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Writing genres (more commonly known as literary genres) are categories that distinguish
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
(including works of
prose Prose is language that follows the natural flow or rhythm of speech, ordinary grammatical structures, or, in writing, typical conventions and formatting. Thus, prose ranges from informal speaking to formal academic writing. Prose differs most n ...
,
poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
,
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
, hybrid forms, etc.) based on some set of stylistic criteria. Sharing literary conventions, they typically consist of similarities in theme/topic, style, tropes, and storytelling devices; common settings and character types; and/or formulaic patterns of character interactions and events, and an overall predictable form. A literary genre may fall under either one of two categories: (a) a work of
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
, involving non-factual descriptions and events invented by the
author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
; or (b) a work of nonfiction, in which descriptions and events are understood to be factual. In literature, a work of fiction can refer to a flash narrative,
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
,
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
, and
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
, the latter being the longest form of literary prose. Every work of fiction falls into a literary subgenre, each with its own style, tone, and storytelling devices. Moreover, these genres are formed by shared literary conventions that change over time as new genres emerge while others fade. Accordingly, they are often defined by the cultural expectations and needs of a particular historical and cultural moment or place. According to Alastair Fowler, the following elements can define genres: organizational features ( chapters, acts, scenes, stanzas); length; mood; style; the reader's role (e.g., in mystery works, readers are expected to interpret evidence); and the author's reason for writing (an epithalamion is a poem composed for marriage).


History

Genres are formed shared literary conventions that change over time as new genres emerge while others fade. As such, genres are not wholly fixed categories of writing; rather, their content evolves according to social and cultural contexts and contemporary questions of morals and norms. The most enduring genres are those literary forms that were defined and performed by the Ancient Greeks; definitions sharpened by the proscriptions of modern civilization's earliest literary critics and rhetorical scholars, such as
Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born  BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
,
Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
, Socrates,
Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...
, Aspasia, Euripides, and others. The prevailing genres of literary composition in Ancient Greece were all written and constructed to explore cultural, moral, or ethical questions; they were ultimately defined as the genres of epic,
tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...
, and
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
. Aristotle's proscriptive analysis of tragedy, for example, as expressed in his '' Rhetoric'' and '' Poetics,'' saw it as having 6 parts (music, diction, plot, character, thought, and spectacle) working together in particular ways. Thus, Aristotle established one of the earliest delineations of the elements that define genre.


Fiction genres

* By Age ** Children's ** Fratire ** Lad lit ** New adult fiction ** Young adult * Battle royal *
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
(or
literary fiction Literary fiction, serious fiction, high literature, or artistic literature, and sometimes just literature, encompasses fiction books and writings that are more character-driven rather than plot-driven, that examine the human condition, or that are ...
): works with artistic/literary merit that are typically character-driven rather than plot-driven, following a character's inner story. They often include political criticism, social commentary, and reflections on humanity. These works are part of an accepted literary canon and widely taught in schools. * Coming-of-age ** Bildungsroman: works that focus on the psychological and moral growth of a character from youth into adulthood. * Encyclopedic * Epic: a
narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller ...
defined by heroic or legendary adventures presented in a long format. **
Epic poetry In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard t ...
: narrative poetry about extraordinary feats occurring in a time before history, involving religious underpinnings and themes. * Fabulation: A class composed mostly of 20th-century novels that are in a style similar to magical realism, and do not fit into the traditional categories of realism. *
Folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
(folktale) ** Animal tale ** Fable: short story that anthropomorphizes non-humans to illustrate a moral lesson ** Fairy tale ** Ghost story **
Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
: story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material ** Myth: traditional narrative, often based in part on historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. ** Parable ** Personal narrative ** Urban legend * Historical: works that take place in the past—which can be real, imagined, or a combination. Many such works involve actual historical figures or historical events within historical settings. **
Alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
: fiction in which one or more historical events occur differently than how they transpired in reality. Example: '' The Man in the High Castle'' (1962). ** Historical fantasy **
Historical mystery The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...
** Historical romance *** Regency romance ** Nautical fiction *** Pirate novel * Metafiction (aka romantic irony in the context of Romantic literature): uses self-reference to draw attention to itself as a work of art while exposing the "truth" of a story. ** Metaparody * Nonsense ** Nonsense verse * Paranoid * Pastoral * Philosophical * Pop culture: fiction written with the intention of being filled with references from other works and media. Stories in this genre focused solely on using pop culture references. * Postmodern * Realist: works that are set in a time and place that are true to life (i.e. that could actually happen in the real world), abiding by real-world laws of nature. They depict real people, places, and stories to be as truthful as possible. ** Hysterical *
Religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
or inspirational ** Christian **
Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
** Theological: fiction that explores the theological ideas that shape attitudes towards religious expression. ** Visionary *
Satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
: usually fiction and less frequently in non-fiction, in which
vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
s, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. ** Horatian ** Juvenalian ** Menippean * Social and political fiction ** Libertarian sci-fi ** Social sci-fi ** Political thriller * Theatre-fiction * Thriller (or suspense): typically dark and suspenseful plot-driven fiction involving a person or group facing imminent harm, and the attempts made to evade that harm. Thrillers regularly use plot twists, red herrings, and cliffhangers, and seldom include comedic elements. ** Conspiracy ** Erotic ** Legal ** Financial **
Political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
**
Psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
** Romantic suspense ** Techno-thriller * Urban: fiction set in an urban environment. * Western: works that follow cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the American frontier and Old West, typically in the late-19th to early-20th century. **
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
** Northern **
Space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
** Western romance ** Weird West


