Worldbuilding Deities in Fantasy and Sci-Fi
When you are worldbuilding for a fantasy or science fiction story, gods are one of the most powerful tools you can use. They shape cultures, drive conflict, and add emotional depth to your characters’ struggles.
The best fictional gods are more than names in a myth. They are forces that influence politics, morality, and daily life. Whether benevolent, cruel, or long dead but still worshipped, gods can make your fictional world feel layered and alive. Three notable examples of gods within sci-fi and fantasy are Tolkien’s Valar, Greek mythology in Percy Jackson, or “machine gods” in Dune.
Tolkien has used different elements from his own faith to bring forth his creation of gods within Middle Earth. The Valar are an extension of the one true god, they are essentially immortal and live in an area now inaccessible by the mortal man. Or you could Greek mythology in Percy Jackson, which uses the already established Greek gods to expand on the ideas within the story. Or there is the “machine gods” from Dune, in essence was an intelligent/sentient AI that led to an interstellar war in which Human revolted.
These three examples are just a few of the ideas of gods that have been created within stories. There are many more examples of Gods that could be explored from a multitude of stories.
This guide explores how to create gods in fiction step by step, in it we will be offering tips for both fantasy and sci-fi writers. Many of which I have been using in my own writing.
Why Create Gods for Your Story?
Gods or the lack of are important to every story they can be used to explain so many things within your story. Whether natural phenomena such as storms or drought, death, or even morality. A well-crafted god can provide so many different points for your
Your gods can provide a point of morality for your inhabitants of your world. Many times through different mediums they will act as a source of moral principles and establishing a standard for good and evil based on their inherent nature, such as love or justice
Whether you write fantasy or science fiction, adding deities or beings mistaken for deities. Adds depth and realism to your world.
Step 1: Decide the Role of Your Gods
Before designing temples or prayers, decide how present your gods are in your story world.
- Active Gods: They interfere with mortal lives, grant powers, and even walk among humans.
- Distant Gods: They exist but rarely intervene, speaking only through omens, myths, or dreams.
- Dead or Lost Gods: Their absence still shapes culture through ruins, relics, and fading faith.
💡 Sci-Fi Twist: In science fiction, “gods” may be aliens, rogue AIs, or cosmic forces mistaken for divine beings. This creates tension between belief and scientific truth.
Step 2: Define Domains and Purpose
Every god needs a focus. Their domain helps shape the society that worships them.
- Classic Domains: Love, war, death, storms, harvest, knowledge, chaos.
- Unique Domains: Combine ideas to create something new. For example, a god of silence who rules both peace and suffocation, or a goddess of memory who blesses artists but curses liars.
Examples:
- Fantasy: A war god revered by knights, mercenaries, and blacksmiths.
- Sci-Fi: A navigation AI that guides starships through wormholes, worshipped as a “god of destiny.”
Step 3: Build Personality and Flaws
Fictional gods should not be perfect. They are more engaging when they have emotions, motives, and weaknesses.
Ask yourself:
- Are they kind, cruel, playful, or jealous?
- Do they protect mortals, or treat them as pawns?
- Do they feud with other gods?
- Can their power shift depending on mortal belief?
Examples:
- Fantasy: A trickster god who disrupts order to teach resilience.
- Sci-Fi: An AI “god” that enforces logic so strictly mortals must rebel to preserve free will.
Flaws such as pride, envy, or boredom can fuel mythologies and entire plots.
Step 4: Decide Their Appearance
A god’s form can define how they are remembered.
- Fantasy: A death goddess may appear as a raven, a shadow, or a grandmother, each symbolising death differently.
- Sci-Fi: A digital deity might appear as a glitching hologram, a disembodied voice, or even a swarm of drones.
Appearance can also change depending on culture, believer, or circumstance.
Step 5: Explore Worship and Religion
Religion is how mortals interact with the divine, and it can shape entire societies.
Consider:
- Who worships them? Everyone or only a chosen group?
- What prayers, sacrifices, or festivals exist?
- Do priests act as intermediaries, or can anyone speak to the god?
Faith can unify a culture, but it can also divide people through heresy, holy wars, and persecution.
Step 6: Make Gods Matter to the Story
The most powerful gods are those that affect your characters directly.
- Is there a prophecy that drives the plot?
- Does your protagonist doubt their faith?
- Are wars being fought over whose god is “true”?
🔥 Story Hook: A character learns their god is real, but not at all what they were taught to believe.
Step 7: Give Them Power and Limits
A god without limits is boring. Boundaries keep tension alive.
- Can they be weakened or killed?
- Are they bound by rival gods or cosmic rules?
- Can they act only through chosen mortals, sacred objects, or certain times of year?
Limits stop gods from solving every problem too easily and ensure mortals still drive the story.
Step 8: Blend Myth and Science
Especially in science fiction, blending belief with science creates intrigue.
Examples:
- 👽 Aliens mistaken for angels or demons
- 🌀 Wormholes seen as gateways to the underworld
- 🌱 Terraforming AI revered as a fertility goddess
Even in fantasy, science-like explanations can make gods feel grounded, while myth-like explanations can make science feel mysterious.
Step 9: Bringing It All Together
When creating gods for your fiction, remember:
- Decide their role (active, distant, or gone)
- Define domains, personality, and flaws
- Show how mortals worship and fear them
- Give them limits to keep conflict alive
- Make them matter to your characters and plot
The best gods are not just background details. They shape cultures, characters, and conflicts. They can be protectors, destroyers, or illusions that mortals mistake for truth.
Final Thoughts
Creating gods in fiction is about more than inventing names and powers. It is about weaving belief, mystery, and influence into the heart of your story.
By designing gods with purpose, flaws, and limits, you create worlds that feel alive and characters who must wrestle with forces far greater than themselves.
⚡ Your Turn: Will your next story feature meddling tricksters, silent creators, or rogue AIs mistaken for gods?