Dystopian Fiction that Brings the Reader Hope

Barb Szyszkiewicz interviews Catholic Mom contributor Cassandra Spellman about the newly completed trilogy she and her husband wrote together.

Catholic Mom contributor Cassandra Spellman and her husband Chris have written and published the Shadows of Freedom trilogy as C and C Spellman. This series includes:

• In the Shadows of Freedom (2021)
• A Nation of Tyrants (2022)
• As Strong as Death (2023)

While I read these books as they were released, roughly a year apart, I definitely would recommend bingeing the entire series at once. Each book picks up exactly where the previous one left off, so it's an easy move from one to the next. Readers will notice that the action intensifies as the series progresses.

In the Shadows of Freedom: A young woman, off to attend art school in New York City, is tracked by government agents seeking to remove all religious influence from the country. The self-focused Amanda is oblivious to all of this. She trades obsession for her art to obsession with a drug her supposed “friends” introduce her to, and neglects contacting her own family until the crisis she finds herself in, a literal battle between good and evil, threatens her life and she decides to go home and seek refuge there. 

A Nation of Tyrants: The opposition group Amanda has joined, along with her family and friends, leaves a refugee camp in Canada as she continues to pursue a relationship with Ethan, thinking she can save him. As the group of young people journeys toward Boston, everyone's motivation is questioned, and the idea of examining our motives and reconciling with God is paramount in this fast-paced installment of the story.

As Strong as Death: The battle nears its end, and John 15:13 comes to mind: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." The theme of sacrificial love comes through in this book in a big way as the risk of mass destruction moves ever closer to reality. Before you pick up this book, be sure you've got the time to devote to it, because once you start reading this one you're not going to want to stop until you reach the end.

Cassandra graciously took the time to discuss both the dystopian genre and what it's like for a husband-and-wife team to write a book together. Enjoy our conversation!

Let's begin by talking about dystopian fiction, because it's a complicated genre. I’ve read and enjoyed all three books in this series, even though I generally avoid dystopian books. This is a testament to the good writing you and your husband do!

When my husband and I began writing the first book in the series wayyy back in 2009, we didn't set out to write a dystopian novel! I had the same feeling as you: dystopian is depressing! When we finished the first book, we didn't really even know what genre it belonged to; we had to ask our editor. When she said, "Oh, this is definitely dystopian!" I was so shocked. We kind of stumbled into it! I hope others have the same experience as you and that reading our books brings a feeling of hope!

If you’d like to add anything else you’d like readers to know about dystopia, please do!

Dystopian fiction can certainly be a depressing, dark genre. However, Christian dystopian fiction has a key element that makes all the difference: our hope that is in Christ. No matter how corrupt the government, how severe the persecution, or how violent the culture, Christ is our tower of strength. Our endgame is clear: heaven. We aren’t living for this world, so even when this world feels terrible, we shouldn’t lose the light of faith that tells us that Our Lord has prepared a place for us in our eternal home. Christian dystopian fiction actually gives the reader hope despite seemingly bleak circumstances. 

How did you and Chris come up with the original idea for the series?

I had recently finished studying St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, so the topics of spiritual journeys and the supernatural battle against evil were very much on my mind. I speculated: if the Enemy became much more pointed in his attack against God’s people, would the supernatural forces of good similarly become more active … perhaps even tangibly present? Regarding the political milieu of the series, we observed that many well-known dystopian novels feature extremely oppressive governments (1984, for example). What about a government that did the exact opposite, that wanted to strip away as many laws as possible in the name of freedom and progress? How might that become, in fact, dystopian? Those questions represented the seeds of the series. 

What’s it like to write a series of novels together with your husband? I’ve known of married couples who have written nonfiction together, but collaborating on fiction is a whole different thing.

Writing fiction together has been such a tremendous blessing for our relationship! We began the trilogy during the first weeks of our marriage (fourteen years ago!) and this story has followed us through the years. As for the actual process, we begin by brainstorming and forming a plan. Then one of us writes an initial draft of a section of the book based on what we’ve agreed. The other person reads through and edits that. We pass the ball back and forth with the editing until we both feel satisfied. We have different strengths in writing, as well as different interests (Chris likes the political outer plot, while I much prefer the interpersonal dimension of the inner plot). So, together, we form a complementary team!  

What has been the most challenging aspect of writing and publishing a series of novels? And what have you enjoyed most about it?

We certainly faced a sharp learning curve as this was our debut writing effort! Regarding the craft of writing, we literally spent about ten years (on and off) tweaking the plot and writing style–even switching the point of view at one point! The act of publishing proved an overall positive experience, though marketing our books continues to challenge us. By far the most enjoyable aspect of the whole experience is hearing from readers that they enjoyed our books. It is such a tremendous gift to know that our words have touched the heart and soul of another individual. 

Have any of your children read your work? If so, what do they think? 

Yes, our oldest daughter, Mary, who is in middle school has read the entire trilogy! It felt surreal to see her reading them and offering her thoughts and comments. She couldn’t put them down! She is now writing her own series of books, which is such a delight to see! 

Are you and Chris working on a new project yet? What’s next?

Yes, we have a couple of projects in the works! One is a bit of a new direction for us. It’s a children’s book in verse about a mouse who finds a pen with magical powers. It is also a retelling of the first chapters of Genesis. The second is a new dystopian trilogy. This one is set thousands of years from now, but the future is reminiscent of the distant past. We imagine it as a combination of Canticle of Leibowitz, Fahrenheit 451, and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. We’ve mapped out the plot, but haven’t begun writing yet. We hope to commence the first book in the new year.

The Shadows of Freedom trilogy is self-published; it is available on Amazon.com.

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: Canva
This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to the author of this piece when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our Catholic Mom writers in this way.