Fate by Fire is a fiction novel reflecting multiple book genres including drama realism, historical suspense thriller, and science fiction. Fate by Fire takes place during the Great Recession primarily 2008 showcasing hardships the Mallory family experience together. Main characters Jesse and Valerie Mallory and their two children Stacy and Stevie live in Pasadena, California. The family experiences bad luck and misfortune including job loss, hospitalizations, foreclosure, foster care, and homelessness. The character Hal is an artificial intelligence program who becomes sentient. Being on the brink of catastrophe and tragedy at the eleventh-hour the Mallory family finds redemption and a happy ending from an unlikely source.