Action and adventure

Action fiction Action fiction is a literary genre, genre in literature that focuses on stories involving high-stakes, high-energy, and fast-paced events. This genre includes a wide range of subgenres, such as Spy fiction, spy novels, Adventure fiction, adventu ...
and
adventure fiction Adventure fiction is a type of fiction that usually presents danger, or gives the reader a sense of excitement. Some adventure fiction also satisfies the literary definition of Romance (prose fiction)#Definition, romance fiction. History In t ...
. The hero's journey is the most popular narrative structure of an adventure novel. * Adventure fantasy ** Heroic fantasy ** Lost world ** Sword-and-sandal ** Sword-and-sorcery ** Sword-and-soul ** Wuxia * Nautical fiction, Nautical ** Pirates in popular culture, Pirate * Robinsonade * Spy fiction, Spy: fiction involving espionage and establishment of modern intelligence agencies. ** Spy-fi (subgenre), Spy-Fi: spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction. * Subterranean fiction, Subterranean * Superhero fiction, Superhero * Swashbuckler: fiction based on a time of Swordsmanship, swordsmen, Pirates in the arts and popular culture, pirates and ships, and other related ideas, usually full of action. ** Picaresque novel, Picaresque


Comedy

Comedy (including comic novel, light poetry, and comedic journalism): usually a fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain and sometimes cause intended laughter; but can be contained in all genres. * Burlesque * Fantasy comedy, Fantasy * Comedy horror * Conte (literature), Conte * Parody ** Metaparody * Science fiction comedy, Sci-fi * Surreal comedy * Tall tale: humorous story with blatant exaggerations, such as swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance. * Tragicomedy: a work containing elements of both comedy and tragedy.


Crime and mystery

Crime fiction (including crime comics) centers on a crime(s), how the criminal gets caught and serves time, and the repercussions of the crime * Caper story, Caper: fiction told from the point of view of the criminals rather than the investigator. Well-known writers in this genre include W. R. Burnett, John Boland (author), John Boland, Peter O'Donnell, Peter O’Donnell, and Michael Crichton bibliography, Michael Crichton. * Giallo * Legal thriller * Mystery fiction, Mystery: fiction that follows a crime (e.g., a murder, a disappearance) as it is committed, investigated, and solved, as well as providing clues and revealing information/secrets as the story unfolds. ** Cozy mystery: mystery fiction that contain no sex, violence, or profanity. Well-known writers in this genre include A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers and Elizabeth Daly. ** City mysteries ** Detective fiction, Detective: fiction that follows a detective or other investigator (professional, amateur, or retired) as they investigate or solve a mystery/crime. Detective novels generally begin with a mysterious incident (e.g., death). One of the most popular examples is the Sherlock Holmes stories; well-known detective novelists include Agatha Christie bibliography, Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler bibliography, Raymond Chandler. *** Gong'an fiction, Gong'an *** Girl detective (genre), Girl detective *** Inverted detective story (aka howcatchem) *** Occult detective fiction, Occult detective *** Hardboiled ***
Historical mystery The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...
*** Locked-room mystery *** Police procedural: mystery fiction that feature a protagonist who is a member of the police force. Well-known novelists in this genre include Ed McBain, P. D. James, and Bartholomew Gill. *** Whodunit: mystery fiction that focuses on the puzzle regarding who committed the crime. * Noir fiction, Noir ** Nordic noir ** Tart Noir


