When a publisher first pitched Bill Myers on the prospect of writing a “Christian horror series,” the author was taken aback.
But as he thought about the grip that the supernatural has on teens today, he took the challenge—on one condition: “Let me turn it into an educational series,” Bill told them. “I’ll promise you the same page-turning drama that the others provide, but let me turn this into something that glorifies God and can literally educate the reader to the counterfeits that are out there.”
Now available in brand new three-in-one editions, The Forbidden Doors series follows three teens in their struggle against supernatural forces of darkness. Each of the twelve novels focuses on a specific supernatural counterfeit—from Ouija boards, reincarnation and séances, to beings having an angelic appearance, UFOs and Wicca.
But these books aren’t just thrilling—they help readers separate fact from fiction. “I read between 40-80 books per novel that I write, just to make sure that I get the facts correct,” Bill says.
Since its original launch, The Forbidden Doors series has sold nearly 400,000 copies, and won the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. Response from teens has been enthusiastic and grateful. Some have been warned about the dangers hidden within things they thought were harmless, while others have used the books to help educate their friends.
“This series seems to be not only a defensive measure, as far as warning the reader,” Bill says, “but also an offensive measure that gives the reader tools to reach into their culture to friends who may be already caught up in some of the counterfeits.”
Bill feels that the greatest danger this preoccupation with the supernatural holds for teens is “filling that God-given space in our souls, that hunger for supernatural relationship with a supernatural God–filling that with counterfeit supernatural.”
As the culture turns from trends of vampires and zombies to angels and fallen angels, the peril grows. “I did not write this series because I wanted to write this series, but because I saw a huge need for it, and I see that need growing just about every week.”