Genres of Fiction
1. Adventure fiction: stories in which characters are
involved in dangerous and/or exhilarating exploits
2. Airport novel: a work of fiction, generally genre
fiction, so named because of its availability at stores
in international airports in order to provide airline
passengers with a light diversion during a flight
3. Allegory: a story using symbolism to express
truths about the human condition
4. Bildungsroman: a story detailing the emotional
and moral growth of a character
5. Black comedy: a story in which the humor derives
from the misfortunes and/or reproachable behavior of
characters
6. Comedy: a story with elements and situations
intended to amuse
7. Comedy-drama: a story with both humorous and
serious elements
8. Comedy of errors (farce): a story involving
energetic action revolving around humorous
predicaments and coincidences
9. Comedy of manners: a story that mocks class
pretensions and/or prejudices
10. Crime fiction: stories based on the commission
and/or investigation of wrongdoing
11. Detective fiction: stories in which the protagonist
investigates a crime
12. Epic: originally a long poem celebrating the
exploits of a factual or fictitious hero, but now
applied to prose works on the same theme as well
13. Epistolary fiction: stories constructed as a series
of letters exchanged between characters
14. Fantasy fiction: stories involving imaginary
beings in the real world or in an alternate reality and
assuming suspension of disbelief about magic and/or
supernatural powers
15. Fictional autobiography: a story purporting to
be a first-person account of someone’s life
16. Fictional biography: a story structured to
resemble a factual life story
17. Genre fiction: stories intended to appeal to
readers because of adherence to a specific formula
(such as adventure fiction or detective fiction), rather
than on their literary merits
18. Gothic fiction: stories often taking place in an
isolated setting and involving strange and/or perilous
happenings
Action and Adventure
Chick Lit
Children’s
Commercial Fiction
Contemporary
Crime
Erotica
Family Saga
Fantasy
Dark Fantasy (probably still a major subgenre!)
Gay and Lesbian
General Fiction
Graphic Novels
Historical Fiction
Horror
Humour
Literary Fiction
Military and Espionage
19. Horror fiction: stories incorporating
supernatural and/or inexplicable elements and
intended to arouse fear and dread
20. Melodrama: a story that emphasizes action over
characterization and features exaggeratedly dramatic
plot elements
21. Mystery fiction: stories that detail the solution of
a crime or other wrongdoing
22. Pastiche: a story that imitates one or more
established works, or consists of episodes of such
works
23. Picaresque: an episodically structured story
featuring a rogue or an antihero as the protagonist
24. Parody: a story mocking the pretensions or
weaknesses of a particular author,
style, or genre
25. Romance: a love story; also a tale taking place in
a distant time and place and involving adventure with
often supernatural or mysterious elements
26. Romantic comedy: a lighthearted story detailing
a romance and its complications
27. Romp: a boisterously comical tale
28. Satire: a story that pokes fun at human
shortcomings such as arrogance, greed, and vanity
29. Science fiction: stories focusing on how science
and technology affect individuals and civilizations
30. Screwball comedy: a fast-paced story involving
improbable situations and antics from which the
humor derives
31. Swashbuckler: an adventure story in which the
hero accomplishes great feats to aid a noble cause
32. Thriller: a dramatic story punctuated with action,
adventure, and suspense
33. Tragedy: a story with a catastrophic and/or
unfortunate outcome
34. Tragicomedy: a story with both humorous and
heartbreaking aspects
35. Travelogue: a story with a plot centering on a
significant amount of travel
36. Pulp fiction: a story dealing with lurid or
sensational subjects, often printed on rough, lowquality paper manufactured from wood pulp
Multicultural
Mystery
Offbeat or Quirky
Picture Books
Religious and Inspirational
Romance
Science Fiction
Short Story Collections
Thrillers and Suspense
Western
Women’s Fiction
Young Adult