Editing Genre fiction

{{short description|Fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre}}
{{redirect|Pop fiction|television series|Pop Fiction (TV series){{!}}''Pop Fiction'' (TV series)}}

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{{Literature}}

In the book-trade, '''genre fiction''', also known as '''formula fiction''',<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Meyer |first=Michael |title=The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing |publisher=[[Bedford]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-312-47200-9 |edition=8th |location=Boston |pages=23–25}}</ref> or '''commercial fiction''',<ref name="Girolimon">Girolimon, Mars. [https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/types-of-genres "Types of Genres: A Literary Guide"], [[Southern New Hampshire University]], 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024.</ref> encompasses [[fiction|fictional works]] written with the intent of fitting into a specific [[literary genre]] in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre.<ref>{{cite web|last=French|first=Christy Tillery|title=Literary Fiction vs Genre Fiction|url=http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=18884|work=AuthorsDen|access-date=10 April 2013|archive-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020114032/http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=18884|url-status=live}}</ref> <!--A number of major literary figures have written genre fiction. [[Georges Simenon]], the creator of the [[Maigret]] [[detective novel]]s, has been described by [[André Gide]] as "the most novelistic of novelists in French literature".<ref>{{cite news|first1 = Charles E.|last1 = Claffey|date = September 10, 1989|agency = Boston Globe|first2 = Mark|last2 = Feeney|url = http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-09-10/features/8903020475_1_inspector-maigret-georges-simenon-detective-story|title = The Prolific Life of Georges Simenon|publisher = South Florida Sun Sentinel|access-date = 2017-05-29|archive-date = 2018-09-20|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180920195655/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-09-10/features/8903020475_1_inspector-maigret-georges-simenon-detective-story|url-status = dead}}</ref>--> These labels also commonly imply that this type of fiction places more value on plot and entertainment than on [[Characterization|character development]], philosophical [[theme (narrative)|theme]]s, or artistic depth.<ref name="Girolimon"/> This distinguishes genre fiction from [[literary fiction]].

The main genres are [[Crime fiction|crime]], [[fantasy]], [[Contemporary romance|romance]], [[science fiction]] and [[Horror fiction|horror]]&mdash;as well as perhaps [[Western (genre)|Western]], [[Inspirational fiction|inspirational]] and [[historical fiction]].

[[Slipstream genre]] is sometimes thought to be in between genre and non-genre fiction.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Andrew M. |title=The Science Fiction Handbook |last2=Daley |first2=Christopher |last3=Duncan |first3=Roby |last4=Filtness |first4=Emma |last5=Higgins |first5=David M. |last6=Hubble |first6=Nick |last7=Langer |first7=Jessica |last8=Mousoutzanis |first8=Aris |last9=Norman |first9=Joseph |collaboration=Contributors |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4411-7096-5 |editor-last=Hubble |editor-first=Nick |series=Literature and Culture Handbooks |location=New York |pages=132 |author-link=Andrew M. Butler |editor-last2=Mousoutzanis |editor-first2=Aris}}</ref>

==Genre and the marketing of fiction==
In the publishing industry the term "category fiction" is often used as a synonym for genre fiction,{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} with the categories serving as the familiar shelf headings within the fiction section of a bookstore, such as [[Western fiction|Western]] or mystery.

Some authors classified instead as [[literary fiction]] have written genre novels under pseudonyms, while others are argued to have employed genre elements in literary fiction.<ref>{{cite news |last= Merritt |first= Stephanie |title=Forget 'serious' novels, I've turned to a life of crime|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/14/crime-fiction-merritt-sj-parris|work=The Guardian|access-date= 11 April 2013 |location= London|date=14 February 2010|archive-date=8 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008115828/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/14/crime-fiction-merritt-sj-parris |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stasio|first=Marilyn|title=Next Victim|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/books/review/Stasio-t.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0|work=The New York Times |date= 20 April 2008 |archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006192320/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/books/review/Stasio-t.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kakutani|first=Michiko|title=Critic's Notebook; Kill! Burn! Eviscerate! Bludgeon! It's Literary Again to Be Horrible. |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/21/books/critic-s-notebook-kill-burn-eviscerate-bludgeon-it-s-literary-again-be-horrible.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |work=The New York Times|date=21 November 1989 |url-access = limited|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006125305/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/21/books/critic-s-notebook-kill-burn-eviscerate-bludgeon-it-s-literary-again-be-horrible.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |archive-date = 6 October 2014}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=September 2024}}

