I am a member of the Visionary Fiction Alliance on Facebook because my novels are in the Visionary Fiction genre as well as the historical or sci-fi genres. Visionary Fiction is a relatively new genre and has a crossover with Spiritual Fiction. On the Visionary Fiction Alliance site, some authors shared ideas of what Visionary Fiction means to them.
Theresa Crater, author of said:Beneath the Hollowed Hill
“I was recently invited to a book club and one of the women told a story about her experience walking into the Holocaust Museum in Israel. She said she was drawn to a particular corner and as she walked toward it, she knew what she’d find. She knew the names of those who’d been killed. Knew what the place looked like before she saw the pictures. She felt that she’d been in that place in a past life or somehow was spiritually connected to those people. Then she told me she’d always dismissed that experience because she didn’t think humans could have that kind of knowledge – until she read my book.
“Visionary Fiction affirms people’s spiritual experiences and offers a vision of possibilities. It does this without a lot of dogma. It teaches spirituality without preaching or requiring people to join a group. It portrays old traditions that have been lost or repressed, widening people’s ideas of religion and human potential. Plus, it’s fun to read and write.”
What Crater says is true. A story can validate a person’s own spiritual experience. It should be done in a way that doesn’t preach yet lets the reader draw their own conclusions about the character’s experiences.
My historical fiction novels are based on my own remembrances of past lives, but are written in such a way that it’s good entertainment, whether or not you believe in reincarnation.
In my sci-fi books, some characters have past-life remembrances, out-of-body experiences, or a near-death experience. These episodes lead to the characters growing and changing from their experiences.
Another quality mentioned in the Visionary Fiction Group was at the end of the book the reader should be uplifted in some way. I feel this is important. Even though the characters go through many challenges, they should show courage, perseverance and triumph in some way. I also like to include an element of love, both divine and human, and a character who serves as a spiritual teacher or mentor for the main character.
What books have you read that are Visionary Fiction? Are you attracted to uplifting stories?
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