Good topic--one that comes up sometimes, but usually descends (at least, so I've found) into long rodomontades about the superiority of postmodern thought, yadda yadda.
I suspect we don't see much interesting fiction about this question because most are ignorant about the history of religions and religious thought. They think they know. "Catholics burned witches! They were superstitious and ignorant and anti-science!" But sound-bite worldbuilding shows its flimsy underpinnings--your example about Urban Fantasy is a good one. Of course, an equally ignorant reader is happy with the story.
James Blish did some interesting things. Lois McMaster Bujold approached the subject in her Chalion series. Most genre fiction, though, is disappointing in this regard, I find, though it can be great in all the other aspects that make it good reading.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-09-08 01:12 pm (UTC)I suspect we don't see much interesting fiction about this question because most are ignorant about the history of religions and religious thought. They think they know. "Catholics burned witches! They were superstitious and ignorant and anti-science!" But sound-bite worldbuilding shows its flimsy underpinnings--your example about Urban Fantasy is a good one. Of course, an equally ignorant reader is happy with the story.
James Blish did some interesting things. Lois McMaster Bujold approached the subject in her Chalion series. Most genre fiction, though, is disappointing in this regard, I find, though it can be great in all the other aspects that make it good reading.