I've run into an issue where I have a sci-fi story, somewhat steampunky, that wants for a folk religion. I'm wondering how oddly that might strike readers.
Folk Religion in a Sci-fi Story
- Thread starter Liosse de Velishaf
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Depends, can you describe more about this religion? One thing would be like the Hammerites from Theif (Nobody expected the Steampunk Inquisition!) that fits well with its surroundings, but a nature-centered religion indeed strikes odd since Steampunk-type of genre centers more on science and technology
I'm not familiar with the story Max mentions, but a rise in popularity of a "nature-centered" or folk religion might well be a reasonable sociological reaction to a "growth spurt" in technology. Okay, that's just my opinion - perhaps many editors and readers would disagree.
Look at modern times in the USA. In recent decades we've had lots of technological progress - the demise of analog sound formats; game systems, iPods and hugely powerful computers galore, the rise of the Internet, yet Christianity remains quite strong.
Look at modern times in the USA. In recent decades we've had lots of technological progress - the demise of analog sound formats; game systems, iPods and hugely powerful computers galore, the rise of the Internet, yet Christianity remains quite strong.
Religion is part of life, so why not. As long as it fits your world and the people who believe in it, it would be fine. Science and religion aren't an "either or" thing. There's always been both, and they get mixed up in complicated ways all the time.
It needs to arise from your story's society; if that's the case, it's fine. Just make sure you know (and perhaps explain, if it's important to the story) why the religion came about, and explore the consequences of its existence as they would overlap your story.
Well, the society's Industrial Revolution is mainly confined to a several large urban centers near the necessary resources. The religion survives more in the country-side, where the effects of the changes haven't yet reached. It is to some extent a dying religion, and most of the urban people don't follow it anymore.
Also, since there was no organized religion in any form, the religion doesn't have to deal with something like how Earth's pagan religions were wiped out by Christianity and other modern world relgions. The religion itself isn't entirely nature-centered, and it has some (scientifically-based) support in certain areas. I've somehwat based it off Polish mythology.
Also, since there was no organized religion in any form, the religion doesn't have to deal with something like how Earth's pagan religions were wiped out by Christianity and other modern world relgions. The religion itself isn't entirely nature-centered, and it has some (scientifically-based) support in certain areas. I've somehwat based it off Polish mythology.
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Sounds cool. And it makes sense. Remember, there were folks all over our world worshipping light and fire before they became commonplace. (And yeah, some folks still do.)
You gonna post up some of it in SYW?
You gonna post up some of it in SYW?
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Remember in Planet of the Apes those people who worshipped the bomb? Now that was freaky, but it made perfect sense.
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Holy crap, I'm doing a somewhat similar thing. (I won't go into detail as I don't wish to bore. But I'm doing a somewhat similar thing. I'm even using Slavic mythology (notably Polish).)
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Personally, I think it sounds like a great idea, too. I'm all for using anything other than the traditional settings/cultures/religions/mythologies. It can make things much more interesting. 
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Great minds and all that
But mine differs enough from yours (from the sound of it) that I don't think folks would easily confuse them. Religion actually plays a rather background role in the story I'm telling (for now).
Great minds and all that
I don't know how big a role it will play in my story, but somehow, I'm sure we have very different directions of travel.
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To get an idea of how such a religion might work, consider the veneration of saints in Roman Catholicism and some other Christian sects. Saints have specialties and have shrines built in their honor, complete with statues of them. Or better yet, look at Shinto and Chinese folk religion. And perhaps even some New Age beliefs and practices.
Old-time European religions worked in a similar fashion, with people having shrines to household deities, public shrines and temples for protector deities of cities, etc. Many Roman Emperors were officially deified after their deaths, though some wanted to be worshipped as gods while they were still alive.
Keep in mind that such a religion will be pluralistic -- worshipping one god or saint or hero or whatever will NOT preclude the worship of another, and people may switch to one that seems to deliver more to them, like seemingly curing some disease. That may be hard to grasp for someone accustomed to an Abrahamic religion, but many "folk" and "pagan" religions have worked that way, and New Age belief systems often do so also.
So you can imagine shrines for eminent inventors and industrialists where people would leave offerings and have ceremonies in their honor.
Or a god of the forge updated to become a god of heavy industry.
Old-time European religions worked in a similar fashion, with people having shrines to household deities, public shrines and temples for protector deities of cities, etc. Many Roman Emperors were officially deified after their deaths, though some wanted to be worshipped as gods while they were still alive.
