Have you been to your local bookshop lately? It sometimes seems like every book has a different genre, from cyberpunk to cli-fi to dark academia to cozy romantasy. It can be overwhelming for any reader. How do we know which genres are right for us? Or which genres we want to write in?And what is surrealism, anyway?
Don’t worry; we’ve got your back. Read on for everything you need to know about the different fiction genres available on the literary market and what defines each one.
How many genres of fiction are there?
There are six very broad genres of fiction: literary fiction, action/adventure fiction, speculative fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction, and romance. Within each of these categories are thousands of subgenres like fantasy, sci-fi, psychological horror, mystery, paranormal romance, and many more. These subgenres help a reader understand what to expect from the story.
As literary trends develop, more and more subgenres are appearing all the time. A certain online book dealer that rhymes with Glamazon lists more than 15,000 book categories!! This means that they can offer very specific advice that helps readers find the story they’re looking for.
Additionally, many novels will have elements of more than one genre. This can help you attract a wider spectrum of readers—but if you try to pack too much in, you’ll do the opposite and alienate readers.
Why genre matters in writing
When you begin seeking publication for your novel, it’s important to have a clear idea of who your target audience is. This will help literary agents and publishers sell your novel, and will give booksellers an idea of where to place it in their shop. If a reader comes in asking for a recommendation (or they’re scrolling through recommended reads on Glamazon), genre will help the sellers know which books will be a good fit for that reader.
Many literary genres have certain conventions that readers have come to expect, and it’s those conventions that make them want to pick up more books in that genre. For example, the reader knows that a space epic novel will take place off our home planet and feature unearthly creatures, and they know that a romance novel will always have a happy ending. When they want to read a new story that has these things in it, they’ll know what to look for.
By understanding which genres match your book, you can reach new readers by showing them you speak their language.
What defines the genre of a novel?
So with that in mind, how do we know which genre our book is? There are a few elements that publishers and readers look for when determining the types of novels that fit a given genre.
Setting
Some genres are defined by the type of world or location they take place in. For example, high fantasy novels take place in magical, alternate worlds, while a medical thriller will take place in a hospital setting. Urban fantasy, as the name suggests, takes place in a contemporary city. Very often the genre of a novel will give the reader an idea of what to expect from the novel’s sense of place.
Plot
Some genres are intrinsically tied to a particular plot structure or plot convention. Romance novels always have a happy ending. Mysteries always begin with a crime (if they don’t, they might be a thriller—more on that below). Action/adventure stories will be structured as a series of escalating episodic events. Understanding the plot conventions of your genre can help guide you through your writing process.
Themes
There are a wide range of themes you can explore in your story. However, some themes are more closely associated with certain genres than others. Noir fiction and grimdark fiction often contain themes of human weakness and corruption, while fantasy genres like urban fantasy and paranormal romance often contain themes of prejudice and internalized stigma.
This doesn’t mean that you have to use these themes in these genres, or that you can’t apply these themes to other genres, but it helps to be aware of the thematic undertones readers of these novels have come to expect.
Marketing
And the biggest way popular fiction is defined by a genre? The way it’s presented to the public. This includes the cover art, the blurb, the endorsements, and the way the author talks about their work through channels like social media.
It’s always a good idea to understand your genre before you start to market, and then make sure you’re marketing it accurately and honestly. However, sometimes publishers will try to lean into the best selling fiction genres in order to generate more excitement for a release. Sometimes, this results in readers picking up a book that’s not what they thought it would be.
The ultimate list of fiction genres
Ready to dive into the grand spectrum of genre fiction? Here’s an extensive master list of the biggest literary genres on the market (with plenty of genre fiction examples, too!).
Literary fiction
Literary fiction is sort of a catch-all term for any novels that don’t fit into the assorted genres below. It refers to novels that take place in the world we know, usually in the modern day, with character-driven “slice of life” storytelling. True literary fiction won’t have supernatural elements or caverns of doom; instead, it’s realistic and down to earth, populated with characters we could meet on the street on any given day.