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.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics |title = Romance Literature Statistics: Overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223085813/http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics |archive-date=2007-12-23 |website = Romance Writers of America}}</ref>

==History of genres==
{{See also|History of fantasy|History of science fiction}}
[[Genre]] began as a classification system for [[ancient Greek literature]]. [[Poetry]], [[prose]], and [[drama]] had specific calculated styles that related to the theme of the story. Among the genres were the [[epic (genre)|epic]] in poetry and [[tragedy]] and [[comedy]] for plays.<ref>Hadas, Moses (1950). ''A History of Greek Literature''. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.</ref> In later periods other genres such as the [[chivalric romance]], [[opera]], and [[prose fiction]] developed.

Though the [[novel]] is often seen as a modern genre – [[Ian Watt]], in ''The Rise of the Novel'' (1957) suggests that the novel first came into being in the early 18th century<ref name=Obituary>{{cite web|title=Literary critic Ian Watt dies after a long illness|url=http://news.stanford.edu/pr/99/991217watt.html|website=Stanford News Service|access-date=8 August 2015|archive-date=6 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206090051/https://news.stanford.edu/pr/99/991217watt.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> – it has also been described as possessing "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", from the time of both [[Classical Greece]] and [[Classical Rome|Rome]].<ref name="The True Story of the Novel">Margaret Anne Doody, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BBYU6jyA3MUC&pg=PA1 ''The True Story of the Novel'']. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014.</ref>

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".<ref name = literary/> However, many romances, including the [[Historical novel|historical romance]]s of Scott,<ref>"Introduction" to Walter Scott's ''Quentin Durward'', ed. Susan Maning, pp.xxv-xxvii.</ref> [[Emily Brontë]]'s ''[[Wuthering Heights]]''<ref name="Moers, Ellen 1978">Moers, Ellen. ''Literary Women: The Great Writers''[1976] (London: The Women's Press, 1978)</ref> and [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]'',<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/13/100-best-novels-observer-moby-dick] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210082825/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/13/100-best-novels-observer-moby-dick|date=2017-02-10}} Robert McCrum, "The Hundred best novels: Moby Dick", ''The Observer'', Sunday 12 January 2014.</ref> 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 or [[romance novel]]. Other European languages do not distinguish between romance and novel: "a novel is ''le roman'', ''der Roman'', ''il romanzo''."<ref name="Doody 1996, p. 15">Doody (1996), p. 15.</ref>

Genre fiction developed from various subgenres of the novel (and its "romance" version) during the nineteenth century,<ref>Goldstone, Andrew.(2023). "Origins of the US Genre-Fiction System, 1890–1956." ''Book History'' 26, no. 1 : 203-233.</ref> along with the growth of the [[mass-marketing]] of fiction in the twentieth century: this includes the [[gothic novel]], [[fantasy]], [[science fiction]], [[adventure novel]], [[historical romance]], and the [[detective novel]].{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} Some scholars see precursors to the genre fiction [[romance novel]]s in literary fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries, including [[Samuel Richardson]]'s [[sentimental novel]] ''[[Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded]]'' (1740) and the novels of [[Jane Austen]] such as ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'' (1813).<ref>Pamela Regis, ''A Natural History of the Romance Novel'', University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007.</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schneider-Mayerson|first=Matthew|date=2010|title=Popular Fiction Studies: The Advantages of a New Field|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23416317|journal=Studies in Popular Culture|volume=33|issue=1|pages=21–35|jstor=23416317|issn=0888-5753|access-date=2021-06-23|archive-date=2021-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625020632/https://www.jstor.org/stable/23416317|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Genres==
{{main list|List of literary genres}}
The following are some of the main genres as they are used in contemporary publishing:

===Crime===
{{Main article|Crime fiction|Detective fiction}}
Crime fiction is the [[literary genre]] that fictionalises [[crime]]s, their detection, criminals, and their [[Motive (law)|motives]]. It is usually distinguished from [[Literary fiction|mainstream]] fiction and other genres such as [[historical fiction]] or [[science fiction]], but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has multiple [[subgenres]],<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=990082541924074;res=IELAPA|title = May I Suggest Murder?: An Overview of Crime Fiction for Readers' Advisory Services Staff|last = Franks|first = Rachel|date = 2011|journal = Australian Library Journal|doi = 10.1080/00049670.2011.10722585|access-date = 18 January 2016|volume = 60|issue = 2|pages = 133–143|s2cid = 143615356|doi-access = free|archive-date = 19 July 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200719140943/https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=990082541924074;res=IELAPA|url-status = live}}</ref> including [[detective fiction]] (such as the [[whodunit]]), [[courtroom drama]], [[hardboiled|hard-boiled]] fiction, [[mystery fiction]], and [[legal thriller]]s. [[Suspense]] and mystery are key elements to the genre.

===Fantasy===
{{Main article|Fantasy|History of fantasy|Fantasy literature}}
[[Fantasy]] is a [[genre]] of [[fiction]] that uses [[magic (paranormal)|magic]] or other [[supernatural]] elements as a main [[Plot (narrative)|plot]] element, [[Theme (literature)|theme]], or [[Setting (fiction)|setting]]. Many works within the genre take place in [[imaginary world]]s where magic and [[Legendary creature|magical creatures]] are common. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of [[science fiction]] and [[horror fiction|horror]] 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 of [[speculative fiction]]. Fantasy works frequently feature a [[Medievalism|medieval]] setting.

===Romance===
{{Main article|Romance novel}}
[[File:Mills & Boon books, W.H. Smith, Enfield.jpg|thumb|Romance novels]]
The [[romance novel]] or "romantic novel" primarily focuses on the relationship and [[Romance (love)|romantic love]] between two&nbsp;people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending."<ref name="rwadefn">{{cite web | title = The Romance Genre Overview | publisher = [[Romance Writers of America]] | url = http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=578 | access-date = November 26, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015185110/http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=578 | archive-date = October 15, 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref> There are many subgenres of the romance novel including [[fantasy]], [[Historical romance|historical]], [[science fiction]], same sex romantic fiction, and [[paranormal fiction]].

According to ''Romance Writers of America''{{'s}} data,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=582 |publisher = Romance Writers of America|title = The Romance Genre: Romance Reader Statistics|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130806015653/https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=582 |archive-date = 6 August 2013}}</ref> the most popular subgenres are [[romantic suspense]], [[contemporary romance]], [[historical romance]], [[erotic romance novels|erotic romance]], [[paranormal romance]], and [[young adult romance]].

The romantic novel is not to be confused with [[Romance (literary fiction)|romance as a literary form]], which [[Walter Scott]] defined as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents".<ref name = literary>Walter Scott, "Essay on Romance", ''Prose Works'' volume vi, p. 129, quoted in "Introduction" to Walter Scott's ''Quentin Durward'', Susan Maning, ed Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.</ref>
*Other: [[Inspirational fiction|Inspirational romance]], [[chick-lit]], [[category romance]], [[women's fiction]].

===Science fiction===
{{Main article|Science fiction}}
Science fiction is a [[genre]] of [[speculative fiction]] dealing with [[imagination|imaginative]] concepts such as futuristic science and [[technology]], [[spaceflight|space travel]], [[Time travel in fiction|time travel]], [[faster than light travel]], [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel universes]] and [[extraterrestrial life]]. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other [[innovation]]s, and has been called a "literature of ideas".<ref name="Science Fiction: The Literature of Ideas">{{cite web |author1=Marg Gilks |author2=Paula Fleming |author3=Moira Allen |title=Science Fiction: The Literature of Ideas |publisher=WritingWorld.com |year=2003 |url=http://www.writing-world.com/sf/sf.shtml |access-date=2016-05-18 |archive-date=2015-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515083550/http://www.writing-world.com/sf/sf.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> It usually eschews the [[supernatural]], and unlike the related genre of [[fantasy]], historically science fiction stories were intended to have at least pretense of [[science|science-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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loa.org/sciencefiction/introduction.jsp |title=Introduction to 1950s Science Fiction |access-date=November 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506221319/http://www.loa.org/sciencefiction/introduction.jsp |archive-date=May 6, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/jenkins_mi.html |title=Media and Imagination: A Short History of American Science Fiction |publisher=Web.mit.edu |access-date=2015-12-17 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222121928/http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/jenkins_mi.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Misa |url=http://misabuckley.com/does-the-science-in-science-fiction-matter/ |title=Does the Science in Science Fiction Matter? |publisher=Misa Buckley |date=2013-03-25 |access-date=2015-12-17 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222105829/http://misabuckley.com/does-the-science-in-science-fiction-matter/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Horror===
{{Main article|Horror fiction}}
[[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 from [[Romanticism]] and [[Gothic fiction]]. Modern horror, such as [[cosmic horror]] and [[splatterpunk]], tends to be less melodramatic and more explicit. Horror is often mixed with other genres.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

