The Grand Illusion
I find the treatment of religion in fiction quite interesting, and I have to say that of all the treatments I have seen, the fictional religion of the world of the Imager series is the most appealing to me. If I were to choose a religion from the fictions I read, this would be the one. Is there a “real world” religion that you drew from to create this faith?
Although I don’t have a degree in divinity studies, I’ve studied quite a few religions and their histories over the years, and I’m not aware of any religion like that in the Imager Portfolio. That doesn’t mean there’s not, but if there is, I haven’t run across it.
I found the “Nameless God” religion in the Imager series a highly original take on religion in fiction and enjoyed the concepts behind it. In so many fantasy works, religion is either ignored completely (it’s almost non-existent in the Recluce series) or most prominently featured as malign fanatics, e.g. the White Cloaks in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Yet historically, religion plays a major role in human lives and it seems unrealistic for authors to leave it completely out of their world-building.
I agree, the religion of the Nameless was interesting and was well formed throughout the stories.
I thought the speculation that Rolan was a con artist was a good touch. In fact, there’s a similar bit in Roger Zelazny’s Lord Of Light where the protagonist is using Buddhism rather cynically. Early on, he preaches:
“Therefore, I charge you- forget the names you bear, forget the words I speak as soon as they are uttered. Look, rather, upon the Nameless within your-selves, which arises as I address it. It hearkens not to my words, but to the reality within me, of which it is part. This is the atman, which hears me rather than my words. All else is unreal. To define is to lose. The essence of all things is the Nameless. The Nameless is unknowable, mightier even than Brahma. Things pass, but the essence remains. You sit, therefore, in the midst of a dream.”
If a book’s title is changed mid-publication, does it lose its original identity, or does the new title simply serve as a fresh perspective for readers to discover? Discuss with examples from your personal reading experiences.
Books are usually referenced by the publication title. Several of my books had titles changed after acceptance (usually for technical reasons).