As a reference librarian, one of the most common questions I get is about book genres, both fiction and non-fiction. While book genre rules are not complicated, they are very specific and determine how books are shelved in bookstores and libraries, and why both places shelve books differently. In this post, we’ll look at fiction and next week I’ll add a post for non-fiction. Why the split? Because the first division of books is between fiction and non-fiction. They are a librarian’s oil and water and should never meet on the book shelf!
The next division of books is all about the age of the protagonist (fiction) or age of the reader (non-fiction). Since the line between Adult and Children’s books, for both non-fiction and fiction, are stronger than the 38th parallel, I will have a third post specifically about children’s books just in time for the release of the 2022 Mid-Winter YA and Middle Grade book list. Now on to the genres!
Adult Fiction Book Genres (with sub genres)
Classics
These are books and plays that have continued to spur meaningful debate and conversation (and sometimes controversy) across generations and through the decades. Most librarians will only consider a more current book to be a classic once the author has passed away. These books and plays include titles like Jane Eyre, Romeo and Juliet, A Christmas Carol, and The Great Gatsby. These books are usually shelved together, although some bookstores will separate out the books by those published before 1900 and those published after. I’ve never understood that delineation but I know it has to do with old cataloging rules that no one worries about now with online catalogs. Here are the two Classic sub-genres.
- Pre-Twentieth Century
- Twentieth Century and onwards
Literary Fiction
These books are considered to have artistic qualities (whatever that subjective term means). They usually have a subtle theme and discuss the political/social/economic/personal issues of the day. The biggest difference between Literary Fiction and General Fiction is that the protagonist in Literary Fiction is only expected to complete a portion of the Hero’s Journey instead of the entire journey. Many bookstores will keep the literary and general fiction books together due to lack of space. In a library, they may be shelved in a separate section. Again, the decision to shelve the Literary and General Fiction together usually is determined by space or lack of it. Here are a few of the more popular Literary Fiction sub-genres.
- Magical Realism (realistic drama with mythical or magical elements)
- Drama (a story with unexpected elements that lead to an emotionally satisfying story)
- Fables/Fairy Tales (stories with legendary figures, mythical animals, etc., and that teach a moral lesson)
- Fiction in Verse (story narrative told in any type of rhyming verse)
General Fiction
General Fiction books are usually fun, entertaining stories told in a contemporary world. They bridge the world of Literary Fiction (which can use more complicated language) and what’s commonly known as Genre Fiction (which includes Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Adrian/Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror). There is always a fully realized Hero’s Journey, but a Happily Ever After isn’t always achieved. In this category, the HEA is always determined by the sub-genre. So Women’s Fiction and Chick Lit always have a happy ending while Tragedies will never have an HEA. General Fiction is more “approachable” and considered easier to read than Literary Fiction. Depending on space in a library, they may be shelved with Literary Fiction. Since bookstores are always short on floor space, they are usually shelved together. (Much to the chagrin of literary authors!) Below are a few of the more popular sub-genres within this category.
- Women’s Fiction (a story with a heroine in her thirties or older, usually with an emotional story that focuses on growth instead of romance.)
- Chick Lit (lighthearted story that centers on the emotional growth of a heroine with romance as a sideline)
- Drama (a story about a common character with unexpected elements that lead to an emotionally satisfying story)
- Humor (stories that make us laugh)
- Realistic Fiction (stories that could actually happen in the real world)
- Satire (stories that use humor, irony, or ridicule to expose and criticize a character’s choices)
- Tragedy (stories with a failed Hero’s Journey that make us cry)
Historical Fiction
These are books that take place at least thirty years before the author writes them. So right now WWII and books about the 1960s and 70s are popular. As are stories about the craziness (and fun!!) of the 1980s. The sub-genres below can be broken down by time period (medieval, Viking, Roman, WWII, etc) and by type.
- Traditional Historical Fiction (stories set in any historical time period)
- Multi-Period Sagas (usually family sagas that take place over generations)
- Historical Romantic Fiction (romances that take place in the past)
- Historical Biographical Fiction (made up stories about real historical figures)
- Historical Western Fiction (always takes place in the western U.S. frontier, often after the Civil War. But not always.)