Speculative fiction


Fantasy

Fantasy literature, Fantasy (including Fantasy comics, comics and Fantasy fiction magazine, magazines) is a speculative fiction that use imaginary characters set in fictional universes inspired by mythology and folklore, often including magical elements, magical creatures, or the supernatural. Examples: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, ''Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland'' (1885) and the Harry Potter, ''Harry Potter'' books. * Action-adventure ** Heroic fantasy, Heroic ** Lost world ** Subterranean fiction, Subterranean ** Sword-and-sandal ** Sword-and-sorcery ** Wuxia * Contemporary fantasy, Contemporary ** Occult detective fiction ** Paranormal romance ** Urban fantasy, Urban * Cozy fantasy * Dark fantasy, Dark * Fairytale fantasy, Fairytale * Fantastique * Fantasy comedy ** Bangsian fantasy, Bangsian * Fantasy of manners * Gaslamp fantasy, Gaslamp * Gothic fantasy, Gothic * Grimdark * Hard fantasy, Hard * High fantasy, High * Historical fantasy, Historical * Isekai * Juvenile fantasy, Juvenile * Low fantasy, Low * Magic realism: normal in the world in which the story takes place. * Mythic fiction, Mythic: fiction that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes, and symbolism of myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales. ** Mythopoeia: fiction in which characters from religious mythology, traditional myths, folklore, and/or history are recast into a re-imagined realm created by the author. ** Mythpunk * Romantic fantasy, Romantic * Science fantasy, Science: science fiction based in elements of fantasy. ** Dying Earth genre, Dying Earth ** Planetary romance ** Sword and planet * Superhero fantasy, Superhero * Supernatural fiction, Supernatural * Shenmo fantasy, Shenmo * Weird fiction ** New weird * Weird West


Horror

Horror novel, Horror (including Horror comics, comics and Horror fiction magazine, magazines) involves fiction in which plot and characters are tools that elicit a feeling of dread and terror, as well as events that often evoke fear in both the characters and the reader. Horrors generally focus on themes of death, demons, evil spirits, and the afterlife. * Body horror, Body (aka biological): intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body (including Organ transplantation in fiction, organ transplantation). Example: ''Frankenstein'' (1818). * Comedy horror, Comedy ** Zombie comedy * Erotic horror, Erotic (sometimes monster erotica) ** Ero guro * Ghost story, Ghost stories and ghostlore * Gothic fiction, Gothic (aka gothic romanticism; and dark romanticism): fiction mixing themes of horror, romance, and death ** American Gothic Fiction, American ** Southern Gothic, Southern ** Southern Ontario Gothic, Southern Ontario ** Gothic science fiction, Space ** Suburban Gothic, Suburban ** Tasmanian Gothic, Tasmanian ** Urban Gothic, Urban * Japanese horror, Japanese * Korean horror, Korean * Lovecraftian horror, Lovecraftian (or Cosmic horror, Cosmic) * Monster literature ** Jiangshi fiction ** Werewolf fiction ** Vampire literature * Psychological horror, Psychological * Splatterpunk * Techno-horror, Techno * Weird fiction * Weird menace * Weird West * Zombie apocalypse


