Fantasy and Belief : Alternative Religions, Popular Narratives, and Digital Cultures

242 Pages·2012·2.3 MB·English

by  Danielle Kirby

FANTASY AND BELIEF
Approaches to New Religions Series Editors: James R. Lewis, University of
Tromsø, & Henrik Bogdan, University of Gothenburg
Editorial Board
Gordon Melton, Institute for the Study of American Religion; Ingvild Gilhus,
University of Bergen; Wouter Hanegraaff, University of Amsterdam; James T.
Richardson, University of Nevada Reno; Steve Sutcliffe, Edinburgh University; Jo
Pearson, University of Winchester; Massimo Introvigne, CESNUR
Published
Cults: A Reference Guide, 3rd edition
James R. Lewis
Fantasy and Belief: Alternative Religions, Popular Narratives and Digital Cultures
Danielle Kirby
FANTASY AND BELIEF
Alternative religions, popular narratives and digital
cultures
Danielle Kirby
First Published 2013 by Equinox Publishing Ltd, an imprint of Acumen Published 2014 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group, an informa business © Danielle Kirby 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Notices
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and
using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or
methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom
they have a professional responsibility.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any
liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or
otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the
material herein.
ISBN: 978-1-908049-23-0 (hardback) British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record
for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kirby, Danielle, 1980– Fantasy and belief : alternative
religions, popular narratives and digital cultures / Danielle Kirby.
p. cm. — (Approaches to new religions) Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-908049-23-0
1. Religion and culture. 2. Mass media—Religious aspects. I. Title.
BL65.C8K567 2013
201’7—dc23
2012026810
Typeset by JS Typesetting Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan
To David Campbell and Dr Barry Fryar
Thanks for, well, everything…
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Religion, occulture and the modern world
2. The Otherkin
3. Fantasy and re-enchantment: sources of content
4. The internet and popular cultures: sources of context
Conclusions
Appendix: Otherkin survey results
Notes
Bibliography
Index
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book has been a long time in the making, and would not have been possible
without the help and support of a number of people. First and foremost, I’d like to
thank Lynne Hume, who has offered both knowledge and guidance for longer
than I (and probably she) would care to admit. Phillip Almond, Rick Strelan and
Helen Farley have also provided invaluable advice, support and discussion, as
more recently has Carole Cusack, Elizabeth Coleman, Christian McCrea, Rebecca
Hill and Peter Horsfield. It would also be remiss of me not to mention the decade
or so of incredible conversations had with the artists from half/theory, many of
which are still ongoing, which are a source of constant inspiration. Finally,
particular mention must be made of the contribution of David Campbell, who has
both tolerated and participated in more conversations about dragons than he
thought humanly possible.
INTRODUCTION
The pagan and the paranormal have colonized the twilight zones of pop
1
media.

This book is an inquiry into the relationship between the creation of alternative
personal metaphysical systems, fantastic narrative and contemporary popular
digital cultures. Focusing upon the Otherkin as an exemplary group, this project
is an exploration of the bodies of knowledge that contribute to the creation of
such belief systems, and contextualizes such apparently deviant beliefs within the
nexus of religiosity and culture of which they are a part.
At the core of this study is a group called the Otherkin, a loosely affiliated
network of individuals who believe that they are to some degree non-human. The
Otherkin are by no means alone in their beliefs, but constitute a specific
manifestation of religiosity particularly oriented to the late modern Western
world. This book explores the origins and implications of such a belief, looking
both towards contemporary Western esoteric and occult traditions as well as
pertinent elements of the broader contemporary society of which they are a part.
Rather than providing an exhaustive exploration of the Otherkin community, I
instead focus on investigating some of the myriad influences that have supported
the development of this metaphysical framework.
Of central significance here are the dual influences of speculative (primarily
fantasy) fiction and communication media in the creation of alternative
metaphysical systems. This relationship is an immensely complex one, and does
not so much constitute a direct inheritance from the former to the latter, or vice
versa, as it does related and reciprocal bodies of knowledge: convergence rather
2 3 4
than borrowing. As such, the notions of the cultic milieu and occulture are
used as central interpretative frameworks. Both these frameworks highlight the
interwoven and overlapping nature of the various distinct ideologies that, in
combination, constitute a broader culture of alternative ideology and spirituality.
In a continuous fashion, I propose that the body of fantastic and speculative
narrative available across media can be understood to form an equatable fantastic
milieu, a conglomerate of interrelated yet discrete ideas that may be engaged