The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom

<p> To the casual observer similarities between fan communities and religious believers are difficult to find. Religion is traditional institutional and serious; whereas fandom is contemporary individualistic and fun. Can the robes of nuns and priests be compared to cosplay outfits of Jedi Knights and anime characters? Can travelling to fan conventions be understood as pilgrimages to the shrines of saints?</p><p> These new essays investigate fan activities connected to books film and online games such as Harry Potter-themed weddings using <I>The Hobbit</I> as a sacred text and taking on heroic roles in <I>World of Warcraft</I>. Young Muslim women cosplayers are brought into conversation with Chaos magicians who use pop culture tropes and characters. A range of canonical texts such as <I>Supernatural Buffy the Vampire Slayer</I> and <I>Sherlock</I>--are examined in terms of the pleasure and enchantment of repeated viewing. Popular culture is revealed to be a fertile source of religious and spiritual creativity in the contemporary world.</p>