The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen is an example of literary fiction.
Autofiction
Autofiction, a portmanteau of “autobiographical fiction,” is a subgenre of literary fiction which draws heavily from the author’s life. They may add fictional elements to real-life experiences, or they may relay events exactly as they happened with fictionalized names. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a classic example of autofiction.
Women’s fiction (or “chick lit”)
Women’s fiction is a somewhat contentious subgenre of literary fiction that specifically deals with women’s issues and relationships. These novels often follow strong friendships or families, and examine universal problems through a feminine lens. The Invisible Women’s Club by Helen Paris is an example of women’s fiction.
Comedy fiction
While any genre can have humorous elements, comedy fiction refers to literary fiction that’s designed to make people laugh. Comedy fiction is almost always written in the first-person point of view, because this gives the novel an intimate quality that makes it feel like a scandalous conversation between friends. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding is a famous example of comedy fiction.
Action / adventure fiction (or “man lit”)
Action/adventure is a fiction genre that translates particularly well to cinema, which is where we get film franchises like James Bond, Indiana Jones, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, they can be just as engaging on the page. These stories involve tough-as-nails heroes (usually, but not always, men), high-stakes conflicts, and exotic locales. Their plots escalate in tension until they reach an explosive climax. King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard is a classic example of adventure fiction.
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is a wide arena of stories that include elements which are not of the world we know—broadly speaking, sci-fi and fantasy. However, these genres contain within them a huge range of subgenres that will appeal to different readers. Here are the different types of novels you’ll find in the landscape of speculative fiction.
High fantasy / Sword and sorcery / Epic fantasy
High fantasy, also called “sword and sorcery fantasy” or “epic” fantasy, is what people generally think of first when they think of fantasy fiction. This type of fantasy takes place in an alternate, secondary world with your usual accoutrements: knights, dragons, wizards, curses, enchanted objects, and the like. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a classic example of high fantasy.
Urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is the opposite end of the fantasy spectrum: magical stories that take place in familiar urban environments. Occasionally these might take place in a fictional city, but more often they’re cities we (think we) know: New York, London, Chicago. In urban fantasy novels you might have fairies that are bartenders, werewolves that are mechanics, or dragons that burrow beneath the Hudson River. This genre takes familiar motifs from more traditional fantasies and transposes them into contemporary city living. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is an example of an urban fantasy novel.
Magical realism
Magical realism is similar to urban fantasy in that it takes place in recognizable, contemporary environments, but the magical elements are much more subtle. This character-driven genre is dreamlike and often uses magical occurrences or powers as metaphors for something else—coming of age, falling in love, embracing heritage and tradition. You can think of magical realism as literary fiction that’s been turned just slightly off center. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is a popular magical realism novel.
Contemporary fantasy
Contemporary fantasy refers to any fantasy novel that takes place in the modern day. They may have traditional fantastical elements, but deal with more contemporary issues. The Hunter’s Moon by O. R. Melling in an example of a contemporary fantasy novel.
Dark fantasy / Grimdark fantasy
Dark fantasy, or “grimdark fantasy” is a noir-ish fantasy subgenre that incorporates elements of horror, dystopia, and moral ambiguity. These novels are often more violent and gritty than traditional fantasy. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is an example of a grimdark fantasy novel.
Cozy fantasy
On the far opposite end of the spectrum is cozy fantasy, one of the fastest rising genres in mainstream fiction. These novels eschew high-stakes conflict in favor of gentle, comforting journeys. The characters find themselves in uncomfortable circumstances, which they’re able to overcome through the power of love, gardening, and books. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is an example of a cozy fantasy read.
