Religion Building 101

Though portions of SF Signal’s panel of experts ends up in the realm of the ethereal in no time flat, that journey is not inappropriate to this week’s question:

Where would Fantasy be without gods to bicker, argue, and meddle with the fate of mortals? In a created fantasy world, gods can proliferate by the hundreds. When building religious systems for fantasies, what are the advantages/disadvantages of inventing pantheons vs. single gods, or having no religious component at all?

Marie Brennan, Michael Swanwick, David Anthony Durham, Elizabeth Bear, Gregory Frost, Kate Elliot, Gail Z. Martin, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright and David Langford all weigh in and -- almost predictably -- our minds? They reel! The fantastic discussion is here.