BFS Online: Worldbuilding – Faith & Religion

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Faith & Religion: With an estimated 10,000 distinct religions worldwide and a whole host of mythologies to choose from, how do we create the beliefs that influence our setting? One, none, or many gods? Is there freedom of faith? And how do we address the difference between faith and religion?

Join moderator PS Livingstone and panellists Zamil Akhtar, Gareth Hanrahan, and Peter McLean for their insight on building a belief system in fictional worlds.

Zamil Akhtar (he/him): When Zamil was fourteen, he moved from the dry, dune-spotted Arabian peninsula to the hilly, arctic wasteland that is Western Massachusetts. He despises the cold, isn’t very fond of the sun, and prefers spending all day indoors mashing the keyboard in the hopes something great will come of it. When not dreaming up dark and fantastical journeys, he enjoys binging horror movies, wasting precious time arguing about international relations on Reddit, and occasionally traveling somewhere exotic. He currently lives in Dubai with his loving wife and his badly-behaved pet rabbit. Find out more on Zamil’s website. Grab Zamil’s books on Amazon.

Gareth Hanrahan (he/him): Born 1978. Not dead yet. Writes fantasy novels and all the TTRPGs. Originally qualified as a computer programmer, he took a three month break to see how “this writing thing” would go. More than fifteen years later, he’s still on that break. The writing thing seems to be going. Gareth has published more role-playing games and supplements than he can even recall, including the award-winning The Laundry RPG, Adventures in Middle Earth and The Dracula Dossier. He describes writing as “the process of transforming tea and guilt into words”. Gareth lives in Cork, Ireland with more dogs, children and fish than he ever anticipated. Find out more on his website or connect on Bluesky.

Peter McLean (he/him): Peter McLean is the author of the fantasy gangster quartet War for the Rose Throne, comprising Priest of Bones, Priest of Lies, Priest of Gallows and Priest of Crowns, published by Jo Fletcher Books at Hachette. His first novels, the Burned Man series, are noir urban fantasy. His latest work, Paved With Good Intentions, is a stand-alone novel set in the World of the Rose Throne and comes out in June 2025. He has also worked on game tie-in short fiction for various franchises including Warhammer. He lives in Norfolk, England, with his wife Diane. Find out more about Peter on his website. Or connect with him on Facebook or Bluesky.

PS Livingstone (she/her): PS Livingstone writes contemporary fantasy with intersecting worlds and lashings of romance. She is a Page Turner Award finalist and the author of Awakening, as well as numerous short stories. Suiting her reputation as a renowned grammar fiend, Pamela works as a ghostwriter and editor. As someone who can’t say no, she is also Event Co-ordinator for the BFS. She is a member of the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers’ Circle, Society of Authors, and the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders. Pamela lives in Glasgow with her partner and three cats, and can often be found in her allotment, usually covered in mud. Find out more about PS Livingstone at her website. Or you can follow her on social media: Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads.