Tristan Vick
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Writerly Things

The Official Blog of Author Tristan Vick

Big List of Genres

4/4/2017

1 Comment

 
As an author, it's important to know what genre you're writing in, even if genre classification isn't important to you personally.
 
The reason you need to keep up on genres is because they are very important for things like promotion, writing to market, hitting all the right beats by mimicking what makes that particular genre popular among fans, or else avoiding it entirely by creating something original.
 
Either way you look at it, it's important to have a basic grasp of the mainstream genres out there. That doesn't mean you need to know every single genre before writing. Heck, I only learned about the sub-genre New Adult this year. And when I asked my editor if I should classify my novel as "NA" she asked, "What's that? Haven't heard of it."
 
This has primarily to do with the fact that NA is a relatively new genre. Not only that, it didn't exist before 2009 and it's still flying under the radar of most trade publishers, only to be used mainly by Indie writers who were the first to crack this market niche.
 
But it does help to know something about the difference between say and adult novel and a young adult novel.
 
As such, I decided to adapt this handy dandy Wikipedia post on genre lists and write down the basics of genre classification in an easy to digest format. Hopefully it will be useful for those who, like me, need to pick a genre classification for their novels when submitting their meta-data for publication. Otherwise, it's just an interesting bit of history.

NOTE: Genres and subgenres are organic and can change both in terms of their content as well as their relationship to other genres. Also, new genres and classifications are being created all of the time. So don't take things too literally, this is just a list meant to help ease things along.

LITERARY vs. GENRE FICTION

Literary fiction is a term used to distinguish certain fictional works that possess commonly held qualities to readers outside genre fiction.

Literary fiction has been defined as 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.

​There are many sources that help readers find and define literary fiction and genre fiction.
​

FICTION GENRES

The classic major genres of literature are: Subsets of genres, known as common genres, have developed from the archetypes of genres in written expression.
​
Classic – fiction that has become part of an accepted literary canon, widely taught in schools
Crime/detective – fiction about a crime, how the criminal gets caught, and the repercussions of the crime
Fable – narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which speak as humans; legendary, supernatural tale
Fairy tale – story about fairies or other magical creatures
Fan fiction – fiction written by a fan of, and featuring characters from, a particular TV series, movie, or book
Fantasy – fiction with strange or otherworldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality
Fiction in verse – full-length novels with plot, subplot(s), theme(s), major and minor characters, in which the narrative is presented in verse form (usually free verse)
Fiction narrative – literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact
Folklore – the songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word of mouth
Historical fiction – story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting
Horror – fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread and sometimes fear in both the characters and the reader
Humor – Usually a fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain and sometimes cause intended laughter; but can be contained in all genres
Legend – story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, that has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material
Magical realism  – story where magical or unreal elements play a natural part in an otherwise realistic environment
Meta fiction – also known as romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, uses self-reference to draw attention to itself as a work of art, while exposing the "truth" of a story
Mystery – this is fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets
Mythology – legend or 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
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
Picture book – picture storybook is a book with very little words and a lot of pictures, picture stories are usually for little kids
Realistic fiction – story that is true to life
Science fiction – story based on the impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets
Short story – fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots
Suspense/thriller – fiction about harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts made to evade the harm
Tall tale – humorous story with blatant exaggerations, such as swaggering heroes who do the impossible with nonchalance
Western  – set in the American Old West frontier and typically set in the late eighteenth to late nineteenth century​

SUBGENRES OF GENRE FICTION

Some genres listed may reappear throughout the list, indicating cross-genre status
Adventure novel
Epic
Imaginary voyage
Lost World
Men's adventure
Milesian tale
Picaresque novel (picaresco)
Robinsonade
Apocalyptic robinsonade
Science fiction robinsonade
Sea story
Subterranean fiction
Brit lit
Children's literature
Young adult fiction
Class S
Light novel
Education fiction
Campus novel
Campus murder mystery
School story
Varsity novel
Erotic fiction
Erotic romance
Picaresque novel (picaresco)
Women's erotica
Experimental fiction
Antinovel
Ergodic literature
Graphic novel
Historical fiction
Historical romance
Metahistorical romance
Historical whodunnit
Holocaust novel
Plantation tradition
Prehistoric fiction
Regency novel
Regency romance
Contradiction
Literary fiction
Literary nonsense
Mathematical fiction
Metafiction
Nonfiction novel
Bildungsroman
Biographical novel
Autobiographical novel
Semi-autobiographical novel
I novel
Slave narrative
Contemporary slave narrative
Neo-slave narrative
Occupational fiction
Hollywood novel
Lab lit
Legal thriller
Medical fiction
Medical romance
Musical fiction
Sports fiction
Philosophical fiction
Existentialist fiction
Novel of ideas
Philosophical horror
Platonic Dialogues
Political fiction
Political satire
Pulp fiction
Quantum fiction
Religious fiction
Christian fiction
Christian science fiction
Contemporary Christian fiction
Islamic fiction
Jewish fiction
Saga

Family saga
Speculative fiction
Fantasy
By setting
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
Paranormal fantasy
Shenmo fantasy
Superhero fantasy
Sword and sorcery
Horror
Body horror
Splatterpunk
Erotic
Gothic fiction
Southern Gothic
Psychological
Supernatural / paranormal
Cosmic (Lovecraftian)
Ghost story
Monster literature
Jiangshi fiction
Vampire fiction
Werewolf fiction
Occult detective
Science fiction
Alien invasion
Post-apocalyptic
Cyberpunk derivatives, aka punk
Cyberpunk
Biopunk
Nanopunk
Postcyberpunk
Steampunk
Atompunk
Clockpunk
Dieselpunk
Dystopian
Hard science fiction
Military science fiction
Parallel universe, aka alternative universe
Alternative history
Scientific romance
Soft science fiction
Space opera
Speculative cross-genre fiction
Bizarro fiction
Dying Earth
Science fantasy
Planetary romance
Sword and planet
Slipstream
Weird fiction
New Weird
Suspense fiction
Crime fiction
Detective fiction
Gong'an fiction
Mystery fiction
Thriller
Mystery fiction
Legal thriller
Medical thriller
Political thriller
Spy fiction
Psychological thriller
Techno-thriller
Tragedy
Melodrama
Urban fiction
Westerns
Women's fiction
Class S
Femslash
Matron literature
Romance novel
Yaoi
Yuri
Workplace tell-all
General cross-genre
Historical romance
Juvenile fantasy
LGBT pulp fiction
Gay male pulp fiction
Lesbian pulp fiction
Lesbian erotica fiction
Paranormal romance
Romantic fantasy
Tragicomedy
​

NONFICTION GENRES

Biography/autobiography  – narrative of a person's life; a true story about a real person
Essay  – a short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point.
Owner's manual (also Instruction manual, User's guide)  – an instructional book or booklet that is supplied with consumer products such as vehicles, home appliances, firearms, toys and computer peripherals
Journalism – reporting on news and current events
Lab Report  – a report of an experiment
Memoir  – factual story that focuses on a significant relationship between the writer and a person, place, or object; reads like a short novel
Narrative nonfiction/personal narrative  – factual information about a significant event presented in a format which tells a story
Reference book  – such as a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, almanac, or atlas
Self-help book  – information with the intention of instructing readers on solving personal problems.
Speech  – public address or discourse
Textbook  – authoritative and detailed factual description of a topic.
 

ADDITIONAL GENRES OF NONFICTION 

Nonfiction genres: These are genres belonging to the realm of non-fiction. Some genres listed may reappear throughout the list, indicating cross-genre status.
Biography
Memoir
Autobiographical novel
Bildungsroman
Slave narrative
Contemporary slave narrative
Neo-slave narrative
Spiritual autobiography
Creative nonfiction
Diaries and journals
Erotic literature
Essay, treatise
Fable, fairy tale, folklore
History
Popular history
People's history
Official history
Academic history
Narrative history
Whig history
Letter
Religious text
Apocalyptic
Apocrypha
Apologetics
Autograph
Biography
Autobiography
Blessing
Canon
Chant
Commentary
Confession
Covenant
Creed
Critique
Canonical criticism
Form criticism
Higher criticism
Historical criticism
Lower criticism
Narrative criticism
Postmodern criticism
Psychological criticism
Redaction criticism
Rhetorical criticism
Socio-scientific criticism
Source criticism
Textual criticism
Cult literature
Curse
Didactic
Dialectic
Rabbinic
Aporetic
Elenctic
Epistle
Pauline epistle
General epistle
Encyclical
Gospel
Homily
History
Narrative
Genealogy
Prophetic
Royal
Koan
Lament
Law
Ceremonial
Family
Levitical
Moral
Natural
Royal decree
Social
Lectionary
Liturgy
Manuscript
Morality play
Mysticism
Narrative
Erotic
Historical
Horror


Pilgrim
Mystery
​Redemption story

Occult literature
Origin story
Parable
Prayer
Poetry
Philosophy
Philosophical theology
Philosophy of religion
Metaphysics
Religious epistemology
Hebrew poetry
Erotic
Prophecy
Blessing/Curse
Messianic prophecy
Divination
Oracle
Woe oracle
Predictive
Typology
Vision
Proverbs
Psalms
Confession
Imprecatory psalm
Lament
Liturgy
Pilgrim song
Praise
Prophecy
Royal psalm
Thanksgiving
Wisdom psalm
Revelation
Natural revelation
Special revelation
Scientific writing
Scripture
Sutra
Song
Dirge
Hymn
Praise
Testament
Theology
Apologetics
Bibliology
Biblical theology
Cosmology
Christology
Ecclesiology
Eschatology
Hamartiology
Pneumatology
Prolegomena
Mariology
Natural theology
Soteriology
Theology proper
Theo-mythology
True crime
Wisdom literature
Woe
Buddhist texts
Lotus Sutra
Tripitaka
Christian literature
Apocrypha
Encyclical
New Testament
Old Testament
Patristic
Anti-Nicene
Post-Nicene
Pseudepigrapha
Hindu literature
Bhagavad Gita
Vedas
Islamic literature
Haddith
Quran
Jewish literature
1 Comment
hotdog queen link
3/27/2019 06:51:10 pm

this is really helpful

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    Tristan Vick

    By day I am an educator and a cultural ambassador. By night I entertain notions of being a literary master. In reality I am just a family man and ordinary guy who works hard and loves writing just about as much as I love my family. Just about.


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