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In the book-trade,genre fiction, also known asformula fiction,[1] orcommercial fiction,[2] encompassesfictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specificliterary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre.[3] These labels commonly imply that this type of fiction places more value on plot and entertainment than oncharacter development, philosophicalthemes, or artistic depth.[2] This distinguishes genre fiction fromliterary fiction.
The main genres arecrime,fantasy,romance,science fiction andhorror—as well as perhapsWestern,inspirational andhistorical fiction.
Slipstream genre is sometimes thought to be in between genre and non-genre fiction.[4]
In the publishing industry the term "category fiction" is often used as a synonym for genre fiction,[citation needed] with the categories serving as the familiar shelf headings within the fiction section of a bookstore, such asWestern or mystery.
Some authors classified instead asliterary fiction have written genre novels under pseudonyms, while others are argued to have employed genre elements in literary fiction.[5][6][7][better source needed]
Romance fiction had an estimated $1.375 billion share in the US book market in 2007. Religion/inspirational literature followed with $819 million, science fiction/fantasy with $700 million, mystery with $650 million and classic literary fiction with $466 million.[8]
Genre began as a classification system forancient Greek literature.Poetry,prose, anddrama had specific calculated styles that related to the theme of the story. Among the genres were theepic in poetry andtragedy andcomedy for plays.[9] In later periods other genres such as thechivalric romance,opera, andprose fiction developed.
Though thenovel is often seen as a modern genre –Ian Watt, inThe Rise of the Novel (1957) suggests that the novel first came into being in the early 18th century[10] – it has also been described as possessing "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", from the time of bothClassical Greece andRome.[11]
The "romance" is a closely related long prose narrative.Walter Scott defined it as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents", whereas in the novel "the events are accommodated to the ordinary train of human events and the modern state of society".[12] However, many romances, including thehistorical romances of Scott,[13]Emily Brontë'sWuthering Heights[14] andHerman Melville'sMoby-Dick,[15] are also frequently called novels, and Scott describes romance as a "kindred term". Romance, as defined here, should not be confused with the genre fiction love romance orromance novel. Other European languages do not distinguish between romance and novel: "a novel isle roman,der Roman,il romanzo."[16]
Genre fiction developed from various subgenres of the novel (and its "romance" version) during the nineteenth century,[17] along with the growth of themass-marketing of fiction in the twentieth century: this includes thegothic novel,fantasy,science fiction,adventure novel,historical romance, and thedetective novel.[citation needed] Some scholars see precursors to the genre fictionromance novels in literary fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries, includingSamuel Richardson'ssentimental novelPamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) and the novels ofJane Austen such asPride and Prejudice (1813).[18]
Critics have often regarded genre fiction as having less artistic merit than literary fiction, but this assumption has been contested after the growth of fiction that blurs these boundaries and the serious study of genre fiction within universities.[19]
The following are some of the main genres as they are used in contemporary publishing:
Crime fiction is theliterary genre that fictionalisescrimes, their detection, criminals, and theirmotives. It is usually distinguished frommainstream fiction and other genres such ashistorical fiction orscience fiction, but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has multiplesubgenres,[20] includingdetective fiction (such as thewhodunit),courtroom drama,hard-boiled fiction,mystery fiction, andlegal thrillers.Suspense and mystery are key elements to the genre.
Fantasy is agenre offiction that usesmagic or othersupernatural elements as a mainplot element,theme, orsetting. Many works within the genre take place inimaginary worlds where magic andmagical creatures are common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres ofscience fiction andhorror by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap among the three, all of which are subgenres ofspeculative fiction. Fantasy works frequently feature amedieval setting.
Theromance novel or "romantic novel" primarily focuses on the relationship andromantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending."[21] There are many subgenres of the romance novel includingfantasy,historical,science fiction, same sex romantic fiction, andparanormal fiction.
According toRomance Writers of America's data,[22] the most popular subgenres areromantic suspense,contemporary romance,historical romance,erotic romance,paranormal romance, andyoung adult romance.
