Genre fiction

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Collection of 21 Are 'romans durs' by Georges Simenon genre fiction?

Title page from Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740) by Samuel Richardson

"It can be argued that all novels, no matter how "literary", also fall within the bounds of one or more genres. Thus Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a romance; Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment is a psychological thriller; and James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a coming-of-age story. These novels would usually be stocked in the general or possibly the classics section of a bookstore. Indeed, many works now regarded as literary classics were originally written as genre novels." --Sholem Stein

Lazarillo de Tormes is exemplary of the picaresque novel

Ill-Matched Lovers (c. 1520/1525) by Quentin Matsys, illustrating the stereotypes senex amans and the gold digger

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Genre fiction, also known as 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.

A number of major literary figures have written genre fiction. John Banville publishes crime novels as Benjamin Black, and both Doris Lessing and Margaret Atwood have written science fiction. Georges Simenon, the creator of the Maigret detective novels, has been described by André Gide as "the most novelistic of novelists in French literature".

The main genres are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction and horror—as well as perhaps Western, inspirational and historical fiction.

1 Genre and the marketing of fiction
2 History of genres
3 The genres
4 Critical reception and controversies
5 19th-century British and Irish genre fiction
6 20th-century genre fiction
- 6.1 Early 20th century
- 6.2 Later 20th-century
7 See also

