&D’s 50^th anniversary, the game beloved to many Christians the world over.

Nevertheless, the problem remains, how can I incorporate religion and spirituality in my stories without leading anyone astray?

I’ve prayed on this topic many times and God has never replied, never hinted that I was on the right or wrong track. If the story is set on this Earth, you can of course write of the real Jesus, the true Christianity, as I do in my young adult fantasy Memories of Lucinda Eco.

But for made-up worlds, I see three possibilities.

First, you can ignore the whole issue. I’ve done that myself. That works fine in short stories, but if stories get to any length, it seems very apparent that something is missing, that your characters are hollow. The tendency, in fact, is that you end up writing about shallow atheists who never give a thought to the afterlife or salvation.

The next possibility is that you can make up your own religion and have some fun with it as Fritz Leiber did in his Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. I don’t know if Leiber was Christian or not, but the novels contain a completely made-up mythos. The benefit here is that no one has ever heard of or worshiped these gods. The fact that this is all make-believe should be quite obvious to the readers.

Finally, you can simply embrace the Earth’s complex history and write stories like Percy Jackson where ancient gods, whether Roman, Greek, native American, et cetera, are worshiped and very possibly running around causing mischief. Besides providing ready-made source material, no one takes those gods seriously anymore.

Problem solved, right?

On the other hand, they used to be worshiped. People were put to death for not worshiping them. In this topsy-turvy culture, might people begin again?

My just-released YA fantasy Memories of Lucinda Eco is set in present-day Baja California (and 1967 Baja). The heroes are all Mexican and Catholic, but the issue of made-up religions comes up obliquely through the subject of magic. What is it, where does it come from, etc.?

The next novel I’m working on is set in a made-up world. In the first draft I ignored religion, but as I mentioned, the characters felt hollow and atheistic. I am rewriting it with a made-up religion, and frankly, I’m having a blast.

And I continue praying, praying that my work glorifies God, praying that it leads no one astray.

I would love to hear your experiences, ideas, critiques, or especially Bible verses that might help deal with this.

Scott T. Barnes is the author of the young adult novel Memories of Lucinda Eco, which BookLife by Publishers Weekly calls “…a spellbinding blend of magic and mystery, alive with tension, laughs, and real emotional resonance.” Join Scott at www.scotttbarnes.com.