Slipstream / Surrealism
Slipstream or surrealist fiction is similar to magical realism in that it incorporates speculative elements into literary fiction. Some writers prefer to use these terms instead of magical realism, because the term “magical realism” specifically comes from Latin American culture. Slipstream and surrealist stories often have manifestations of the unconscious, or events that could be interpreted as either magical or mundane in nature. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is a popular slipstream novel.
Crossover fantasy
Crossover fantasy is a blend of high fantasy and “low” or real-world fantasy. These stories see the protagonists cross over between the world we know and another, alternate world. The Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia series are some examples of this type of fiction.
Anthropomorphic fantasy
Anthropomorphic fantasy means novels in any of the above subgenres in which the main characters are animals given human attributes. You’ll probably recognize this approach from a range of Disney movies. Anthropomorphising your story can help you deliver sensitive themes more subtly, as well as drawing attention to certain ideas like segregation and prejudice. The Redwall series by Brian Jacques is a famous example of anthropomorphic fantasy.
Science fiction
Science fiction novels are some of the most enduring in popular culture. This genre can give writers a way to explore ideas about the future, technology, and the relationship between technology and people. These novels involve taking a concept which already exists—such as space travel, AI, or modern medicine—and exploring its possibilities even further. Science fiction can take place in the world we know, in an alternate world, in the present day, in the future, or even in the past (the latter is particularly common in steampunk fiction, which we’ll look at below).
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is an example of a famous science fiction novel.
Dystopian fiction
Dystopian fiction is a subgenre which explores a corroded potential reality. These stories take an issue that the world is facing such as prejudice, women’s rights, or capitalism and examine what the world will look like if this issue escalates out of control. They can be ultimately pessimistic or optimistic, but they always function as cautionary tales. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is an example of this type of fiction.
Cyberpunk fiction
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of dystopian science fiction that specifically examines the effects of widespread technology. They often take place in entirely technological worlds (the film The Matrix is a good example of this), and their plots are driven by technological problems. Their heroes are also morally ambiguous, doing their best to survive in a deeply toxic world. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan is an example of cyberpunk fiction.
Space opera / Space epic
Space operas, sometimes called spaced epics, are grand, sprawling stories with high-stakes conflicts and noble heroes. And, they take place in space. They have a similar structure to epic fantasy, only with a different setting. Hyperion by Dan Simmons is an example of this kind of novel.
Cli-fi
Cli-fi is short for “climate fiction.” These stories explore the impact of climate change and major geographical events, encouraging readers to consider their role in the planet’s future. The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson is an example of a cli-fi novel.
Steampunk fiction
Steampunk fiction is an aesthetic-forward genre which blends Victorian literature with cyberpunk motifs. These stories incorporate technology into an alternate past, and very often contain fantastical elements. It’s the best of multiple genres mixed into one non-traditional story. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest is a popular steampunk novel.
Alternate history
Alternate history is a speculative subgenre which imagines a world with altered historical events. It can take place in the past or in a present day which has been impacted by a shift in history. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson is an expansive, alternate history epic.
Horror
Horror is a wide genre that includes a few different approaches. Each of them is designed to accomplish one primary goal: to scare the reader.
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a subgenre which leans into unsettling the mental and emotional states of the reader’s mind. Rather than scaring the characters through monsters, explosions, and “jump scares,” psychological horror uses atmosphere and suspense to make them question everything they thought they knew… including their own sanity. Misery by Stephen King is a famous work of psychological horror.
Domestic horror
Domestic horror injects interpersonal horror into everyday relationships that might normally seem positive: between romantic partners, between parents and children, or between neighbors. These horror novels show us that the scariest monsters aren’t lurking in the shadows… they’re just down the street. They may even be in your own home. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a classic domestic horror novel.
Paranormal horror
Paranormal horror embraces our fear of the supernatural: ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and the like. These stories are chilling and escapist. Unlike psychological horror, they offer the safety of leaving the story behind once the book is closed. Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice is an example of paranormal horror.
