New Genres in Fiction

Have you read any of the books in The Left Behind series? This series is based upon Biblical end time prophesies. It has been criticized for bad theology and shortcomings in the storytelling. Still, it is hugely popular. I think that critics miss the point.

Left Behind is a groundbreaking novel. It opens up a whole genre of fiction for future writers to explore. Like other groundbreakers, it has shortcomings. Building on the strengths of this kind of fiction and correcting it's shortcomings is the challenge and the opportunities for future writers. This reminds me of the Perry Mason novels by Earle Stanley Gardener. Those novels opened up the legal procedural for writers to explore. What could have been a dryer scene to base a novel than a courtroom? Perry Mason

demonstated that there was gold in them thar hills.

That's the significance of Left Behind.

P.S. There are a lot of other areas for future writers to explore.