What is this?
The Prophet Kira is a book (in a very loose sense of the word). I am publishing it chapter by chapter on this site as well as on my substack, with new chapters coming out each week. The book follows a girl who becomes a prophet in the wake of the apocalypse, and a boy who lives hundreds of years later and was raised in her tradition.
FOLLOW ME ON SUBSTACK for more discussions of theme, craft, process, and much more, and to stay up to date with the story. I'll be publishing blog posts to go along with each chapter as it comes out.
Call me Ellie. I am a woman of a certain age and middling life experience. I live in Utah, and I am technically ex-Mormon, though that label often feels like either too much or not enough. I write speculative work, mostly novels, and have never published anything (in a way that earns me money, at least.)
Who am I?
Okay, but what is this?
This is a book about many things—religiosity, spiritual experiences and connection with others, interpretation of religious text, historical inaccuracies, etc, etc. But mostly it is about a girl, Ciara Walker, who lives in the wake of a terrible apocalypse and is trying to make sense of the world she lives in—and ultimately becomes a prophet-figure along the way. It also follows Val, a young man living hundreds of years after Ciara, as he trains for an astronaut program and has a faith crisis.
The Prophet Kira is not meant to be pro- or anti-religion. It’s meant mostly as a thought experiment. I find great value in religious life as well as great harm, and I believe that many of us have never had the chance to speak honestly and authentically about both sides.
From the beginning, The Prophet Kira sparked conversations with my friends about how we truly felt about and processed our own religious experiences, and why we chose to stay, leave, or simply evolve from our childhood understanding of religion. I hope that type of conversation can continue here, in the mouths and lives of those reading it.