The romantic novel is not to be confused withromance as a literary form, whichWalter Scott defined as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents".[12]
Science fiction is agenre ofspeculative fiction dealing withimaginative concepts such as futuristic science andtechnology,space travel,time travel,faster than light travel,parallel universes andextraterrestrial life. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and otherinnovations, and has been called a "literature of ideas".[23] It usually eschews thesupernatural, and unlike the related genre offantasy, historically science fiction stories were intended to have at least pretense ofscience-based fact or theory at the time the story was created, but this connection has become tenuous or non-existent in much of science fiction.[24][25][26]
Horror fiction aims to frighten or disgust its readers. Although many horror novels feature supernatural phenomena or monsters, it is not a requirement. Early horror drew much inspiration fromRomanticism andGothic fiction. Modern horror, such ascosmic horror andsplatterpunk, tends to be less melodramatic and more explicit. Horror is often mixed with other genres.[citation needed]
Horror novelistStephen King was awarded theMedal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2003,[27] polarizing opinions and leading to debate on genre fiction's literary merit. Negative comments about genre fiction have sparked responses[when?] fromTime,[28]Salon,[29]the Atlantic,[30] and theLos Angeles Review of Books.[31] Nobel laureateDoris Lessing described science fiction as "some of the bestsocial fiction of our time",[when?] and calledGreg Bear, author ofBlood Music, "a great writer".[32][when?]
In the 2000s, theBBC defended itself against charges that it discussed genre fiction with a "sneering derogatory tone".[33] TheMan Booker Prize[34] andBritish Book Awards[35] have been criticized for ignoring genre fiction in their selection process.
Some critics have claimed that reading romance and suspense thrillers makes readers more sensitive, because these novels focus on interpersonal relationships.[36]
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Sir John Barrow's descriptive1831 account of theMutiny on the Bounty immortalised the Royal Navy shipHMS Bounty and her people. The legend ofDick Turpin was popularised when the 18th-century Englishhighwayman's exploits appeared in the novelRookwood in 1834.
Although pre-dated byJohn Ruskin'sThe King of the Golden River in 1841, the history of the modernfantasy genre is generally said to begin withGeorge MacDonald, the influential author ofThe Princess and the Goblin andPhantastes (1858).William Morris was a popular English poet who also wrote several fantasy novels during the latter part of the nineteenth century.Wilkie Collins'epistolary novelThe Moonstone (1868) is generally considered the firstdetective novel in the English language, whileThe Woman in White is regarded as one of the finestsensation novels.H. G. Wells's (1866–1946) writing career began in the 1890s with science fiction novels likeThe Time Machine (1895), andThe War of the Worlds (1898) which describes an invasion of late Victorian England byMartians, and Wells is seen, along with FrenchmanJules Verne (1828–1905), as a major figure in the development of the science fiction genre.
Penny dreadful publications were an alternative to mainstream works, and were aimed at working class adolescents, introducing the infamousSweeney Todd. The premierghost story writer of the 19th century was the Irish writerSheridan Le Fanu. His works include the macabre mystery novelUncle Silas 1865, and his Gothic novellaCarmilla 1872, which tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire. Thevampire genre fiction began withJohn William Polidori's "The Vampyre" (1819). This short story was inspired by the life ofLord Byron and his poemThe Giaour. An important later work isVarney the Vampire (1845), where many standard vampire conventions originated: Varney has fangs, leaves two puncture wounds on the neck of his victims, and has hypnotic powers and superhuman strength. Varney was also the first example of the "sympathetic vampire", who loathes his condition but is a slave to it.[37]Bram Stoker, yet another Irish writer, was the author of the seminal horror workDracula and featured as its primary antagonist the vampireCount Dracula, with thevampire hunterAbraham Van Helsing his arch-enemy.Dracula has been attributed to a number ofliterary genres includingvampire literature,horror fiction,gothic novel andinvasion literature.
