A Not-Totally Comprehensive Guide on Fiction Book Genres

gatesannai1
Aug 29
3 min read

Yes I have beef with this too; I’m a certified hater of the things I love

I’m not afraid to say it, I think we have too many genres—of everything. I’m a serial label-hater and tend to be of the belief that when we put things into hyper-specific boxes we limit the connection and sameness those things have. Like if speculative fiction and thriller and horror and gothic all went to a party together, wouldn’t they feel as though they were cut from the same cloth? Wouldn’t they feel like they truly understand one another? I promise we’re still talking about books.

The other side is that these things aren’t up to me, so here’s a not-so-comprehensive (but only because to endeavor to put every single of the millions of genres into one list is beyond how much earl grey tea I have) list of book genres and styles. Don’t even get me started on when we start to combine styles and genres…

Styles:

Literary Fiction

Literary writers focus more on beautiful language and challenging the reader, usually commenting on people or society. These pieces are seen as works of art that hold a deep, important meaning in society—they say something. Think To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Secret History, Flowers for Algernon.

Commercial Fiction

Commercial writers focus on engaging, fast-moving plots and equally engaging characters. Think The Inheritance Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Hunger Games. They have clear genres and stick to the expectations of their genre (fantasy, mystery, etc.) and they tend to sell well.

Upmarket Fiction

Upmarket is a mix between commercial and literary writing—with a fast paced, accessible plot and deep characterization, but also the lyrical, beautiful prose leanings of literary writing. Also known as Bookclub fiction, upmarket is largely considered the best of both worlds.

Age Range:

0-8: Children’s.

Includes board books (0-3), picture books (3-8), early reader (5-9), chapter book (6-10ish)

8-12: Middle-grade

12-18: YA – young adult

18-~26ish: NA – new adult (the range on this one is a bit fuzzy; think more along the lines of “mid-20s plus or minus”)

26+: Adult

Genre:

Crime: Focuses on justice, on putting right a wrong usually through puzzles, and usually against high stakes. Read more about crime here.

Fantasy: Features magical and supernatural elements. Subgenres include urban fantasy, magical realism, high fantasy, low fantasy, etc. which all contain a different balance of realism versus ‘fantastical’ elements. Read more about fantasy here.

Gothic: Known moreso as a literary ‘aesthetic’ than a true genre. Focuses on terror—or the anticipation of something bad happening rather than the bad happening, as well as dark, unknown histories, and usually some sort of paranormal element (think anything from vampires to ghosts to a general, mysterious feeling of unease.)

Horror: Intended to scare or thrill. Typically focuses around a central villain that reflects a society’s fears. Includes subgenres such as found footage, Lovecraftian, psychological, slasher, which all center down a different ‘other’ that plays the central villain. Read more about horror here.

New Adult: Characters and intended audience are a bit older, from 18-25ish. Tends to deal with issues surrounding with technically being an adult but not old enough to have the wisdom that comes with it—a ‘new’ adult, you could say. Read more here.

Romance: Focuses on relationships between characters, but can vary across many subgenres such as: commercial romance, romantasy (romance-fantasy), erotica, historical romance, LGBTQ+ romance, etc. Read more here.

Science Fiction: Surrounds real or imaginary science and technology as a core part of its plot, setting, or theme. The science, while it can be fictional, is depicted as based on real scientific principles, rather than magic. Read more here.

Speculative: An umbrella term that covers all fiction that breaks from reality—can include elements of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc. But remarks in some way about the future (or current nature) of society—thus, speculation. Read more here.

Thriller: Takes the basics of crime/mystery and adds a deeper element of danger. Also, your protagonist may not be a traditionally trained detective, but may still have helpful knowledge to the case. Read more here.

YA: Written for readers from 12-18. Tends to focus on challenges of youth, but can also delve into other genres (romance, fantasy, etc.) Known for being mostly written in commercial style—fast paced plots, engaging characters. Read more here.

And here’s the typical word count range for each genre:

Mysteries/Suspense: 70K-90K

Crime: 90K-100K

High-Fantasy: 100K+

General Fantasy: 90K-120K

Horror: 80K-100K

Sci-Fi: 90K-125K

Speculative: 75K-125K

Romance: 40K-100K

New Adult: 60K-85K

YA: 70K-90K

Middle Grade: 25K-40K