Heroes and Heroines of Dystopian Fiction by Vannetta Chapman | Guest Post

What’s your favorite kind of hero/heroine? Do you envision the hero riding in to save the day on a horse? Or driving a sports car? Is your heroine a woman with a career or a stay at home mom?

My upcoming release, Deep Shadows, is a dystopian story. These are tales centered around a dramatic change in society, major what if scenarios. They are stories about relationships and how they survive or crumble when what we’ve feared, as a society, occurs. They’re stories of faith and hope in the most desperate of times. And the major characters in these stories are a bit different!

Dystopian heroes/heroines:

1. Are usually “reluctant heroes.” They don’t seek the spotlight and don’t want to be the one in charge. But when things fall apart, they step into the role where they’re needed.
2.  Have unusual skills. Usually those are survival skills. They know how to find things that you need to survive. They know how to get by without their cell phone, Google, and GPS. 
3. Are loyal. They might not be the strongest or the bravest, but they genuinely care about their family and friends, and they’re willing to do anything to honor their promises. 
4. Are adaptable. In a dystopian world everything is turned upside down. Heroes are able to adjust quickly. Instead of asking “why” they focus on “what we need to do now.” They understand the time to grieve over what’s been lost is later. The thing to do now is to be strong for friends/family/neighbors. 
5. Have an abiding faith. Despite the odds, the bleak turn of events, the seemingly desperate future, heroes and heroines in a Christian dystopian novel believe that God is still in control. Do they struggle? Sure. Do they doubt? Sometimes. But in the end, they lead others not just through a crumbling world but on a journey of faith.

Deep Shadows is the first book in my upcoming Remnant Series. It’s a significant change from the Amish books I’ve previously published, and for me this journey began with a few questions:

Would I know how to survive if the technology I use every day disappeared?

Would I be strong, physically and emotionally, to care for my family?

Would my faith, my belief in God’s care and provide, remain strong?

Deep Shadows is a journey into fast paced, unexpected journey through a world turned topsy-turvy. I hope it’s a journey that you’ll take with me.

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Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace, including romantic suspense and Amish romance novels. She is the author of seventeen novels, including the Pebble Creek Amish series, The Shipshewana Amish Mystery series and Anna’s Healing, a 2016 Christy Award finalist. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and also received more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas hill country. For more information, visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.

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