==Critical reception and controversies==
Horror novelist [[Stephen King]] was awarded the [[National Book Award|Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters]] in 2003,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-25 |title=Stephen King Accepts the 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters |url=https://www.nationalbook.org/stephen-king-accepts-the-2003-medal-for-distinguished-contribution-to-american-letters/ |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=National Book Foundation |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602033044/https://www.nationalbook.org/stephen-king-accepts-the-2003-medal-for-distinguished-contribution-to-american-letters/ |url-status=live }}</ref> polarizing opinions and leading to debate on genre fiction's literary merit. Negative comments about genre fiction have sparked responses{{when|date=December 2022}} from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref name="time">{{cite magazine|last=Grossman|first=Lev |title=Literary Revolution in the Supermarket Aisle: Genre Fiction Is Disruptive Technology|url= https://entertainment.time.com/2012/05/23/genre-fiction-is-disruptive-technology/|magazine=Time |access-date= 11 April 2013|date=23 May 2012}}</ref> ''[[Salon (website)|Salon]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Nelson|first=Erik|title=Stephen King: You can be popular and good|url=http://www.salon.com/2012/07/06/stephen_king_you_can_be_popular_and_good/|work=Salon|date=7 July 2012|access-date=11 April 2013|archive-date=30 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530170357/http://www.salon.com/2012/07/06/stephen_king_you_can_be_popular_and_good/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[the Atlantic]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Alan|title=A Defense of Stephen King, Master of the Decisive Moment|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/a-defense-of-stephen-king-master-of-the-decisive-moment/260187/|work=The Atlantic|date=24 July 2012|access-date=11 April 2013|archive-date=26 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126122031/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/a-defense-of-stephen-king-master-of-the-decisive-moment/260187/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dickey |first=Colin |title=King & I: Stephen King and a Balanced Diet |url=http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=784&fulltext=1&media= |work=Los Angeles Review of Books |access-date=11 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130414150715/http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=784&fulltext=1&media= |archive-date=14 April 2013 }}</ref> Nobel laureate [[Doris Lessing]] described science fiction as "some of the best [[social fiction]] of our time",{{when|date=December 2022}} and called [[Greg Bear]], author of ''[[Blood Music (novel)|Blood Music]]'', "a great writer".<ref>''[http://www.dorislessing.org/boston.html Doris Lessing: Hot Dawns] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920180702/http://www.dorislessing.org/boston.html |date=2018-09-20 }}'', interview by Harvey Blume in ''Boston Book Review''</ref>{{when|date=December 2022}}

In the 2000s, the [[BBC]] defended itself against charges that it discussed genre fiction with a "sneering derogatory tone".<ref>{{cite news|last=Flood|first=Alison|title=BBC denies 'sneering' at genre fiction|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/apr/21/bbc-genre-fiction?INTCMP=SRCH|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 April 2013|location=London|date=21 April 2011|archive-date=8 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008174542/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/apr/21/bbc-genre-fiction?INTCMP=SRCH|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Booker Prize|Man Booker Prize]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Flood|first=Alison|title=Science fiction author hits out at Booker judges|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/18/science-fiction-booker-prize|work=The Guardian|access-date=11 April 2013|location=London|date=18 September 2009|archive-date=9 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309133046/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/18/science-fiction-booker-prize|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[British Book Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Laura|title=National Book Awards: Genre fiction dissed again|url=http://www.salon.com/2012/10/11/national_book_awards_genre_fiction_dissed_again/|work=Salon|date=11 October 2012|access-date=11 April 2013|archive-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125111728/http://www.salon.com/2012/10/11/national_book_awards_genre_fiction_dissed_again/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>Fong, K., Mullin, J.B., & Mar, R.A. (2013). "What you read matters: The role of fiction genre in prediction interpersonal sensitivity". ''Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, And The Arts'', 7(4), 370–376.</ref>

