List of Literary Genres

[waysm]

Here's a list of literary genres for reference.

Absurdist fiction
--Literary nonsense

Adventure novel
--Epic
--Imaginary voyage
--Lost World
--Men's adventure
--Milesian tale
--Picaresque novel (picaresco)
--Robinsonade
---Apocalyptic fantasy robinsonade
---Science fiction robinsonade
--Sea story

Children's literature
--Young-adult fiction
---Class S
---Light novel

Comic novel
--Black comedy
--Parody
--Romantic comedy
--Satire
---Picaresque novel
---Political satire

Education fiction
--Campus novel
---Campus murder mystery
---School story
---Varsity novel

Experimental fiction
--Antinovel
--Ergodic literature

Erotic fiction
--Erotic romance
--Picaresque novel (picaresco)
--Women's erotica

Historical fiction
--Historical romance
---Metahistorical romance
--Historical whodunnit
--Holocaust novel
--Plantation tradition
--Prehistoric fiction
--Regency novel
---Regency romance

Memoir
--Autobiographical novel
--Slave narrative
---Contemporary slave narrative
---Neo-slave narrative

Metafiction

Nonfiction novel
--Biographical novel
---Autobiographical novel
----Semi-autobiographical novel

Occupational fiction
--Hollywood novel
--Legal thriller
--Medical fiction
---Medical romance
--Musical fiction
--Lab lit
--Sports fiction

Philosophical fiction
--Existentialist fiction
--Novel of ideas
--Philosophical horror

Political fiction
--Political satire
---Pulp fiction

Religious fiction
--Christian fiction
---Christian science fiction
---Contemporary Christian fiction
--Luciferian literature

Saga
--Family saga

Speculative fiction

--Science fiction
---Hard science fiction
---Soft science fiction
---Space opera
---Punk
----Cyberpunk
-----Dieselpunk
-----Atompunk
-----Nanopunk
-----Postcyberpunk
----Steampunk
-----Clockpunk
----Biopunk
---Alternative universe
---Scientific romance

--Horror
---Gothic fiction
---Paranormal
---Southern Gothic
---Splatterpunk

--Fantasy
---Dark fantasy
---Epic Fantasy / High fantasy
---Low fantasy
---Magic realism
---Mythic
---Paranormal Fantasy
---Superhero fantasy
---Sword and sorcery
---Wuxia

--Speculative Cross Genre fiction
--Science fantasy
--Weird fiction

Suspense fiction
--Crime fiction
--Detective fiction
--Mystery fiction

Westerns

Women's Fiction
--Romance novel
--Yaoi
--Femslash
---Class S
--Yuri
--Chick lit
---Bride lit
---Brit lit (also known as Singleton Lit)
---Christian chick lit
---Ethnic Chick Lit
----Asian chick lit
----Black chick lit
----Indian chick lit
---Lad lit
---Hen lit
---Mommy lit
---Mystery chick lit
---Teen Chick Lit
---Workplace tell-all
---Widow lit

Tragedy
--Melodrama

Urban fiction

Thriller
--Conspiracy fiction
--Legal thriller
--Medical thriller
--Political thriller
---Spy fiction
--Psychological thriller
--Techno-thriller

General Cross Genre
--Historical romance
--Juvenile fantasy
--LGBT Pulp Fiction
---Gay male pulp fiction
---Lesbian pulp fiction
---Lesbian erotica fiction
--Paranormal romance
--Romantic fantasy
--Tragicomedy
--Women's erotica fiction

Nonfiction genres

These are genres belonging to the realm of literary nonfiction. Some genres listed may reappear throughout the list, indicating cross-genre status

Biography
--Autobiography, Memoir
---Spiritual autobiography

Creative nonfiction

Diaries and Journals

Erotic literature

Essay, Treatise

Fable, Fairy tale, Folklore

History
--Popular history
--People's history
--Official history
--Academic history
--Narrative history
--Whig history

Letter

Religious text
--Apologetics
--Proverbs
--Scripture
--Christian literature
--Islamic literature
--Buddhist texts