Are you looking for more Christian literature? See our curated list of 10 authors like Frank Peretti to add to your reading list today.
Since Christian fiction tends to be “exotic” in literature, finding authors like Frank Peretti is not easy. Publisher’s Weekly named Frank Peretti “the father of Christian fiction.” Deservedly so, as Peretti’s The Present Darkness birthed a new genre.
It sold over two million copies and set the standard for spiritual suspense. Three years later, Peretti published a sequel, The Piercing Darkness. He has written over 40 books and sold over 14 million copies. His novels, The Visitation and House, were also adapted into films.
Peretti has a unique writing style, “I like to keep a story moving; I don’t like speed bumps. I try to write cinematically.”
Authors like Frank Peretti offer readers compelling tales while adhering to Christian values.
If you need encouragement in your craft or life, check out our list of the best inspirational books.
Contents
Authors Like Frank Peretti Ranked
1. Bill Myers, 1953 –
Bill Myers is an award-winning filmmaker and bestselling author. His interest in writing started when a producer asked him to write a television show. Since then, he has sold over eight million books and won multiple awards as an author, screenwriter, and director.
McGee and Me is a notable series made for Christian children. Each book has its own goal. For example, the third book, The Not-So-Great Escape, teaches kids to honor their parents.
“He knows what you are going through, and believe me; He feels every ounce of your pain. He will use it for your good… that is what He has promised. I did not make that promise. Nor did your father. But the very God who created all of these stars made that promise.”
Bill Myers, The Machine
2. Francine Rivers, 1947 –
Francine Rivers is a New York Times bestseller of over 30 novels. Her most famous work is Redeeming Love. It’s a historical fiction that focuses on the relentless power of love. Because of its success, the book is now considered a classic of Christian fiction.
Rivers’ Redeeming Love and The Last Sin Eater were adapted into movies. Her novels continue to win readers’ hearts and awards, including the RITA Award for Inspirational Fiction and the Lifetime Achievement Award from ACFW.
“I was learning to recognize when God was speaking through someone. He repeats himself. He says it over and over because we are so stubborn, stupid, and unwilling. And even scared. Even when he tells us not to be afraid, we set our minds about it, worrying and fretting about every little thing. I was shaken by what God expected us to do.”
Francine Rivers, The Last Sin Eater
3. Irene Hannon
Irene Hannon won a major national children’s magazine prize when she was ten. Since then, she has bagged many awards. Now, she’s a three-time RITA awardee and two-time Christy award finalist.
Hannon’s prowess lies in her subtle incorporation of faith in her “clean” contemporary novels. She prides herself in creating fiction that focuses on suspense and heartwarming scenes without violence and vulgarity.
One of her bestsellers is Into The Fire; it’s part of her Undaunted Courage Series but can be read as a standalone novel.
“There are many times when God’s purpose and plan aren’t clear. I may never know why some bad things happen, but I trust God does. That allows me to accept the bad as well as the good, even when I don’t understand it.”
Irene Hannon, Deadly Pursuit
4. Janette Oke, 1935 –
Janette Oke (pronounced as “oak”) pioneered Christianity-themed historical fiction. She focuses on creating novels with faith, redemption, and inspiring content. Oke has retired from writing but leaves a body of at least 80 books translated into 32 languages. Her readers show love and support through letters, to which she replies personally.
Oke’s novels have sold over 30 million copies and counting. This Canadian author won major literature awards like the ECPA President’s Award and the Gold Medallion.
Her bestsellers Love Comes Softly and When Calls the Heart are available in print, digital, and movie formats.
“The truth of God’s love is not that He allows bad things to happen; it’s His promise that he will be there with us–when they do.”
Janette Oke, Love Comes Softly
5. Jerry B. Jenkins, 1949 –
Jerry B. Jenkins is a 21-time New York Times bestselling author (seven debuting at #1). He has written more than 200 books and sold over 70 million copies. Jenkins is best known as the co-author of Left Behind, a popular Christian fiction series he made with Tim Lahaye.