==19th-century British and Irish genre fiction==

{{more citations needed section|date=March 2016}}

[[Sir John Barrow]]'s descriptive [[The Eventful History of the Mutiny and Piratical Seizure of HMS Bounty|1831 account]] of the [[Mutiny on the Bounty]] immortalised the Royal Navy ship {{HMS|Bounty}} and her people. The legend of [[Dick Turpin]] was popularised when the 18th-century English [[highwayman]]'s exploits appeared in the novel ''[[Rookwood (novel)|Rookwood]]'' in 1834.

Although pre-dated by [[John Ruskin]]'s ''[[The King of the Golden River]]'' in 1841, the history of the modern [[fantasy literature|fantasy]] genre is generally said to begin with [[George MacDonald]], the influential author of ''[[The Princess and the Goblin]]'' and ''[[Phantastes]]'' (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 novel]] ''[[The Moonstone]]'' (1868) is generally considered the first [[Detective fiction|detective novel]] in the English language, while ''[[The Woman in White (novel)|The Woman in White]]'' is regarded as one of the finest [[sensation novels]]. [[H. G. Wells]]'s (1866–1946) writing career began in the 1890s with science fiction novels like ''[[The Time Machine]]'' (1895), and ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' (1898) which describes an invasion of late Victorian England by [[Martian]]s, and Wells is seen, along with Frenchman [[Jules 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 infamous [[Sweeney Todd]]. The premier [[ghost story]] writer of the 19th century was the Irish writer [[Sheridan Le Fanu]]. His works include the macabre mystery novel ''[[Uncle Silas]]'' 1865, and his Gothic novella ''[[Carmilla]]'' 1872, which tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire. The [[vampire literature|vampire genre]] fiction began with [[John William Polidori]]'s "[[The Vampyre]]" (1819). This short story was inspired by the life of [[George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron|Lord Byron]] and his poem ''[[The Giaour]]''. An important later work is ''[[Varney 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.<ref>Skal, David J. (1996). ''V is for Vampire'', p.99. New York: Plume. {{ISBN|0-452-27173-8}}.</ref> [[Bram Stoker]], yet another Irish writer, was the author of the seminal horror work ''[[Dracula]]'' and featured as its primary antagonist the vampire [[Count Dracula]], with the [[vampire hunter]] [[Abraham Van Helsing]] his arch-enemy. ''Dracula'' has been attributed to a number of [[literary genre]]s including [[vampire literature]], [[horror fiction]], [[gothic novel]] and [[invasion literature]].

[[Image:PortraitOfACD.JPG|thumb|165px|Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] was born in Scotland of Irish parents but his [[Sherlock Holmes]] stories have typified a fog-filled London for readers worldwide.]]

Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s [[Sherlock 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' [[archenemy]] [[Professor Moriarty]], is widely considered to be the first true example of a [[supervillain]], 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, [[John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)|Dr John H. Watson]].

==20th-century genre fiction==
{{Globalize|article|United Kingdom|2name=the United Kingdom|date=December 2018}}

===Early 20th century===
[[Erskine Childers (author)|Erskine Childers]]' ''[[The Riddle of the Sands]]'' (1903) defined the [[spy novel]] and Follett has also called it "the first modern [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]]".<ref name=follett>{{cite web |url=http://ken-follett.com/suspense/index.html |title=The Art of Suspense |first=Ken |last=Follett |work=ken-follett.com |year=2016 |access-date=11 May 2016 |archive-date=26 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826074952/http://ken-follett.com/suspense/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Emma Orczy]]'s ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' (1903) was originally a highly successful play, when staged in London in 1905. The novel ''The 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 the [[French Revolution]]ary 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, a [[The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical)|musical]] and other media. Baroness Orczy's character ''[[The Old Man in the Corner]]'' (1908) was among the earliest [[armchair detective]]s to be created. Her short stories about ''[[Lady Molly of Scotland Yard]]'' (1910) were an early example of a female detective as main character.