Keep in mind that such a religion will be pluralistic -- worshipping one god or saint or hero or whatever will NOT preclude the worship of another, and people may switch to one that seems to deliver more to them, like seemingly curing some disease. That may be hard to grasp for someone accustomed to an Abrahamic religion, but many "folk" and "pagan" religions have worked that way, and New Age belief systems often do so also.
So you can imagine shrines for eminent inventors and industrialists where people would leave offerings and have ceremonies in their honor.
Or a god of the forge updated to become a god of heavy industry.
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religion isn't negated by science. modified, maybe, but I sincerely doubt religion *ever* goes away.
The Bene Gesserit planted folk religions on every planet they visited, so they could manipulate the people based on their own mythos if ever needed.
Shepherd Book passed on his folk religion, as best he could, to the crew of the Serenity.
Whatever religion you develop, if it feels like something stressed, harried, and oppressed people would believe in, then it's going to fit, and the reader will have little to no problem accepting it.
The Bene Gesserit planted folk religions on every planet they visited, so they could manipulate the people based on their own mythos if ever needed.
Shepherd Book passed on his folk religion, as best he could, to the crew of the Serenity.
Whatever religion you develop, if it feels like something stressed, harried, and oppressed people would believe in, then it's going to fit, and the reader will have little to no problem accepting it.
Oh, I know how polytheism and animism work, don't worry. I'm not sure I want to go the route of modification, but thanks for the suggestion.
dclary, the folk religion was sort of "planted" to begin with, and actually developed out of something I wouldn't quite even call religion at first. Thanks for the thoughts.
The Zan'darai Order (and its off-shoots) in my novels is effectively a folk religion. It all comes down to implementation. It either works really well or feels like salt on a brownie; completely out of place. I hate to be vague here, but I really think it just depends on your setting, it either works or it doesn't.
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It would be interesting to have a high-tech society that gets all kinds of bizarre superstitions, because technology having progressed beyond the ability of one person to understand it. People even today talk to their cars, hit their TV sets, etc.
Gremlins. Do you know about gremlins? not the movie. Originally gremlins were thought to be mischevious little men who would plague airmen and mechanics during world war two, stealing tools, draining engine oil, loosening bolts, removing vacuum tubes, etc. Thats a good example of a high tech folk belief.
I recently read a good article about superstitious behavior among pigeons. I can't remember where it was, but it shows that wherever random, unexplained things happen, superstition will arise.
Gremlins. Do you know about gremlins? not the movie. Originally gremlins were thought to be mischevious little men who would plague airmen and mechanics during world war two, stealing tools, draining engine oil, loosening bolts, removing vacuum tubes, etc. Thats a good example of a high tech folk belief.
I recently read a good article about superstitious behavior among pigeons. I can't remember where it was, but it shows that wherever random, unexplained things happen, superstition will arise.
Folk religion would make sense in a Super hightech society. have you noticed how as society on our planet advances there are more people who are concerned with the environment and want to get back to their roots. I personally think that we wont achieve a good high tech society until we achieve a harmony with technology and nature. but then again i'm a new age hippie that loves his plumbing and gadgets
Clarke's Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Well, the society in my story isn't "high-tech" in that sense, though it turns out that the part of the religion that is supposed to be real magic is a scientific effect, and it is later used in all sorts of high technology, including space-ships. But at the time of this particular story, it is still "magic".
And the religion itself developed by a high tech society, where there was a sudden loss of high technology, and they tried to preserve the useful knowledge in something that ended up becoming a protomythology, and eventually evolved into this folk religion... (which suspiciously resembles Polish/Slavic mythology) Rather than starting from ignorance, it started from knowledge, and yet it still became a belief system, based on scientific fact or not, because the subsequent generations lost their full understanding. So in that sense, it quite nicely follows Clarke's Law, even though rather than lasers and anti-grav, it has more to do with meteorology and agriculture and such.
And the religion itself developed by a high tech society, where there was a sudden loss of high technology, and they tried to preserve the useful knowledge in something that ended up becoming a protomythology, and eventually evolved into this folk religion... (which suspiciously resembles Polish/Slavic mythology) Rather than starting from ignorance, it started from knowledge, and yet it still became a belief system, based on scientific fact or not, because the subsequent generations lost their full understanding. So in that sense, it quite nicely follows Clarke's Law, even though rather than lasers and anti-grav, it has more to do with meteorology and agriculture and such.
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