He excels at biblical fiction and children’s adventures. Many organizations have recognized his works, including the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
You can read Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days or enjoy this apocalyptic novel as a movie.
“If there’s one thing I know, it’s that God has a purpose for things. Everything fits together like a puzzle, but we’re looking at it from a human angle. All we can see are missing pieces. He sees the big picture and knows how it all fits.”
Jerry B. Jenkins, Deceived
6. R.J. Larson, 1960 –
R.J. Larson (also known as Kacy Barnett-Gramckow) wrote the Genesis Trilogy. At first, Larson’s passion led her to write biblical historical fiction until author and friend Donita K. Paul (DragonKeeper Chronicles) advised her to write fantasy.
Larson’s talent is in worldbuilding while emphasizing faith and humanity. Her first Christian fiction, Prophet, was inspired by a grim dream she had. It’s the first installment of her Books of the Infinite Series. Prophet is a young adult fantasy tale of a woman called to serve her creator, the Infinite.
“I know the Infinite’s voice because He tells me everything I don’t want to hear, sends me where I don’t want to go, and asks me to fulfill tasks I consider impossible. Above all, He is forever right.”
R.J. Larson, Prophet
7. Robert Liparulo, 1961 –
Robert Liparulo has penned over a thousand published articles, short stories, and novels. As a novelist who honors his faith, he writes fast-paced thrillers with elements of suspense and supernatural themes in a Christian worldview.
Bestselling author Ted Dekker said Robert Liparulo’s The 13th Tribe is “a phenomenal story.” It’s a Christian fiction about immortals’ adventure in seeking justice and heaven. Liparulo announced that most of his novels, like Deadfall, are in various movie development and production stages.
“If we didn’t have strong feelings, how could we love or fight? When our flesh is cut, we bleed. When our heart is broken, we cry. There’s nothing wrong with that. It only becomes a problem when it gets in the way of what you have to do. You can’t crumble when others are counting on you.”
Robert Liparulo, Watcher in the Woods
8. Ted Dekker, 1962 –
Ted Dekker has a similar writing style to Frank Peretti. He’s also an award-winning New York Times and international bestseller. While Dekker is best known for his fantasy series, his breakthrough novel is the Christian fiction Thr3e. He combines suspense, fantasy, and spiritual themes in his books.
Dekker’s novels have sold millions of copies and have been translated into multiple languages. Another great read from this author is House, adapted into a 2008 movie (House). NPR (National Public Radio) named him one of the Top Suspense Writers of All Time in 2013.
“It is critical that writers who embrace the light of Christ’s redemptive love characterize the darkness arrayed against us in a way that is consistent with its true nature.”
Ted Dekker
9. Tim LaHaye, 1926 – 2016
Besides co-authoring the bestselling Left Behind Series, Tim LaHaye was a minister, nationally recognized speaker, and founder of different biblical organizations in North America. He wrote at least 50 nonfiction books and co-authored 25 works of Christian fiction translated into 34 languages.
The Jesus Chronicles, a four-book Christian fictional series about John, Mark, Luke, and Mattew, is another notable achievement from LaHaye. He also co-authored Babylon Rising, which debuted in the Top 10 New York Times bestseller list. Both series are suspense thrillers with provocative messages.
“Unbelief, which causes fear, always limits God’s use of a life.”
Tim LaHaye, Spirit-Controlled Temperament
10. Tosca Lee, 1969 –
Tosca Lee is an award-winning New York Times bestseller of seven titles and a series with Ted Dekker. Lee is also a two-time International Book Awards recipient and bagged the ECPA Book of the Year in Fiction. Her books also appeared on the IndieBound Bestseller and Library Journal “Best Of” lists.
Lee frequently collaborates with other authors but also writes solo works. She often explores historical and biblical themes with a suspenseful edge. She’s praised for her humane portrayal of maligned roles in her novels and is the author of the critically acclaimed Demon: A Memoir, which Novel Reviews labeled “powerful and beautiful.”
“And I know that God made the heart the most fragile and resilient of all organs, that a lifetime of joy and pain might be encased in one mortal chamber.”
Tosca Lee, Havah: The Story of Eve