Folk horror
Folk horror is a genre which draws from oral folklore and rural living. These novels often follow communities which are rife with superstition, and the supernatural elements may be overt or only implied. They also focus on the relationship between the community and the natural world. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon is a classic folk horror novel.
Occult horror
Occult horror is a genre which involves magical practitioners and arcane knowledge. It can overlap with folk horror or urban fantasy. The Hellblazer series from DC comics is a popular example of occult horror.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is one of the most popular genres across the breadth of commercial fiction. There are a number of directions this genre can go, from the blood soaked to the bloodless. Here are the main crime subgenres.
Mystery
There is no end to the public appetite for mystery novels. Mystery is a plot structure as well as a genre; it means that a crime is committed at the very beginning—normally a murder or a theft. Then, the remainder of the novel is spent trying to figure out who done it. This is a bit different than the plot structure of thrillers, which we’ll look at next. Murder On the Orient Express is one of literature’s most famous mystery novels.
Thriller
Thriller novels are similar to mystery novels, except that instead of looking backwards at a crime that’s already happened, it looks forward to a crime that might happen: someone’s planning to blow up city hall / assassinate the president / pour toxic waste into the water tower / etc, etc, and the hero has to prevent it. Jackal by Erin E. Adams is a strong example of a thriller novel.
Noir fiction
Noir fiction is a subgenre that takes a bleak, pessimistic look at human nature. It became popular in the 1930s and 1940s, possibly as a response to the Great Depression. These crime novels feature ambiguous or corrupt protagonists, and there is often a sense of tragedy to their decaying morality. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler is a classic noir novel.
Cozy mystery
On the far opposite end of the crime spectrum is cozy mystery. Cozy mysteries are generally positive, and maybe a few people die, but everyone else ends up doing okay by the end of the story. Good people are good, and bad people are just a little misguided. Protagonists are often bakers, booksellers, or tea shop owners.
Although there have been cozy mysteries since the early 20th century, they really took off following the coronavirus pandemic when people were looking for a little extra comfort. Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott is a good example of a cozy mystery.
Police procedural
This type of crime novel follows a police officer main character who solves crimes within the constraints of the law. These stories work very well for series and serials, because the same cast of characters moves through a series of cases. Still Life by Louise Penny is the first in a series of police procedural novels.
Detective drama
These novels follow a similar format to police procedurals, except the main character is a solo flyer instead of part of a team. While police procedurals can be quite plot driven, detective dramas often take a deeper look into character. Likely the most famous detective drama of all time is the Sherlock Holmes series, by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Courtroom drama
So what happens once the police officer or the detective catches their culprit? They go to court! These novels follow lawyers and other courtroom professionals as they fight for justice whilst balancing their own contentious personal lives. The No.1 Lawyer by James Patterson is a popular courtroom drama novel.
Medical thriller
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a hospital when no one’s looking? Murder, mayhem, and illicit affairs. These novels follow crimes that are committed and solved (or prevented by a hair) within the confines of a medical building. The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe is a great example of a medical thriller.
Environmental thriller
Environmental thrillers are having a moment in cinema, but they’re perennially popular in literature too. These novels take place around natural disasters like tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and so forth, exploring the people and communities impacted by them. Very often they’ll contain interpersonal conflict as a direct result of the environmental threat—for instance, one character who wants to prevent it and another who wants to use it for profit. Arctic Rising by Tobias Buckell is an example of an environmental thriller.
Dark academia
Dark academia is an aesthetic-forward crime genre that takes place in an institute of learning such as a school, archive, or museum. They often explore themes of ambition and the pursuit of knowledge, with morally grey characters going to extreme lengths to achieve their goals. The Cloisters by Katy Hays is an example of a dark academia novel.
Romance fiction
Last but not least…! Romances tap into the most basic of human desires: to be loved. A romance novel is characterized by its emotionally satisfying ending, and it generally follows a fairly formulaic plot structure. Here are some of the most popular romance subgenres.