[[John Buchan]] wrote the [[adventure novel]]s on ''[[Prester John (novel)|Prester John]]'' (1910) and four novels telling the adventures of [[Richard Hannay]], of which the first, ''[[The Thirty-Nine Steps]]'' (1915) is the best known. Novels featuring a gentleman adventurer were popular in the [[interwar period]], exemplified by the series of [[H. C. McNeile]] with ''[[Bulldog Drummond]]'' (1920) and [[Leslie Charteris]], whose many books chronicled the adventures of [[Simon Templar]], alias ''[[Simon Templar#Publishing history|The Saint]]''.

[[Image:Agatha Christie.png|upright=0.7|thumb|[[Agatha Christie]]]]

The [[medievalist]] scholar [[M. R. James]] wrote highly regarded ghost stories (1904–1928) in contemporary settings.

This was called the [[Golden 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 detectives [[Hercule Poirot]] or [[Miss Marple]], made her one of the most important and innovative writers in the development of the genre. Her most influential novels include ''[[The Murder of Roger Ackroyd]]'' (1926); one of her most controversial novels, its innovative [[twist ending]] had a significant impact on the genre), ''[[Murder on the Orient Express]]'' (1934), ''[[Death on the Nile]]'' (1937) and ''[[And Then There Were None]]'' (1939). Other female writers dubbed "Queens of crime" include [[Dorothy L. Sayers]] ([[gentleman detective]], [[Lord Peter Wimsey]]), [[Margery Allingham]] ([[Albert Campion]], supposedly created as a parody of Sayers' Wimsey,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.strandmag.com/campion.htm|title=The Great Detectives: Albert Campion|work=Strand Magazine|first=Mike|last=Ripley|access-date=2016-05-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120917161821/http://www.strandmag.com/campion.htm |archive-date= 17 September 2012 }}</ref>) and New Zealander [[Ngaio Marsh]] ([[Roderick Alleyn]]). [[Georgette Heyer]] recreated the [[historical romance]] genre since 1921, and also wrote detective fiction (1932–1953).

[[Image:J. R. R. Tolkien, ca. 1925.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|[[J. R. R. Tolkien]]]]

A major work of science fiction, from the early 20th century, is ''[[A Voyage to Arcturus]]'' by Scottish writer [[David Lindsay (novelist)|David Lindsay]], first published in 1920. It combines [[fantasy]], 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 philosopher [[Colin Wilson]] as the "greatest novel of the twentieth century",<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://www.scifidimensions.com/Nov03/arcturus.htm |title=Book Review: ''A Voyage to Arcturus'' (1920) by David Lindsay |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121017120246/http://www.scifidimensions.com/Nov03/arcturus.htm |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |first1=Paul M. |last1=Kieniewicz |date=2003 |website=SciFiDimensions }}</ref> and was a central influence on [[C. S. Lewis]]'s ''[[Space Trilogy]]''.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Kathryn |last1=Lindskoog |first2=Casey R. |last2=Law |url=http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=882 |date=Autumn 1998 |website=Discovery Institute |title=A Voyage to Arcturus, C. S. Lewis, and The Dark Tower |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604230317/http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=882 |archive-date=2009-06-04 }}</ref> Also [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] said he read the book "with avidity", and praised it as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookladysblog.com/2011/08/17/the-top-ten-books-that-influenced-j-r-r-tolkien/|website=thebookladysblog.com|title = The Top Ten Books That Influenced J.R.R. Tolkien|date= 17 August 2011|first= Rebecca Joines|last = Schinsky|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111211100815/http://www.thebookladysblog.com/2011/08/17/the-top-ten-books-that-influenced-j-r-r-tolkien/|archive-date= 11 December 2011}}</ref> It was made widely available in paperback form when published as one of the precursor volumes to the [[Ballantine Adult Fantasy series]] in 1968.

From the early 1930s to late 1940s, an informal [[literary]] discussion group associated with the English faculty at the University of Oxford, were the "[[Inklings]]". Its leading members were the major [[high fantasy|fantasy]] novelists; [[C. S. Lewis]] and [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]. Lewis is known for ''[[The Screwtape Letters]]'' (1942), ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'' (1950–1956) and ''[[The Space Trilogy]]'' (1938–1945), while Tolkien is best known as the author of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' (1937), ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (1954–1955), and ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (1977).