SirArthur Conan Doyle'sSherlock Holmes is a brilliant London-based "consulting detective", famous for his intellectual prowess, skilful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning and forensic skills to solve difficult cases. Holmes'archenemyProfessor Moriarty, is widely considered to be the first true example of asupervillain, while Sherlock Holmes has become a by-word for a detective. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring Holmes, from 1880 up to 1907, with a final case in 1914. All but four Conan Doyle stories are narrated by Holmes' friend, assistant, and biographer,Dr John H. Watson.
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Erskine Childers'The Riddle of the Sands (1903) defined thespy novel and Follett has also called it "the first modernthriller".[38]
Emma Orczy'sThe Scarlet Pimpernel (1903) was originally a highly successful play, when staged in London in 1905. The novelThe Scarlet Pimpernel was published soon after the play opened and was an immediate success. Orczy gained a following of readers in Britain and throughout the world. The popularity of the novel, which recounted the adventures of a member of the English gentry in theFrench Revolutionary period, encouraged her to write a number of sequels for her "reckless daredevil" over the next 35 years. The play was performed to great acclaim in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, while the novel was translated into 16 languages. Subsequently, the story has been adapted for television, film, amusical and other media. Baroness Orczy's characterThe Old Man in the Corner (1908) was among the earliestarmchair detectives to be created. Her short stories aboutLady Molly of Scotland Yard (1910) were an early example of a female detective as main character.
John Buchan wrote theadventure novels onPrester John (1910) and four novels telling the adventures ofRichard Hannay, of which the first,The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) is the best known. Novels featuring a gentleman adventurer were popular in theinterwar period, exemplified by the series ofH. C. McNeile withBulldog Drummond (1920) andLeslie Charteris, whose many books chronicled the adventures ofSimon Templar, aliasThe Saint.
Themedievalist scholarM. R. James wrote highly regarded ghost stories (1904–1928) in contemporary settings.
This was called theGolden Age of Detective Fiction.Agatha Christie, a writer of crime novels, short stories and plays, is best remembered for her 80 detective novels and her successful West End theatre plays. Christie's works, particularly those featuring the detectivesHercule Poirot orMiss Marple, made her one of the most important and innovative writers in the development of the genre. Her most influential novels includeThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926); one of her most controversial novels, its innovativetwist ending had a significant impact on the genre),Murder on the Orient Express (1934),Death on the Nile (1937) andAnd Then There Were None (1939). Other female writers dubbed "Queens of crime" includeDorothy L. Sayers (gentleman detective,Lord Peter Wimsey),Margery Allingham (Albert Campion, supposedly created as a parody of Sayers' Wimsey,[39]) and New ZealanderNgaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn).Georgette Heyer recreated thehistorical romance genre since 1921, and also wrote detective fiction (1932–1953).
A major work of science fiction, from the early 20th century, isA Voyage to Arcturus by Scottish writerDavid Lindsay, first published in 1920. It combinesfantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. It has been described by critic and philosopherColin Wilson as the "greatest novel of the twentieth century",[40] and was a central influence onC. S. Lewis'sSpace Trilogy.[41] AlsoJ. R. R. Tolkien said he read the book "with avidity", and praised it as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality.[42] It was made widely available in paperback form when published as one of the precursor volumes to theBallantine Adult Fantasy series in 1968.
From the early 1930s to late 1940s, an informalliterary discussion group associated with the English faculty at the University of Oxford, were the "Inklings". Its leading members were the majorfantasy novelists;C. S. Lewis andJ. R. R. Tolkien. Lewis is known forThe Screwtape Letters (1942),The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956) andThe Space Trilogy (1938–1945), while Tolkien is best known as the author ofThe Hobbit (1937),The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), andThe Silmarillion (1977).
Inthriller writing,Ian Fleming created the characterJames Bond 007 in January 1952, while on holiday at his Jamaican estate, Goldeneye. Fleming chronicled Bond's adventures in twelve novels, includingCasino Royale (1953),Live and Let Die (1954),Dr. No (1958),Goldfinger (1959),Thunderball (1961),The Spy Who Loved Me (1962), and nine short story works.
