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Speaking about her spiritual journey from darkness to light, Rice muses, "Milton talks about the 'fortunate fall.' The fall is so fortunate because when we come back it is so wonderful … the mystery of it."

It's a big change for Rice—for some, too big to be believed. Rice says she's hurt by critics on the internet: "Vicious attacks by those who don't read my work … who are as angry about Christianity as they are about me."

Rice's own website, www.annerice.com, is a platform for everything from impassioned updates on the needs of post-hurricane New Orleans to Democratic politics and her views on controversial issues (her son, Christopher, also a novelist, is homosexual, and Anne is "an advocate for Christian and Jewish gays and their right to worship and to take the sacraments").

To Christians who disagree with her views, Rice says, "Christians have been arguing with each other for 2,000 years. … What I hope for is that we can love one another, no matter how much we disagree; that we can embrace one another, no matter how tough the arguing becomes. … If we love, we can overcome much of what divides us as people."

About her previous subjects, Rice says, "I would never go back, not even if they say, 'You will be financially ruined; you've got to write another vampire book.' I would say no. I have no choice. I would be a fool for all eternity to turn my back on God like that."

At the same time, Rice doesn't repudiate her earlier works, saying the books are a record of her journey. Readers tell her some of her early books pointed them back to faith, gave them courage, or helped them through grief. This book, Rice says, is for everyone. Rice says, "My attitude is, 'Let me put this in your hands—please. Just take a look at it. This is about Jesus. It's for you.' "

As for this relatively new chapter in her life, Rice says, "I've had wonderful experiences as a writer. I've stepped out of limos in New York City to crowds wanting autographs and embracing me. There are no words for that. But this is the biggest adventure of my life. Thrilling beyond everything."

Cindy Crosby's reviews appear in CT's Bookmarks. She is the author of three books, including By Willoway Brook (Paraclete, 2003), and lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

More about Anne Rice is available on her website.

Also posted today is:

Devil in the Details? | Horror-flick director seeks to confront postmodern culture with ultimate issues.

CT has explored the good and evil of vampires on television:

The Dick Staub Interview: TV's Spiritual Directors, Buffy and Angel | As Angel enters the TV afterlife, the author of What Would Buffy Do? explores one of television's more spiritual shows. (May 19, 2004)

Buffy and the Meaning of Life | Buffy the Vampire Slayer finally gets some respect. Too bad the life is slowly ebbing out of the show. (May 5, 2003)

Don't Let Your Kids Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer | But you can tape it and watch after they go to bed. (Sept. 18, 2002)

Other explorations of horror and good and evil include:

Are Evangelicals Fueling Teen Fascination with the Powers of Darkness? | The horror of Buffy Summers and the fantasy of Harry Potter draw from conservative religious imagery while fans feed on conservative opposition, says the author of From Angels to Aliens. (July 11, 2003)

Evangelicalism's Dark Side and Popular Culture | Evangelicals may feel that stories of supernatural battles between good and evil belong to them, but they cannot control how these stories will be reconfigured once they enter the realm of entertainment media. (July 11, 2003)

The Devil Is Real. Therefore … | Evidence that demands a verdict. (from Books & Culture, November/December 2005)

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December 2005, Vol. 49, No. 12