===Later 20th century===
In [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] writing, [[Ian Fleming]] created the character [[James Bond 007]] in January 1952, while on holiday at his Jamaican estate, Goldeneye. Fleming chronicled Bond's adventures in twelve novels, including ''[[Casino Royale (novel)|Casino Royale]]'' (1953), ''[[Live and Let Die (novel)|Live and Let Die]]'' (1954), ''[[Dr. No (novel)|Dr. No]]'' (1958), ''[[Goldfinger (novel)|Goldfinger]]'' (1959), ''[[Thunderball (novel)|Thunderball]]'' (1961), ''[[The Spy Who Loved Me (novel)|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 of [[spy fiction|spy novels]] who depicted a shadowy world of espionage and counter-espionage, and his best known novel ''[[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold]]'' (1963), is often regarded as one of the greatest in the genre. [[Frederick Forsyth]] writes thriller novels, including ''[[The Day of the Jackal]]'' (1971), ''[[The Odessa File]]'' (1972), ''[[The Dogs of War (novel)|The Dogs of War]]'' (1974) and ''[[The Fourth Protocol]]'' (1984). [[Ken Follett]] writes spy thrillers, his first success being ''[[Eye of the Needle (novel)|Eye of the Needle]]'' (1978), followed by ''[[The Key to Rebecca]]'' (1980), as well as historical novels, notably ''[[The Pillars of the Earth]]'' (1989), and its sequel ''[[World Without End (Follett novel)|World Without End]]'' (2007). [[Elleston Trevor]] is remembered for his 1964 adventure story ''[[The Flight of the Phoenix (novel)|The Flight of the Phoenix]]'', while the thriller novelist [[A. J. Quinnell|Philip Nicholson]] is best known for ''[[Man on Fire (Quinnell novel)|Man on Fire]]''. [[Peter George (author)|Peter George]]'s ''[[Red Alert (novel)|Red Alert]]'' (1958), is a Cold War thriller.

[[War novel]]s include [[Alistair MacLean]] thrillers ''[[The Guns of Navarone (novel)|The Guns of Navarone]]'' (1957), ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' (1968), and [[Jack Higgins]]' ''[[The Eagle Has Landed (novel)|The Eagle Has Landed]]'' (1975). [[Patrick O'Brian]]'s [[sea story|nautical]] historical novels feature the ''[[Aubrey–Maturin series]]'' set in the [[Royal Navy]], the first being ''[[Master and Commander]]'' (1969).

[[Ronald Welch]]'s [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]] winning novel ''[[Knight Crusader]]'' is set in the 12th century and gives a depiction of the [[Third Crusade]], featuring the Christian leader and King of England [[Richard the Lionheart]].

In crime fiction, the [[murder mystery|murder mysteries]] of [[Ruth Rendell]] and [[P. D. James]] are popular.

[[Nigel Tranter]] wrote historical novels of celebrated Scottish warriors: [[Robert the Bruce]] in ''[[Nigel Tranter#Robert the Bruce trilogy|The Bruce Trilogy]]'', and [[William Wallace]] in ''[[Nigel Tranter#The Wallace|The Wallace]]'' (1975).

====Science fiction====
[[Image:Clarke sm.jpg|upright=0.7|left|thumb|[[Arthur C. Clarke]]]]

[[John Wyndham]] wrote [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] science fiction, his most notable works being ''[[The Day of the Triffids]]'' (1951), and ''[[The Midwich Cuckoos]]'' (1957). [[George Langelaan]]'s ''[[The Fly (George Langelaan)|The Fly]]'' (1957), is a science fiction short story. [[List of science fiction authors|Science fiction novelist]] [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (novel)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968) is based on his various short stories, particularly ''[[The Sentinel (short story)|The Sentinel]]'' (1951). His other major novels include ''[[Rendezvous with Rama]]'' (1972), and ''[[The 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"<ref>''The Oxford Companion to English Literature'', p. 674.</ref> Similarly [[J. G. Ballard]] (born 1930) "became known in the 1960s as the most prominent of the 'New Wave' science fiction writers".<ref>''The Oxford Companion to English Literature'', p. 64.</ref> A later major figure in science fiction was [[Iain M. Banks]] who created a fictional anarchist, socialist, and utopian society named "[[The Culture]]". The novels that feature in it include ''[[Excession]]'' (1996), and ''[[Inversions (novel)|Inversions]]'' (1998). He also published mainstream novels, including the highly controversial ''[[The Wasp Factory]]'' in 1984. Nobel prize winner [[Doris Lessing]] also published a sequence of five science fiction novels the ''[[Canopus in Argos]]: Archives'' between 1979 and 1983.