Contemporary romance
Contemporary romance is a broad term for any realistic fiction with a strong romantic thread that’s set in the modern day. It features relatable protagonists with mundane jobs and problems to which we can all relate. Many romances in these contemporary settings being written today touch on things like dating apps and the political climate. Beach Read by Emily Henry (and many others by this author) is an example of contemporary romance.
Romantasy
Romantasy is a portmanteau of romance and fantasy, and refers to any romance-forward narrative with strong magical elements. They can be set in an alternate world or in the world we know, although romantic magical realism or surrealism generally wouldn’t be considered “romantasy,” because the fantastical elements aren’t strong enough. Often romantasies feature romance between a human and an other, human-adjacent character such as a fairy or a mermaid. The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks is an example of a romantasy novel.
Paranormal romance
Paranormal romance is similar to romantasy, but it specifically deals with paranormal elements like ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. This genre often overlaps with urban fantasy. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost is an example of a paranormal romance.
Gothic romance
Gothic romance refers to love stories with a dark, brooding atmosphere and grotesque, macabre elements. They’ll often be removed from the civilized world in some way and may include paranormal elements, or at least the hint of the unknown. Rebecca by Daphne Du Marier is an example of this type of novel.
Suspense romance
Suspense romance has elements of the mystery/thriller genres with a strong romantic thread. These stories often feature morally grey characters and red herrings throughout the formation of the relationship, but—like most fiction in the tradition of romantic literature—they almost always have a happy ending. Verity by Colleen Hoover is an example of this kind of novel.
Foodie romance
Foodie romance is characterized by its strong sensory language and use of food symbolism. Characters are often connected to the food industry in some way, being bakers, brewers, chefs, farmers, and so forth. For Butter or For Worse by Erin La Rosa is an example of a foodie romance.
Sporty romance
Another popular romance genre is sporty romance, which features athletic character and explores the competitive world of sports. This helps readers immerse themselves in an athletic world without ever having to exercise themselves. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace is a popular sporty romance.
Types of fiction that sound like genres but aren’t
Have you noticed a few popular genres missing off this list? There are a few literary classifications which sometimes erroneously get called genres, but aren’t quite in the strictest sense. Let’s take a closer look.
Historical fiction
There’s been a surge of interest in historical novels. But, it’s not exactly a true genre because it doesn’t tell us anything about what happens in the story. Is it a romance? A mystery? A fantasy? Does it take place in the American prohibition, or ancient Greece? We don’t know. For this reason, historical fiction works best when it’s paired with more specific genres, like historical romance or historical fantasy.
YA fiction
YA fiction or Young Adult fiction is designed to appeal to readers between about twelve and nineteen. But like historical fiction, it doesn’t communicate anything about what the book is actually about. This is why we use s more specific genre like YA mystery or YA romance.
NA fiction
NA stands for “New Adult,” and was designed to fill the gap between YA and adult fiction. But like YA fiction, it only tells us something about the target readership—not the story.
Children’s fiction
Once again, this type of writing is for a designated age group. You can have different genres within children’s literature like children’s adventure, children’s horror (think Goosebumps), or children’s science fiction.
Queer / LGBTQ fiction
There are a lot of novels now being sold as “queer fiction” or “LGBTQ fiction.” But, all this means is that they feature queer characters—not what kind of story it is. This is why you need to get more specific by saying “LGBTQ romance” or “LGBTQ horror.”
Comic books / Graphic novels
This is a type of writing that gets called a genre a lot, but it’s actually a medium —a method of communicating fictional stories (film and radio are other mediums). Not all comic books are action-filled superhero tales; you can have comic books that tell stories in any genre, from romance to comedy to sci-fi.
Find the right genre for your story
Genre is important both as a marketing tool, and for guiding you as in your fiction writing Now that you know the most essential types of fiction on the market, you can find the perfect slot on the shelf for your novel.
