In July of this year (2023), I’ll be moderating a panel on Spirituality in Science Fiction/Fantasy at the Imaginarium Convention (Louisville, KY, USA). In preparation for that, I’ve pulled together a few thoughts and want to share them here. (Image by Speedy McVroom of Pixabay)

What is Spirituality?

I, like many people, thought I knew exactly what spirituality means until I tried write a definition. Something about your interior life. Right? The “Spirituality” Wikipedia article mentions one scholarly review that collected twenty-seven distinct definitions of spirituality. So how do we talk about a topic when we can’t even agree on what we are talking about? 

One way is to start with the word itself. Spirit: the animating or vital principle of people (and animals—yet another topic for discussion). Thus, spirituality: having to do with that vital essence. 

Additionally, I don’t hate Philip Sheldrake’s concept—the “deepest meanings by which people live,” including their personal growth and transformation. (A Brief History of Spirituality, 2007)

So, for my purposes here, spirituality is an individual’s essence and:

• What that essence means to them.
• How that essence impacts the way they grow, change, and live.
• How that essence interactions with others, the environment, and their concept (if any) of a higher power. 

Role of Religion

For simplicity’s sake, specific religions, folkways, mores, taboos, etc. won’t get much attention in this post. Maybe another time; it’s a huge and interesting part of worldbuilding in science fiction and fantasy. Also, I’m not familiar with the genre of Christian fiction (a literary genre dedicated to the narrative representation of Christian theology and ethics), so I won’t be discussing that. 

Role of the Supernatural

Also great for another discussion time is actual spirits. While some people’s (and fictional characters’) spiritual practice involves communicating with the essence of loved ones who have gone to the afterlife, that topic will have to wait. 

Examples of Spirituality in SFF

Many examples of some sort of inner life spring to mind when I think about my favorite fantasy and science fiction material. I distinguish spirituality from religion by how internalized the system seems to be for the characters. Many great examples exist, but let’s discuss the best.

Babylon Five

Babylon Five was a television series (1993-99) that placed representatives of many different planets together at a kind of intergalactic UN. The spiritual practices and religions of these cultures were part of the rich worldbuilding and character development for which the show is known. 

G’Kar

G’Kar is the ambassador from the Narn. Reptilian in appearance, he starts the series as an epicurean sensualist and bit of a rogue. For complicated reasons, he undergoes a spiritual transformation, embracing his people’s traditional religious heritage and internalizing the teachings of G’Quan, which become his guiding light. 

What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light… pure and unblemished… not understanding that it comes from us.

G’Kar

Londo Mollari

Londo Mollari is the ambassador from Centauri. He nominally follows the state polytheistic religion, but his true passion is Centauri itself. He puts the political needs of his home world far ahead of his own inner life or personal ethics.

In my life I had four wives. I cared for them all deeply. But I loved Centauri Prime. Everything I did, I did for her.

Londo Mollari

Delenn

Delenn is the ambassador from Minbar. She, like her people, are deeply spiritual, integrating personal contemplation and inner life development with everything from their physical environment to their political decisions. During the series, she undergoes an important transformation, in part a diplomatic overture, but also a stage of her personal spiritual growth.

How Do Creatives Use Spirituality?

Art creators infuse their works with spirituality all the time, intentional or not, because their art is an extension of themselves. More specifically, spirituality gives the story greater depth and nuance. 

            Worldbuilding

            Fantasy and science fiction often require the literal creation of new worlds. Every element of society must be considered. Worldbuilding will always account for organized religion. (Even if there is no organized religion in a story, that was a decision.) The background information will include the prevalent spiritual practices, as well. The interaction of institutions will color how, when, and where these spiritual and religious activities take place. 

            Character Development

Whether or not artists themselves have a spiritual practice, they recognize spirituality as a thing people choose to do or choose not to do. Those decisions come from the character’s upbringing, personality, past experiences, priorities, and a myriad of other factors. All these aspects of a character help bring them to life.

            Settings and Props

A creator may include shrines, churches, sacred groves as well as relics, images, holy texts, etc. in the story world. As characters frequent such places and use these artifacts, they will interact with the plot. 

Spirituality and the Audience

Are stories with spiritual components inherently more entertaining? Probably not, but inclusion of spiritual issues gives the story several “selling points” for the audience.

Effect on Character

 Characters with an inner life and stories dealing with deep issues tend to resonant because they are nuanced. The reader can expect a story arc with significant issues and high stakes. The characters will have the root structure needed to grow and change. Or perhaps their fanaticism will dampen their ability to confront challenges and grow. That can be interesting, too.

The audience is more likely to identify with the characters and their situation as they reflect the viewers own experience, or observed experiences, in life. It feels more real. Which is helpful when the audience wants to buy into the reality of a space station full of nonhuman entities, for example.

Showing, Not Telling

Audiences don’t object to gaining insight from a fictional story, as long as it’s entertaining and immersive. A character undergoing a spiritual journey can show the audience truths without telling them. The audience members may have their own epiphany, which becomes part of their own spiritual journey.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read my review of Picture Cave: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mississippian Cosmos.

What does spirituality in science fiction and fantasy mean to you? Has it become a trope? Does it give you any real-life comfort or guidance? Or what horrible mistakes did I make in the B-5 discussion? Tell me about it. Comment on the blog by going to the website, clicking the name of the blog, then scrolling down for the dialogue box. I’d love to chat. 

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Click here to order The Big Cinch, an award-winning supernatural noir novel from Kathy L. Brown. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions. . .

Like the blog? Subscribe (form at the bottom of my website) to never miss an issue. Want more? Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for exclusive content, including a short story, “The Angel’s Share,” only available with the newsletter.

And, of course, I’m selling books. Last year, the St. Louis Writers Guild published Love Letters to St. Louis. This adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations included my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.” Profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program. 

Check out all my stories at Amazon.com. Order my new novella, Wolfhearted, or from Barnes and Noble if you prefer, here. It is also available as an audiobook, here. If you’ve enjoyed one of my books, tell the world! Consider leaving a short review at Audible, Amazon, or Goodreads. The direct link to review Wolfhearted on Amazon is here, The Resurrectionist, here and Water of Life, here. Thanks in advance. Twenty-five reviews will put the book in a more prominent position on Amazon.