Anne Rice turns to Christ

2005-10-25 11:37

New York - Anne Rice, who developed a cult following with her novels of witches and vampires, warns her fans they may not want to follow her into the light of her new subject - Jesus Christ.

Her latest novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, is narrated by Christ himself as a 7-year old boy. The best-selling author of 26 books is already planning three sequels for her new character, although she said they might not be well received by her dedicated fans.

"I've told them, 'You may not want what I'm doing next,"' Rice told Newsweek.

"I was ready to do violence to my career," Rice added. But the author, who returned to the Catholic Church after leaving as a teenager, needed a more inspirational subject. "I mean, I was in despair," Rice said.

Rice said she watched every biblical movie and read up on the subject in preparation for the book. In the after word of the new novel, she refers to Christ as "the ultimate supernatural hero ... the ultimate immortal of them all."

- AP