10 Spiritual Fiction Books that Are Packed with Wisdom

As an adult, I always had the notion that reading a fiction book isn’t as beneficial to my growth. So, I limited myself to non-fiction, constantly trying to learn and grow logically. However, as my spiritual journey began unfolding, and my reading habits became even more intense, I concurred that spiritual fiction books are quite empowering too.

Sometimes, a message can be conveyed with much more ease, when it’s delivered with an analogy. So, here we are now, and here’s what I would like to recommend to you!

#1 – The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin

If Winnie the Pooh and his friends could teach us about Taoism, what would they say? A LOT!

In their own cute and peculiar style, Pooh Bear and his group tackle the complex questions around Taoism. You know a book is well written if it can explain an intricate subject with much clarity and simplicity. I wasn’t able to understand much about the Tao before this, but the book made a lot more sense to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed and loved Pooh’s take on the Tao, and even more so for its amazing narrative when listening to the audiobook. So if you plan to read this spiritual fiction, I’d highly recommend Simon Vance’s voiceover.

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#2 – The Quest of the Sparrows by Kartik Sharma

The most underrated spiritual fiction book on this reading list! But I see a bright future for it.

What happens if someone is given the responsibility of a guru, but they’re not ready? The Quest of the Sparrows was such a delight to read. It’s written in a relatable way in which an average person is dragged into the spiritual journey through a twist of fate.

The character development is primarily what made this gem so relevant for us spiritual aspirants, as we too learn to let go of our many vices as we progress.

And the spiritual lessons conveyed through the various characters’ narratives are just as profound and well-written. I also think this book perfectly captures the essence of “divine timing” and other spiritual laws effectively.

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#3 – Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

This is a classic bestseller. What I really enjoyed was the nine spiritual insights that entail this story. Each insight is uncovered in adventurous (and increasingly fatal) ways. As the protagonist goes through many hurdles, finally, with a team of spiritual aspirants, the truth about enlightenment is uncovered.

It’s a good blend of analyzing human evolution, human psychology, and behavior, and then molding the findings with energy work and healing.

The mysticism of the Celestine Prophecy is unique, and you’ll most likely enjoy this work if you’ve enjoyed reading books like Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. In my lens, it takes the feel you get from reading The Alchemist to another level.

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#4 – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

One of my favorite works by Richard Bach, and the rare book that didn’t need a bookmark. I read it in one sitting!

The seagull, Jonathan is symbolic of a human’s journey through life’s obstacles to attain enlightenment.

The story beautifully depicts life in a full circle – from hope to despair, to hope again. Although it is one of the older spiritual fiction books in my list of recommendations, Jonathan Livingston Seagull remains timeless even today.

Note that the book has two versions. The second release of the book revealed an important chapter at the end. There’s a slight controversy about the value of this change, but I am for the notion that it only added more to the book!

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#5 – The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

I’ve talked about this poetic fiction before in my reference to books about practical spirituality. However, I want to bring it up again, in hopes that you will look at this book as an opportunity to understand the meaning of life through a poet’s lens.

The short booklet revolves around a prophet that arrives at a city and makes many observations about the nuances of everyone’s day-to-day activities.

I’m sharing some of my favorite quotes here from Kahlil Gibran’s most famous work, The Prophet.

Quote about detachment and parenthood

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”

Quote about work and dissatisfaction

“Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste,
it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.”

Quote about crime and punishment

” Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you,
but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world.
But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which his in each one of you,
So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.”

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#6 – Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

This book was definitely not what I expected. It was a writing that explored a darker side of spirituality, from the lens of a seeker that often gets lost on his way toward the Truth. It talks about spiritual bypassing in vivid detail.

The story sets up a parallel premise to the actual Gautam Buddha and his enlightenment, versus a young man named Siddhartha on his quest to find the Truth about life.

There are some interesting twists throughout the book. The thing that compelled me to read it the most, was perhaps how the author scraped away the glory and glamour of a spiritual awakening, by bringing forth the many vices that get in our way.

There are very few books that talk about falling off the wagon and resorting to our old ways, but Siddhartha highlights that aspect beautifully. There are many spiritual lessons that were demonstrated and though it’s tough to like the protagonist, it’s really just a huge reality check for our ego.

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#7 – Immortal Talks by Shunya

A unique take on spirituality!

The author of this short yet powerful spiritual fiction conveys his spiritual insights through an interesting discourse. The dialogues take place between the Indian God Hanuman and some of his tribal worshippers, called Mahtang.

Immortal Talks has many profound analogies in store, that elaborate on spiritual concepts like karma, detachment, reincarnation, astral realms, etc.

So for anyone seeking clarity about life and souls in a mystical and metaphysical narrative, this is a great read.

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#8 – The God Matrix by Brian David Alexander

I’m genuinely shocked that this book hasn’t taken off in the world. It makes me realize how some of the most creative minds get lost in the crowd if they aren’t into marketing or selling their work. Shucks! But nevertheless, I wanted to highlight this beautiful science fiction book written with tons of hypnotherapy-related insights, speculations in quantum physics, and a touch of romance.

The God Matrix is a great 300-page novel for anyone looking to integrate aliens, soul contracts, and all the other sci-fi stuff into one thriller. The book involves the abduction of the main protagonist, Mr Phoenix by aliens that want to help humans save their race. In the meantime, there’s a lot of pushback from the government. Who wins, and HOW?! I highly, highly recommend Brian’s work in his book The God Matrix!

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#9 – Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson

It’s been nearly a decade since I read this because I picked up this self-help book back in college! But over the years, the story’s message really resonated with me.

Who Moved My Cheese uses mice as a metaphor to represent our own human mind. And their quest to find their beloved cheese depicts our longing for material satisfaction.

This book may not sound spiritual right off the bat, and neither is it sold as such. But it encompasses important reminders like detachment and going with the flow, which resonate deeply with spiritual teachings.

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#10 – Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo

The latest addition to my list. And perhaps the most wholesome in terms of a good story, progressive character development, and meaningful messages.

Through another story of twisted fate, an atheist ends up in a car with an enlightened Buddhist monk. Their journey requires them to be together for several days, and as expected, a transformation happens in the atheist’s life.

What I enjoyed most about Breakfast with Buddha, was how it remains balanced towards all kinds of readers. You could just be getting started on your spiritual journey. Or be several years into it… but you will enjoy it either way!

And there’s a very limited dialogue about the metaphysical nature of spirituality. Instead, the approach converges towards practical spirituality. Something we can all implement in our day-to-day lives.

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Concluding Thoughts

How many of these spiritual fiction books have you already read? Are any of them on your list of favorites too? And is there a spiritual fiction book that you think I (as well as the other readers) should explore? Do share your experience and recommendations in the comments below!

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