Science fiction

Science fiction (including Science fiction comics, comics, Science fiction magazine, magazines, List of science fiction novels, novels, and List of science fiction short stories, short stories) is speculative fiction with imagined elements that are inspired by natural sciences (physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc.) or social sciences (psychology, anthropology, sociology, etc.). Common elements of this genre include Time travel in fiction, time travel, space exploration, and futuristic societies. (Sci-fi was originally regarded as scientific romance.) * Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic * Christian science fiction, Christian * Science fiction comedy, Comedy * Utopian and dystopian fiction, Utopian and dystopian ** List of dystopian literature, Dystopian: fiction set in a society that the author views as being worse than the one in which they live in at the time of writing. Example: ''Brave New World'' (1932) and ''Fahrenheit 451'' (1953). *** Cyberpunk: juxtaposes advanced technology with less-advanced, broken down society. Cyberpunk derivatives, Derivatives of cyberpunk include: **** Biopunk **** Dieselpunk **** Japanese cyberpunk **** Nanopunk **** Solarpunk **** Steampunk: blends technology with Steam powered, steam-powered machinery. ** List of utopian literature, Utopian: (often satirical) fiction set in a utopia; a community or society that possesses highly desirable or perfect qualities. * Feminist science fiction, Feminist * Gothic science fiction, Gothic * Isekai * Hard science fiction, Hard ** Climate fiction ** Parallel universes in fiction#Science fiction, Parallel world * Libertarian science fiction, Libertarian * Mecha ** Mecha anime and manga * Military science fiction, Military * Soft science fiction, Soft ** Anthropological science fiction, Anthropological ** Social science fiction, Social * Space opera: fiction that takes place in outer space and centers around conflict, romance, and adventure. * Space Western: fiction that blends elements of sci-fi with those of the western genre. * Spy-fi (subgenre), Spy-Fi: spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction * Subterranean fiction, Subterranean * Tech noir * Techno-thriller


Science Fantasy

Science Fantasy or Sci-Fan, is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy.[1] In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientifically logical, while a conventional fantasy story contains mostly supernatural and artistic elements that disregard the scientific laws of the real world. The world of science fantasy, however, is laid out to be scientifically logical and often supplied with hard science-like explanations of any supernatural elements. * Science fantasy: sci-fi inspired by mythology and folklore, often including elements of magic. ** Dying Earth genre, Dying Earth ** Planetary romance ** Sword and planet


Superhero

Superhero fiction, Superhero is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains. The genre primarily falls between hard fantasy and soft science fiction in the spectrum of scientific realism. It is most commonly associated with American comic books, though it has expanded into other media through adaptations and original works. * Superhero fiction, Superhero ** Heroic Fantasy ** Cape Punk ** Heroic Noir


Romance

Romantic Fiction, Romantic fiction primarily focuses on a love story between two people, usually with an optimistic, emotionally satisfying ending. Also Romance (literary fiction) – works that frequently, but not exclusively, takes the form of the historical romance. * Amish romance, Amish * Chivalric romance, Chivalric ** Romantic fantasy, Fantasy: One example is The Princess Bride (novel), ''The Princess Bride''. * Contemporary romance, Contemporary ** Gay romance, Gay ** Contemporary romance#Lesbian romance, Lesbian ** Contemporary romance#Medical romance, Medical * Erotic romance novels, Erotic ** Erotic thriller, Thriller * Romantic fantasy * Historical romance, Historical ** Regency romance, Regency * Romance novel#Inspirational romance, Inspirational: combines explicitly Christian fiction, Christian themes with the development of a romantic relationship. * Paranormal romance, Paranormal ** Time-travel romance, Time-travel * Romantic suspense * Western Romance literature, Western * Young adult romance literature, Young Adult


Nonfiction genres

* Academic writing, Academic ** Literature review: a summary and careful comparison of previous academic work published on a specific topic ** Research article or research paper ** Scientific literature, Scientific: scholarly publication reporting original Empirical evidence, empirical and theoretical work in the Natural science, natural or social sciences. ** Technical report ** Textbook: authoritative and detailed factual description of a thing ** Thesis (or dissertation): a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings. * Bibliography: an organized listing of books or writings ** Annotated bibliography: a bibliography that provides a summary for each of its entries. * Biography: a written narrative of a person's life; an autobiography is a self-written biography. ** Memoir: a biographical account of a particular event or period in a person's life (rather than their whole life) drawn from personal knowledge or special sources (such as the spouse of the subject). ** Misery literature ** Slave narrative *** Slave narrative#Contemporary slave narratives, Contemporary ***Slave narrative#Neo-slave narratives, Neo * Consilia * Cookbook: a kitchen reference containing recipes. * Creative nonfiction: factual narrative presented in the form of a story so as to entertain the reader. ** Personal narrative: a prose relating personal experience and opinion to a factual narrative. * Essay: a short literary composition, often reflecting the author's outlook or point of view. ** Position paper * Journalistic, Journalistic writing: reporting on news and current events ** Arts journalism, Arts ** Business journalism, Business ** Data-driven journalism, Data-driven ** Entertainment journalism, Entertainment ** Environmental journalism, Environmental ** Fashion journalism, Fashion ** Global journalism, Global ** Medical journalism, Medical ** Political journalism, Political ** Science journalism, Science ** Sports journalism, Sports ** Technology journalism, Technical ** Trade ** Video game journalism, Video games ** World news, World * Non-fiction novel * Reference work: publication that one can refer to for confirmed facts, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac, or atlas. * Self-help book, Self-help: a work written with information intended to instruct or guide readers on solving personal problems. * Obituary * Travel literature, Travel: literature containing elements of the outdoors, nature, adventure, and traveling. ** Guide book: book of information about a place, designed for the use of visitors or tourists ** Travel blog * True crime