- Mystery/Thriller/Adventure Historical Fiction (a mystery/thriller/adventure story set in the past)
- Time-Travel Historical Fiction (stories that jump time)
- Alternate Histories (stories that change the stories and/or endings of historical events)
- Fantasy Historical Fiction (set in a fantasy world but in our past history)
- Christian Historical Fiction (about a Christian historical character or time period)
Romance
I could write a book about this genre, and many people have. This genre is unique in that these books are the only ones within all of fiction where the protagonist is changed due to positive pressure from the lover (who is the antagonist, in this. case) instead of from negative pressure from a villain. Beyond that, these books always have an emotionally satisfying Happily Ever After. Usually in libraries and bookstores, all romances are shelved together by author’s last name and all the genres are mixed in together. The sexual heat level can vary from super sweet to erotic, so it’s important to know what type of story you want to read before you pull one off the shelf. There are tons of sub and sub-sub genres in this category (it’s also, by far, the largest category on the list) so I’m only listing the more popular sub-genres in this category below.
- Contemporary Romance (takes place in contemporary times)
- Historical Romance (takes place at least thirty years in the past from publication date)
- Paranormal Romance (has paranormal elements like vampires or magic)
- Erotica (there are a lot of open door adult situations)
- Urban Fantasy (set in an urban setting with magical elements)
- Fantasy (set in any kind of fantasy world)
- Science Fiction (set in any kind of sci fi situation or world)
- Series Romance (romances written by many authors that can be read in any order such as Harlequin Romances)
- Christian Romance (romances where the lovers’ relationship with God is of primary importance)
- Romantic Suspense (love story is intertwined with a suspense or mystery plot)
Mystery/Suspense
These novels are all about The Who-done-it ? and Why–was-it-done?. The protagonist is usually the detective or private investigator who is up against a ticking clock to prevent another murder/crime/bad thing. Below are a few of the more popular sub-genres in this category.
- Detective/Private Investigator (classic mystery novels where the protagonist must solve a mystery)
- Cozy Mystery (usually set in a small town, with lots of humor and heart and low stakes)
- Police Procedural (a police detective/FBI agent who follows the law to solve a crime. Usually very graphic and violent.)
- Psychological Thriller (high pressure story where, if the mystery isn’t solved, people will die)
- Noir (stylized mystery and a very cynical/world weary protagonist)
Action/Adventure
These stories have very high stakes and a lot of movement between scenes, usually traversing the world. The protagonist is under constant pressure and their lives are always at risk. These are fast-paced stories that are easily translated into movies/TV series. Below are a few of the more popular sub-genres in this category.
- Adventure (interesting or exotic locales and lots of exploration)
- Military/Espionage (a soldier or spy protagonist with plots revolving around the government/military/political operations)
- Political Thriller (a protagonist who goes up against a government conspiracy)
- Western (always set in the U.S. western frontier)
Fantasy
These books are set in completely different worlds, or in a version of this world that contains magic. The key to these stories is the world-building, the level of which determines the sub-genre. Below are a few of the more popular sub-genres in this category.
- Epic/High Fantasy (highly evolved and creative worlds, often using elements from the past)
- Low Fantasy (the current world with magical elements)
- Urban Fantasy (an urban, contemporary setting with magic)
- Historical Fantasy (the world at least thirty years before current day, with magical elements)
- Grimdark Fantasy (high fantasy that is violent, dark, and dystopian)
Science Fiction
These books set up world where we imagine technology’s impact in the future. There is tons of world building and usually a large cast of characters, including aliens from other worlds. This category has a ton of sub and sub-sub-genres and I listed a few below.
- Hard Science Fiction (so factually accurate that the reader believes the events could actually happen)
- Soft Science Fiction (more focused on things like sociology and folklore)
- Space Opera (stories set in a fully fictionalized space)
- Dystopian (stories set in a post-apocalyptic world, either on Earth or another planet. Almost always an undesirable world)
- Steampunk (historical setting with a heavy focus on steam-powered technology, even if it’s not part of the period)
Horror
Books about the supernatural or supernatural elements that terrify readers as well as the protagonists within the stories. Below are a few of the more popular sub-genres in this category.
- Monster/Creature Horror (a story about a creature or a monster that scares the protagonist and the reader)
- Psychological Horror (stories that use emotional and mental influences to frighten characters and readers)
- Splatter Horror (defined by extreme gore and graphic violence that creates a feeling of horror and fear)
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