Genre fiction
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Genre fiction, also known as formula fiction[1] or popular fiction, is a term used in the book-trade for 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.[2]
The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction and horror—as well as perhaps Western, inspirational and historical fiction.
Slipstream genre is sometimes thought to be in between genre and non-genre fiction.[3]
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] with the categories serving as the familiar shelf headings within the fiction section of a bookstore, such as Western or mystery.
Some authors known for literary fiction have written genre novels under pseudonyms, while others have employed genre elements in literary fiction.[4][5][6]
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.[7]
History of genres
Though the
The "romance" is a closely related long prose narrative.
Genre fiction developed from various subgenres of the novel (and its "romance" version) during the nineteenth century,
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.[18]
Genres
The following are some of the main genres as they are used in contemporary publishing:
Crime
Crime fiction is the
and mystery are key elements to the genre.Fantasy
Romance
The romance novel or "romantic novel" primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending."[20] There are many subgenres of the romance novel including fantasy, historical, science fiction, same sex romantic fiction, and paranormal fiction.
There is a
According to Romance Writers of America's data,
- Other: category romance, women's fiction.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a
Horror
Critical reception and controversies
Horror novelist
In the 2000s, the BBC defended itself against charges that it discussed genre fiction with a "sneering derogatory tone".[32] The Man Booker Prize[33] and British Book Awards[34] 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.[35]
19th-century British and Irish genre fiction
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2016) |
Although pre-dated by
Sir
20th-century genre fiction
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2018) |
Early 20th century
The
This was called the
A major work of science fiction, from the early 20th century, is
From the early 1930s to late 1940s, an informal
Later 20th century
In
In contrast to the larger-than-life spy capers of Bond, John le Carré was an author of 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 (1974) and The Fourth Protocol (1984). Ken Follett writes spy thrillers, his first success being 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 (2007). Elleston Trevor is remembered for his 1964 adventure story The Flight of the Phoenix, while the thriller novelist Philip Nicholson is best known for Man on Fire. Peter George's Red Alert (1958), is a Cold War thriller.
In crime fiction, the
Nigel Tranter wrote historical novels of celebrated Scottish warriors: Robert the Bruce in The Bruce Trilogy, and William Wallace in The Wallace (1975).
Science fiction
Fantasy
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 (2002). Pratchett's other most notable work is the 1990 novel Good Omens.
Alan Moore's works include Watchmen, V for Vendetta set in a dystopian future UK, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and From Hell, speculating on the identity and motives of Jack the Ripper.
Horror
Clive Barker horror novels include The Hellbound Heart.
The Reading List
The "Reading list", compiled by the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association is an annual list of the best genre books for the adult reader.[44] Eight genres are awarded: adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and relationship fiction.[45]
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
- Adult fiction
See also
- Literary fiction, the type of fiction genre fiction is not
- Stock character
- Thriller (genre)
References
- ISBN 978-0-312-47200-9.
- ^ French, Christy Tillery. "Literary Fiction vs Genre Fiction". AuthorsDen. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-4411-7096-5.
- ^ Merritt, Stephanie (14 February 2010). "Forget 'serious' novels, I've turned to a life of crime". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Stasio, Marilyn (20 April 2008). "Next Victim". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
- ^ Kakutani, Michiko (21 November 1989). "Critic's Notebook; Kill! Burn! Eviscerate! Bludgeon! It's Literary Again to Be Horrible". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
- ^ "Romance Literature Statistics: Overview". Romance Writers of America. Archived from the original on 2007-12-23.
- ^ Hadas, Moses (1950). A History of Greek Literature. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
- ^ "Literary critic Ian Watt dies after a long illness". Stanford News Service. Archived from the original on 6 December 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ Margaret Anne Doody, The True Story of the Novel. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Introduction" to Walter Scott's Quentin Durward, ed. Susan Maning, pp.xxv-xxvii.
- ^ Moers, Ellen. Literary Women: The Great Writers[1976] (London: The Women's Press, 1978)
- ^ [1] Archived 2017-02-10 at the Wayback Machine Robert McCrum, "The Hundred best novels: Moby Dick", The Observer, Sunday 12 January 2014.
- ^ Doody (1996), p. 15.
- ^ Goldstone, Andrew.(2023). "Origins of the US Genre-Fiction System, 1890–1956." Book History 26, no. 1 : 203-233.
- ^ Pamela Regis, A Natural History of the Romance Novel, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007.
- from the original on 2021-06-25. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
- from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ "The Romance Genre Overview". Romance Writers of America. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "The Romance Genre: Romance Reader Statistics". Romance Writers of America. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013.
- ^ Marg Gilks; Paula Fleming; Moira Allen (2003). "Science Fiction: The Literature of Ideas". WritingWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
- ^ "Introduction to 1950s Science Fiction". Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ^ "Media and Imagination: A Short History of American Science Fiction". Web.mit.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
- ^ Misa (2013-03-25). "Does the Science in Science Fiction Matter?". Misa Buckley. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
- ^ "Stephen King Accepts the 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters". National Book Foundation. 2016-02-25. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Grossman, Lev (23 May 2012). "Literary Revolution in the Supermarket Aisle: Genre Fiction Is Disruptive Technology". Time. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Nelson, Erik (7 July 2012). "Stephen King: You can be popular and good". Salon. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Jacobs, Alan (24 July 2012). "A Defense of Stephen King, Master of the Decisive Moment". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Dickey, Colin. "King & I: Stephen King and a Balanced Diet". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Doris Lessing: Hot Dawns Archived 2018-09-20 at the Wayback Machine, interview by Harvey Blume in Boston Book Review
- ^ Flood, Alison (21 April 2011). "BBC denies 'sneering' at genre fiction". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Flood, Alison (18 September 2009). "Science fiction author hits out at Booker judges". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Miller, Laura (11 October 2012). "National Book Awards: Genre fiction dissed again". Salon. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 0-452-27173-8.
- ^ Follett, Ken (2016). "The Art of Suspense". ken-follett.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Ripley, Mike. "The Great Detectives: Albert Campion". Strand Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 Sep 2012. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
- ^ Kieniewicz, Paul M. (2003). "Book Review: A Voyage to Arcturus (1920) by David Lindsay". SciFiDimensions. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012.
- ^ Lindskoog, Kathryn; Law, Casey R. (Autumn 1998). "A Voyage to Arcturus, C. S. Lewis, and The Dark Tower". Discovery Institute. Archived from the original on 2009-06-04.
- ^ Schinsky, Rebecca Joines (17 August 2011). "The Top Ten Books That Influenced J.R.R. Tolkien". thebookladysblog.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011.
- ^ The Oxford Companion to English Literature, p. 674.
- ^ The Oxford Companion to English Literature, p. 64.
- ^ CODES: The Reading List. Reference and Adult Services Association.
- ^ RUSAUpdate. The Reading List.
Further reading
- Forbes, Jamie M. (1998). "Fiction Dictionary". In Herman, Jeff, Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents 1999–2000, pp. 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
- ISBN 0-642-10766-1.
- Schneider-Mayerson, Matthew (2010). "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
- ISBN 978-0-7735-3019-5