The lost realm of Christian sci-fi and fantasy

Science fiction author Cathy McCrumb wrote her debut novel, Recorder, on a hand-me-down Kindle Fire. McCrumb, who lives near the Rocky Mountains and uses a pen name, regularly emailed the file to herself, then edited it at a library computer station. McCrumb knew there was zero interest among secular ­publishers for science fiction written from a Christian perspective. More surprisingly, though, she found near-zero interest among Christian publishers, too. Her only opportunity to pitch her creation to a traditional Christian publisher was at a conference called Realm Makers where, in 2020, McCrumb finally landed the publishing contract of her dreams.

Each July, hundreds of Christian writers of science fiction and fantasy gather for Realm Makers, a distinctively Christian conference where writers hone their skills in “speculative fiction.” This subgenre includes sci-fi and fantasy, time travel, alternative history, superheroes, and even spiritual warfare.

For McCrumb and many like her, Realm Makers is the one place they can both fellowship with like-minded creators and pitch their out-of-this-world story ideas to agents and publishers who won’t reject them out of hand.

While fantasy titles are some of the most popular in the secular market—growing a whopping 85 percent in the first six months of 2023, for example—Christian publishers are mostly wary and sometimes seem just plain allergic.

Author L.G. McCary dubbed the response she receives at most Christian writer’s conferences the “speculative head tilt.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve introduced myself to an agent, editor, or fellow author,” McCary said, “only to watch them slowly tip their head to one side, usually with a confused frown or a raised eyebrow, and say, ‘You write what now?’”

Christian publisher Revell doesn’t accept sci-fi or fantasy. Tyndale declined to comment for this story. Baker Publishing Group has published fantasy in previous years, and while author Gabrielle Meyer has a time travel series in the works, that’s something rare for the publisher.

“We moved away from traditional fantasy titles because our sales performance for that category had dwindled enough that it no longer made sense,” said Jessica Sharpe, senior acquisitions editor at Baker. “I hope that will change and that we’ll be able to return to publishing more traditional fantasy novels.”

But there is one door that’s wide open: McCrumb’s publisher, Enclave, has devoted itself solely to Christian science fiction and fantasy for adults and young adults. Enclave published only four titles in 2008 but now releases 20 annually. Publisher Steve Laube says the company has enjoyed consistent double-digit percentage growth for the last five years.

Laube has worked in Christian publishing for over 40 years and has been a literary agent for 20. “The speculative genre has an inconsistent history in the Christian market over the last 40 years,” Laube said. “I believe it is due partly because a publisher needs not only editorial expertise in the genre but also sales and marketing support...There might be an editor who believes in the genre, but a marketing or sales department may not have the same enthusiasm.”

A full ballroom listens to a presentation from literary agent and publisher Steve Laube. Photo by Emilie Hendryx

Among Christian publishers, this lack of enthusiasm may relate to the stigma some readers associate with the fantasy magic found in the Harry Potter series or with the materialistic worldview found in secular science fiction. McCrumb has even had folks question her faith: “Some people have suggested that I worship humanity over God. Others have suggested that I change and ‘write something worthwhile.’”

Meanwhile, some Christian readers who enjoy speculative fiction have found that secular versions have become too explicit. That’s why Realm Makers CEO Rebecca Minor believes Christian speculative fiction fills a void. “I believe readers are hungry for an alternative to the nihilistic, morally-gray-to-downright-reprehensible stories that have filled the science fiction and fantasy shelves for the past 20 years.”

But with Christian publishers placing Biblically-based speculative fiction on the back burner, many writers have turned to independent—or “indie”—publishing. At Realm Makers’ 2024 conference in July, seven of 12 award winners were indie books. In the Book of the Year category, four of five titles were indie books, with the fifth coming from a small press. The Book of the Year winner was Sarah Pennington’s indie novel Song of the Selkies, a retelling of The Little Mermaid.

While traditional Christian publishers may not find speculative fiction profitable, there is evidence that interest in the subgenre may be growing. Rebecca Minor and her husband Scott travel the country, visiting homeschooling conventions with their mobile bookstore of Christian-made science fiction and fantasy.

“In 2019 we thought selling 500 books was a success. But as of this past May, we are now selling over 2,000 books at each of the largest homeschool conventions,” Scott says.

Attendance at Realm Makers’ conferences is also trending upward, rising from 60 inaugural participants in 2013 to more than 400 in 2024. For 2025, Realm Makers will team up with the Christian Game Developers Conference in Grand Rapids, sharing a vendor hall and a place for fans to shop and meet their favorite Christian authors.

Despite the many obstacles for writers of science fiction and fantasy, McCrumb believes their books encourage Christian readers. “I’ve heard from people who felt lonely and isolated but who heard foundational truths in the characters’ interactions,” McCrumb said, “[such as] that the God that made the universe made each one of us, and we are valuable and unique. It’s an honor to be able to write stories that celebrate the hope we have in Christ and to be a light in dark places.”

—Marian A. Jacobs, an author of Christian speculative fiction, also writes about Christian story ethics. Her nonfiction book On Magic and Miracles releases in July 2025.