Literary fiction vs. genre fiction

Literary fiction is a term that distinguishes certain fictional works that possess commonly held qualities to readers outside genre fiction. Literary fiction is any fiction that attempts to engage with one or more truths or questions, hence relevant to a broad scope of humanity as a form of expression. Genre fiction is fiction written to appeal to fans of a specific genre. There are many sources that help readers find and define literary fiction and genre fiction. *Academic novel (aka campus novel) **School story **Varsity novel * Adventure fiction * Echtra – pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings. **Lost world ** Nautical fiction **Picaresque novel – depicts the adventures of a roguish, but "appealing hero", of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. ** Robinsonade – a "castaway narrative". **Subterranean fiction *Apocalyptic literature – details the authors' visions of the Eschatology, end times as revealed by an angel or other heavenly messenger. * Bildungsroman – "coming of age" story. The German word "Bildung" can mean both "education" and "self-development." * Crime fiction ** Campus murder mystery * Historical fiction **Biographical novel ** Historical romance **
Historical mystery The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...
**Slave narrative#Neo-slave narratives, Neo-slave narrative **Plantation tradition **Regency novel * Literary nonsense ** Nonsense verse *Mathematical fiction *Nonfiction novel * Novel of manners ** Regency romance *Occupational fiction ** Legal thriller **Musical fiction **Sports fiction * Romance novel **Medical romance *Political fiction * Speculative fiction ** Science fiction ***Quantum fiction **Prehistoric fiction * Travel literature ** Immram – Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld **Milesian tale – a travelogue told from memory by a narrator who every now and then relates how he encountered other characters who told him stories that he incorporated into the main tale. *Religious fiction **Christian fiction ***Christian science fiction ***Contemporary Christian fiction **Islamic fiction **Jewish fiction *Saga **Family saga *Speculative fiction **Fantasy ***By setting ****High fantasy, Epic / high fantasy ****Hard fantasy **** Historical fantasy *****Prehistoric fantasy *****Medieval fantasy *****Wuxia ****Low fantasy ****Urban fantasy *****Paranormal romance ***By theme ****Comic fantasy ****Contemporary fantasy ****Dark fantasy ****Fantasy of manners ****Heroic fantasy ****Magic realism ****Mythic fiction, Mythic ****Paranormal fiction#Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal fantasy ****Shenmo, Shenmo fantasy ****Superhero fantasy ****Sword and sorcery **Horror fiction, Horror ***Body horror ****Splatterpunk ***Erotic horror, Erotic ***Gothic fiction ****Southern Gothic ***Psychological horror, Psychological ***Supernatural horror, Supernatural / paranormal ****Cosmic horror, Cosmic (Lovecraftian horror, Lovecraftian) **** Ghost story ****Monster literature *****Jiangshi fiction *****Vampire fiction *****Werewolf fiction ****Occult detective fiction, Occult detective **Science fiction ***Alien invasion ***Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, Post-apocalyptic ***Cyberpunk derivatives ****Cyberpunk *****Biopunk *****Nanopunk *****Postcyberpunk ****Steampunk *****Atompunk *****Clockpunk *****Dieselpunk ***Solarpunk, aka Hopepunk ***Dystopian ***Hard science fiction ***Military science fiction ***Parallel universe (fiction), Parallel universe, aka alternative universe ****Alternate history, Alternative history ***LitRPG ***Scientific romance ***Social science fiction ***Soft science fiction ***Space opera ***portal fantasy aka Isekai and Accidental travel **Speculative cross-genre fiction ***Bizarro fiction ***Climate fiction (cli-fi) ***Dying Earth (subgenre), Dying Earth ***Science fantasy ****Planetary romance *****Sword and planet ***Slipstream (genre), Slipstream ***Weird fiction ****New Weird *Suspense fiction **Crime fiction **Detective fiction **Gong'an fiction **Mystery fiction *Thriller (genre), Thriller **Mystery fiction **Legal thriller **Medical thriller ** Political thriller ***Spy fiction **Psychological thriller ** Techno-thriller *Tragedy **Melodrama *Urban fiction *Westerns *Women's fiction **Chick lit **Class S (genre), Class S **Femslash **Matron literature **Romance novel **Yaoi **Yuri (genre), Yuri *Workplace tell-all *General cross-genre ** Historical romance **Juvenile fantasy **LGBT pulp fiction ***Gay male pulp fiction ***Lesbian pulp fiction ***Lesbianism in erotica, Lesbian erotica fiction **Paranormal romance **Romantic fantasy **Tragicomedy


