Types of Realistic Fiction
Family Stories (domestic stories)
 Family stories frequently rely on episodic plots, since they are built around the daily
details and activities, the squabblings, the schemings, the reconciliations, in which
families are normally engaged.
 In early family stories, the family was a place of safety from the troubles of the
world, whereas modern family stories often portray the family as the source of
trouble. Today's family is characterized by working parents, single parents, neglectful
parents, ungrateful children, sibling rivalry, and a general breakdown in communications.
Stories of Social Realism
 This type of stories deal with friendship, self-identity, racial prejudice, child abuse,
alcoholism, drug addiction and other social issues that may involve in human growth and
development.
 The authors of this type of stories believe that it is better for young readers to learn
about the harsh subjects of life from a capable and sensitive writer than from illinformed friends or a bad experience.
Adventure and Survival Stories

Adventure stories, often romantic, have long been popular with children. Many adventure
stories are, in fact, survival stories, which depict individuals pitted against the forces of
nature or, in many modern works, the forces of a cruel, insensitive society. They are
usually coming-of-age stories depicting individuals rising above adversity, facing forces
that are greater and more formidable than they are, and discovering themselves.

One key element in survival stories is their detailing of the means of survival - the
protagonist's locating food, providing shelter from the elements, and securing protection
from threatening forces.

Modern survival stories conveying the message that in real life survival means sacrifice,
suffering, adaptation, and often loneliness.
Mystery or Detective Stories
 The mystery or detective story is a form of romance, escapist fiction creating a world
more exciting, more dangerous, and more beautiful than we imagine our own to be.
 The mystery first popularized in the early 19th century by Edgar Allan Poe. It always
involves the solving of a puzzle - usually a crime. The success of a mystery depends on
the clever planting of clues and the ingenuity of the puzzle and its solution. The mystery
writer must keep a delicate balance, knowing just how much to reveal and when.
Animal Stories
 This type of stories hinge on the premise that animal characters share certain human
traits - the capacity for love, loyalty, jealousy, fear, etc.
 The animals in these stories live as animals, behave as animals, and do not talk. They
are NOT personified
 Animal stories often portray the relationship between an animal and a youthful human
companion. One serious theme recurring in many animal stories is that of animals falling
prey to the savage insensitivity of human beings.
 Animal stories have proved to be among the most enduring of modern children's
literature and are the frequent inspirations for the cinema. However, animal stories also
have the reputation for being tearjerkers and lack appeal for older readers who like to
go beyond such sentimentality.
 Classic examples: Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" (1877), Jack London's "White Fang" and
"Call of the Wild" (1903).
Sports Stories
 Sport stories promote high moral character and good sportsmanship. They are usually
coming-of-age stories, particularly when the protagonist gains self-knowledge through
participation in sports.
Most sports stories hinge on the excitement of the game, the necessity for teamwork and
fair sportsmanship, and the interpersonal problems that develop between the players.
They are popular because of their subject matter, although too often the plots are
predictable, the characters are stereotyped, and the dialogue is trite.
Historical Stories
 Historical fiction is set in a time period that is earlier from the time the work was written
(at least a generation - 20 years - earlier).
 War Stories are a type of historical fiction that takes place during a time of war or
conflict.
 The requirements of good historical fiction:
1. Recreating the historical period.
2. Avoiding overloading the story with historical background information.
3. Making credible dialogues and using language suited to the historical time.
4. Viewing history with sensitivity and objectivity.
 This genre is now recovering its popularity and today the focus is on reassessing and
understanding the past, rather than praising it.