In contrast to the larger-than-life spy capers of Bond,John le Carré was an author ofspy novels who depicted a shadowy world of espionage and counter-espionage, and his best known novelThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), is often regarded as one of the greatest in the genre.Frederick Forsyth writes thriller novels, includingThe Day of the Jackal (1971),The Odessa File (1972),The Dogs of War (1974) andThe Fourth Protocol (1984).Ken Follett writes spy thrillers, his first success beingEye of the Needle (1978), followed byThe Key to Rebecca (1980), as well as historical novels, notablyThe Pillars of the Earth (1989), and its sequelWorld Without End (2007).Elleston Trevor is remembered for his 1964 adventure storyThe Flight of the Phoenix, while the thriller novelistPhilip Nicholson is best known forMan on Fire.Peter George'sRed Alert (1958), is a Cold War thriller.
War novels includeAlistair MacLean thrillersThe Guns of Navarone (1957),Where Eagles Dare (1968), andJack Higgins'The Eagle Has Landed (1975).Patrick O'Brian'snautical historical novels feature theAubrey–Maturin series set in theRoyal Navy, the first beingMaster and Commander (1969).
Ronald Welch'sCarnegie Medal winning novelKnight Crusader is set in the 12th century and gives a depiction of theThird Crusade, featuring the Christian leader and King of EnglandRichard the Lionheart.
In crime fiction, themurder mysteries ofRuth Rendell andP. D. James are popular.
Nigel Tranter wrote historical novels of celebrated Scottish warriors:Robert the Bruce inThe Bruce Trilogy, andWilliam Wallace inThe Wallace (1975).
John Wyndham wrotepost-apocalyptic science fiction, his most notable works beingThe Day of the Triffids (1951), andThe Midwich Cuckoos (1957).George Langelaan'sThe Fly (1957), is a science fiction short story.Science fiction novelistArthur C. Clarke's2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is based on his various short stories, particularlyThe Sentinel (1951). His other major novels includeRendezvous with Rama (1972), andThe Fountains of Paradise (1979).Brian Aldiss is Clarke's contemporary.
Michael Moorcock (born 1939) is a writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels. He was involved with the 'New Wave' of science fiction writers "part of whose aim was to invest the genre with literary merit"[43] SimilarlyJ. G. Ballard (born 1930) "became known in the 1960s as the most prominent of the 'New Wave' science fiction writers".[44] A later major figure in science fiction wasIain M. Banks who created a fictional anarchist, socialist, and utopian society named "The Culture". The novels that feature in it includeExcession (1996), andInversions (1998). He also published mainstream novels, including the highly controversialThe Wasp Factory in 1984. Nobel prize winnerDoris Lessing also published a sequence of five science fiction novels theCanopus in Argos: Archives between 1979 and 1983.
Terry Pratchett is best known for hisDiscworld series of comic fantasy novels, that begins withThe Colour of Magic (1983), and includesMort (1987),Hogfather (1996), andNight Watch (2002). Pratchett's other most notable work is the 1990 novelGood Omens.
Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogyHis Dark Materials comprisesNorthern Lights (1995),The Subtle Knife (1997), andThe Amber Spyglass (2000). It follows thecoming-of-age of two children as they wander through a series ofparallel universes against a backdrop of epic events.
Neil Gaiman is a writer of science fiction, fantasy short stories and novels, whose notable works includeStardust (1998),Coraline (2002),The Graveyard Book (2009), andThe Sandman series.
Alan Moore's works includeWatchmen,V for Vendetta set in adystopian future UK,The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, andFrom Hell, speculating on the identity and motives ofJack the Ripper.
Douglas Adams wrote the five-volumescience fiction comedy trilogyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and also wrote the humorous fantasy detective novelDirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
Clive Barker horror novels includeThe Hellbound Heart.
The "Reading list", compiled by theReference and User Services Association of theAmerican Library Association is an annual list of the best genre books for the adult reader.[45]Eight genres are awarded: adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and relationship fiction.[46]
Most genres of fiction may also be segmented by the age of the intended reader:
