Inspirational fiction is non-factual literature that can inspire readers, with subgenres including religious, misery, visionary, and gentle fiction. It can come in any form and is difficult to define. Religious fiction is predominantly Christian, but other faiths are represented. Misery literature is a UK term for biographies where the protagonist overcomes obstacles. Visionary fiction expands the reader’s mind without being explicitly religious. Gentle fiction is about ordinary people without explicit content.
Inspirational fiction can be loosely defined as any non-factual literature that can inspire a reader. Generally, the protagonist matures and overcomes obstacles in a way that might encourage the reader to do the same. The majority is also religious fiction, typically Christian. Misery literature, visionary fiction, and gentle fiction are often listed as subgenres of inspirational fiction.
Because what inspires varies from person to person, this genre is notoriously difficult to pin down. Inspirational fiction can also come in any form, including romance, mystery, and thriller. Many libraries have a separate section for these books in both the youth and adult areas. The American Library Association lists it as a subgenre for each fiction category in The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction.
Religious fiction of any faith is typically considered inspirational fiction. While there are many stories based on Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and other faiths, the vast majority of religious fiction published around the world is Christian. This subgenre is predominantly filled with Protestant evangelical writings, although narratives with Catholic, Mormon, and other Christian worldviews are also present. The terms Christian fiction and inspirational fiction are sometimes used interchangeably with Protestant gospel writings.
Misery literature is the name used in the UK for biographies in which the protagonist succeeds despite enormous obstacles. These obstacles manifest themselves most frequently in the form of child abuse and neglect. Fact-based misery literature does not belong to the genre of inspirational fiction.
In 2003, Michael Gurrian released The Miracle: A Visionary Novel and started the new sub-genre known as visionary fiction. This category includes novels that are meant to inspire the reader and expand their mind with a vision of what life could be like. Visionary fiction tends to present a plethora of mystical and religious experiences without itself being explicitly religious. Also, like all inspirational fiction, visionary literature tends to end on a positive note, and while the story may have many negative events, the net effect is almost always positive.
Gentle fiction is the term used for stories without graphic violence, profanity or explicit sex. These writings are typically about the daily struggles and successes of ordinary people. They are not explicitly religious. Many older stories fall into this category, such as the 19th-century classics Heidi by Lohanna Spyri and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, as well as more recent books, such as The Mitford Years Series by Jan Karon, published between 1994 and 2005.
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