Other nonfiction genres

These are genres belonging to the realm of nonfiction. Some genres listed may reappear throughout the list, indicating cross-genre status. *Biography **Memoir ***Autobiography ****Slave narrative ****Spiritual autobiography *** Bildungsroman ****Slave narrative#Contemporary slave narratives, Contemporary slave narrative ****Slave narrative#Neo-slave narratives, Neo-slave narrative *Literary criticism, Commentary *Creative nonfiction *Critique **Canonical criticism **Form criticism **Higher criticism **Historical criticism **Lower criticism **Narrative criticism **Postmodern criticism **Psychological criticism **Redaction criticism **Rhetorical criticism **Social criticism **Source criticism **Textual criticism *Cult literature *Diary, Diaries and journals *Didactic **Dialectic **Rabbinic **Aporia, Aporetic **Elenctic *Erotic literature *Essay, treatise *History **Genealogy **Narrative **People's history **Popular history **Official history **Narrative history **Whig history *Lament *Law **Ceremonial **Family **Levitical **Moral **Natural **Decree, Royal decree **Social *Letter (message), Letter *Manuscript *Philosophy **Metaphysics **Socratic dialogue *Poetry **Occasional poetry *Religious text **Apocalyptic literature, Apocalyptic **Apologetics **Chant **Confession (religion), Confession **Covenant (religion), Covenant **Creed **Daily devotional **Epistle ***Pauline epistle ***General epistles, General epistle ***Encyclical **Gospel **Homily **Koan **Lectionary **Liturgy **Mysticism **Occult literature **Prayer **Philosophy ***Philosophical theology ***Philosophy of religion ***Religious epistemology **Prophecy ***Blessing/Curse ***Messiah, Messianic prophecy ***Divination ***Oracle ****Woe oracle ***Prediction ***Vision (spirituality), Vision **Revelation ***General revelation, Natural revelation ***Special revelation **Scripture ***Buddhist texts ****Lotus Sutra ****Tripitaka ***Christian literature ****Apocrypha ****Christian devotional literature ****Christian drama, Christian tragedy ****Encyclical ****New Testament ****Old Testament ****Patristic *****Ante-Nicene *****Post-Nicene ****Psalms *****Imprecatory psalm ****Pseudepigrapha ***Hindu literature ****Bhagavad Gita ****Vedas ***Islamic literature ****Haddith ****Quran ***Jewish literature ****Hebrew poetry (disambiguation), Hebrew poetry **Song ***Dirge ***Hymn **Sutra **Theology ***Apologetics ***Biblical theology ***Cosmology ***Christology ***Ecclesiology ***Eschatology ***Hamartiology ***Pneumatology (Christianity), Pneumatology ***Mariology ***Natural theology ***Soteriology ***Theology proper **Wisdom literature *Scientific writing *Testament (disambiguation), Testament *True crime


References

{{Narrative Literary genres, * Lists of genres, Writing Literature by genre, * Writing-related lists, Genres