Browsing all articles tagged with religion.
Author’s Debrief: The Godserfs Series – Guest Blog by N. S. Dolkart
N. S. Dolkart’s journey from debut author to finisher-of-first-series is finally nigh, as this month he published the last in the Gemmell Award-nominated Godserfs series, an epic fantasy series with Jewish theology at its heart, reminiscent of the work of C. S. Lewis. Here, Dolkart reflects on his experiences from publication of the first book […]
Monthly Short Story Winner: Story Generator
This month’s theme has many fathers and mothers. Lady_Ty who posted the Shakespeare Adaptation Generator in the Ideas Topic on the Fantasy-Faction forum, Raptori who modified it (we kept some of their choices!), ClintACK who provided the online dice roller we used, and last but not least ScarletBea and yours truly who put it together. […]
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng – Cover Reveal
Fantasy-Faction is excited to host the cover reveal for Jeannette Ng’s Under the Pendulum Sun! Due out in October 2017 from our friends at Angry Robot, Under the Pendulum Sun is a creepy, dark gothic fantasy in which missionaries visit fairyland to spread the word of the Lord. What they don’t bank on however, is […]
A Gathering of Ravens by Scott Oden
A Gathering of Ravens was my introduction to Scott Oden’s work, and after completing the mytho-historical story, I am now scouring his backlist for another appealing tale. The story is imposing and dark, deftly woven by Oden to mix legend and history, telling of the last Orc and his quest for revenge. If you like […]
Theology in The Godserfs Series – Guest Blog by N. S. Dolkart
You may remember that a few days ago we revealed this awesome cover for the latest novel in the Godserfs series? Well, the author of Godserfs, N. S. Dolkart, has stopped by to talk a little theology with us as a means to open our eyes up to the kind of exploration that awaits you […]
Holidays In Fantasy Fiction
With the arrival of the Christmas season I’ve been thinking about the effects of holidays on our lives. The influence of Christmas is incredibly far reaching; I doubt most people can make it through the day without seeing some sign of the festivities or feeling its impact. Holidays are an important part of our lives; […]
Worldbuilding: Using The Creation Story To Help Design A Belief System
Is a faith system vital to any fantasy story? Definitely. Even in a fictional setting, people need a raison d’être and comforting explanations for the mysteries of life. Religion is an excellent way to enrich a world. It provides it with clerics, shamans, priestesses, temples, oracles and prophesies. Religion is one of five main components […]
Monthly Short Story Winner: Religion
December. The darkest month with the longest night of the year. Harsh and cold days and mankind struggling in winter’s iron grip. Separated through walls of snow from others, one feels tiny and alone. What better time to remember that there are gods looking out for you? Gods, who may help you through these hard […]
Worldbuilding A Religion – Part Three: How Religion Shapes Characters
In Part Two, we learned how religion can affect society and culture as a whole. But you can’t have either of those things without the individual people who comprise them, and many times it only takes one person to change everything. During a recent (recent as in, er, the past two years, maybe?) political event […]
Worldbuilding A Religion – Part Two: How Religion Shapes Culture
In Worldbuilding A Religion – Part One, we went over the basic differences between religions and cults, and some of the ways they can enrich your worlds and stories. Cults do not affect culture and society in quite the same way because they often rely on the isolation of their followers, and obviously if you’re […]
Worldbuilding A Religion – Part One: Religion vs. Cult
Those of you who have followed Fantasy-Faction for a couple of years (or pretty much since the beginning) will probably remember the Creating God series of articles by Amy Rose Davis. Creating God is an excellent introduction to creating religions in your worldbuilding, and if you haven’t delved into worldbuilding before, particularly worldbuilding a religion, […]
Snake-Sticks and Cheap Tricks: Magic versus Miracle
I think one could be forgiven for confusing magic and miracle. If presented with a list of remarkable achievements – walking on water, splitting the moon in half, turning sticks into snakes, pulling rabbits from hats – it’s pretty tough to know whether you’re dealing with one or the other. Jesus is said to have […]