====Fantasy====
[[Image:10TerryPratchett02.jpg|thumb|[[Terry Pratchett]]|189x189px]]

[[Terry Pratchett]] is best known for his ''[[Discworld]]'' series of comic fantasy novels, that begins with ''[[The Colour of Magic]]'' (1983), and includes ''[[Mort]]'' (1987), ''[[Hogfather]]'' (1996), and ''[[Night Watch (Discworld)|Night Watch]]'' (2002). Pratchett's other most notable work is the 1990 novel ''[[Good Omens]]''.

[[Philip Pullman]]'s fantasy trilogy ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' comprises ''[[Northern Lights (Pullman novel)|Northern Lights]]'' (1995), ''[[The Subtle Knife]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Amber Spyglass]]'' (2000). It follows the [[coming-of-age]] of two children as they wander through a series of [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel universes]] against a backdrop of epic events.

[[Neil Gaiman]] is a writer of science fiction, fantasy short stories and novels, whose notable works include ''[[Stardust (Gaiman novel)|Stardust]]'' (1998), ''[[Coraline]]'' (2002), ''[[The Graveyard Book]]'' (2009), and ''[[The Sandman (Vertigo)|The Sandman]]'' series.

[[Alan Moore]]'s works include ''[[Watchmen]]'', ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' set in a [[dystopia]]n future UK, ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'', and ''[[From Hell]]'', speculating on the identity and motives of [[Jack the Ripper]].

[[Douglas Adams]] wrote the five-volume [[Comic science fiction|science fiction comedy]] trilogy ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', and also wrote the humorous fantasy detective novel ''[[Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency]]''.

====Horror====
[[Clive Barker]] horror novels include ''[[The Hellbound Heart]]''.

==The Reading List==
The "Reading list", compiled by the [[Reference and User Services Association awards|Reference and User Services Association]] of the [[American Library Association]] is an annual list of the best genre books for the adult reader.<ref>[https://www.ala.org/rusa/contact/rosters/codes/rus-codreadlst# CODES: The Reading List.] Reference and Adult Services Association.</ref>
Eight genres are awarded: adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and relationship fiction.<ref>''RUSAUpdate''. [https://rusaupdate.org/awards/the-reading-list/ The Reading List.]</ref>

==Age categories==
Most genres of fiction may also be segmented by the age of the intended reader:
* [[Children's fiction]]
* [[Middle grade fiction]]
* [[Young adult fiction]]
* [[New adult fiction]]
* [[Fiction|Adult fiction]]

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|*[[Literary fiction]], the type of fiction genre fiction is not
*[[Stock character]]
*[[Thriller (genre)]]}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Forbes, Jamie M. (1998). "Fiction Dictionary". In Herman, Jeff, ''Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents 1999–2000'', pp.&nbsp;861–871. Rocklin, California: Prima Publishing.
* Gelder, Ken (2004). ''Popular Fiction: The Logics and Practices of a Literary Field''. London and New York: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-35647-4}}
* {{cite book
 | last = Johnson-Woods
 | first = Toni
 | author-link = Toni Johnson-Woods
 | year = 2005
 | title = Pulp: A collectors book of Australian pulp fiction covers
 | publisher = Australian National Library
 | location= Australia
 | isbn = 0-642-10766-1
 }}
* Schneider-Mayerson, Matthew (2010). "[https://www.academia.edu/706187/Popular_Fiction_Studies_The_Advantages_of_a_New_Field Popular Fiction Studies: The Advantages of a New Field]." Studies in Popular Culture, vol. 33, no 1 (2010): 21-35
* Sutherland, John (1981). ''Bestsellers: Popular Fiction of the 1970s''. London and Boston: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-7100-0750-7}}
* [[Peter Swirski|Swirski, Peter]] (2005). ''From Lowbrow to Nobrow''. Montreal, London: McGill-Queen's University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7735-3019-5}}

[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Genres]]
[[Category:Theme]]
[[Category:Literary theory]]