-[[Image:Ill-Matched Lovers (Quentin Matsys).jpg |thumb|left|200px|''[[Ill-Matched Lovers (Quentin Matsys)|Ill-Matched Lovers]]'' (c. 1520/1525) by Quentin Matsys, illustrating the [[stereotype]]s [[senex amans]] and the [[gold digger]]]]
+[[Image:Collection of 21 Simenon romans durs bought at Panoply books, Antwerp, May 2020.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Collection of 21 Are [[The 'romans durs' by Simenon|'romans durs']] by Georges Simenon [[genre fiction]]?]]
+[[Image:Title page from Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) - Samuel Richardson.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Title page from ''[[Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded]]'' (1740) by Samuel Richardson]]
-[[Image:El Lazarillo de Tormes de Goya.jpg|thumb|200px|''[[Lazarillo de Tormes]]'' ([[1808]]-[[1812|12]]) by [[Francisco de Goya]]; [[picaresque]]]]
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-"It can be argued that all novels, no matter how "[[literary fiction|literary]]", also fall within the bounds of one or more genres. Thus [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'' is a [[romance]]; [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]]'s ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' is a [[psychological thriller]]; and [[James Joyce]]'s ''[[A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]]'' is a [[bildungsroman|coming-of-age story]]. These novels would usually be stocked in the general or possibly the [[classic book|classics]] section of a bookstore. Indeed, many works now regarded as literary classics were originally written as [[genre fiction|genre novels]]." --[[Sholem Stein]]
+"It can be argued that all [[novel]]s, no matter how "[[literary fiction|literary]]", also fall within the bounds of one or more genres. Thus [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'' is a [[Romance novel  |romance]]; [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]]'s ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' is a [[psychological thriller]]; and [[James Joyce]]'s ''[[A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]]'' is a [[bildungsroman|coming-of-age story]]. These novels would usually be stocked in the general or possibly the [[classic book|classics]] section of a bookstore. Indeed, many works now regarded as [[literary classics]] were originally written as [[genre fiction|genre novels]]." --[[Sholem Stein]]
 |}
+[[Image:El Lazarillo de Tormes de Goya.jpg|thumb|200px|''[[Lazarillo de Tormes]]'' is exemplary of the [[picaresque novel]]]]
+[[Image:Ill-Matched Lovers (Quentin Matsys).jpg |thumb|right|200px|''[[Ill-Matched Lovers (Quentin Matsys)|Ill-Matched Lovers]]'' (c. 1520/1525) by Quentin Matsys, illustrating the [[stereotype]]s [[senex amans]] and the [[gold digger]]]]
 {{Template}}
-'''[[Genre]] fiction''' is a term for [[fiction|fictional works]] ([[novel]]s, [[short story|short stories]]) written with the intent of fitting into a specific [[literary genre]] in order to appeal to the [[fan]]s of that genre. In contemporary fiction-[[publishing]], ''genre'' is an elastic term used to group works sharing similarities of character, theme, and [[setting]]—such as [[Mystery fiction|mystery]], [[Romance novel|romance]], or [[Horror fiction|horror]]—that have been proven to appeal to particular groups of readers. Genres continuously evolve, divide, and combine as readers' tastes change and writers search for fresh ways to tell stories. Classic romance novels, such as those written by the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen in the nineteenth century, continue to enjoy popularity today in the form of both books and movies. Despite its popularity, genre fiction is often overlooked by institutions that favor [[literary fiction]].
-==Genre conventions==
-By definition, works of a given genre follow, more or less, the [[Convention (norm)|convention]]s of that genre. The American [[screenwriting]] teacher [[Robert McKee]] defines ''genre conventions'' as the "specific settings, roles, events, and values that define individual genres and their subgenres." These conventions, always fluid, are usually implicit, but sometimes are made into explicit requirements by publishers of fiction as a guide to authors seeking [[publication]].
-For example, a romance [[magazine]] may specify in its guidelines to writers that it is seeking stories of a certain length with a [[science fiction|science-fiction]], [[fantasy]], or [[anomalous phenomenon|paranormal]] theme in which the story conflict is resolved through the mutual attraction of the [[hero]] and [[hero|heroine]]. The guidelines may state that the story must have a happy ending and specify what level of explicitness in the love scenes is acceptable. Writers seeking publication in the magazine would have to ensure that their stories conformed to the guidelines—the closer the conformity, the greater their likelihood of being published. The publisher, for its part, is trying to meet the desires of its readers, who often have strong and specific expectations of the publisher's stories. Such "made-to-measure" writing is genre fiction in its purest form.
+'''Genre fiction''', also known as '''popular fiction''', is a term used in the [[book-trade]] for [[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.
-Most fiction writing, especially of novel length, does not conform so tightly to the conventions of a genre. Indeed, there is no consensus as to exactly what the conventions of any genre are, or even what the genres themselves are. Writers, publishers, marketers, booksellers, libraries, academics, critics, and readers may all have different ways of classifying fiction, and any of these classifications might be termed a genre. (For example, one arguable genre of genre fiction—the [[airport novel]]—takes its name not from the subjects of its stories, but from the market where it is sold.) It is beyond doubt that readers have preferences for certain types of stories, and that there are writers and publishers who try to cater to those preferences, but the term ''genre'' remains amorphous, and the assigning of works to genres is to some extent arbitrary and subjective.
+A number of major literary figures have written genre fiction. [[John Banville]] publishes crime novels as Benjamin Black, and both [[Doris Lessing]] and [[Margaret Atwood]] have written science 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".
+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]].
 ==Genre and the marketing of fiction==
 In the publishing industry the term "category fiction" is often used as a synonym for genre fiction, with the categories serving as the familiar shelf headings within the fiction section of a bookstore, such as [[Western fiction|Western]] or mystery.
-The uncategorized section is known in the industry as "general fiction", but in fact many of the titles in this usually large section are often themselves genre novels that have been placed in the general section because booksellers believe they will appeal, due to their high quality or other special characteristics, to a wider audience than merely the readers of that genre. For example, the novels of [[Sue Grafton]], featuring the private investigator Kinsey Millhone, are mystery novels that are often stocked in the "general fiction" section of bookstores.
+Some adult fans are embarrassed to read genre fiction in public. Some authors known for literary fiction have written novels under pseudonyms, while others have employed genre elements in literary fiction.
-==Genre fiction and literary fiction==
+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 then classic literary fiction with $466 million.
-The term "genre fiction" is sometimes used as a pejorative [[antonym]] of literary fiction, which is presumed to have greater [[artistic merit]] and higher cultural value. In this view, by comparison with literary fiction, genre fiction is thought to be formulaic, commercial, sensational, melodramatic, and sentimental. By extension, the readers of genre fiction—the [[mass marketing|mass audience]]—are supposed to have coarser, less educated taste in literature than readers of literary fiction. Genre fiction is then, essentially, thought to be the literature that appeals to the mass market.
-But from another point of view, literary fiction itself is simply another category or genre. That is, it can be thought of as having conventions of its own, such as use of an elevated, poetic, or idiosyncratic prose style; or [[defying]] readers' plot expectations; or making use of particular theoretical or philosophical ideas as well as having a  [[niche audience]], "generic" packaging and "superstar" authors.The publishing industry itself treats literary fiction as one category among others.
+==History of genres==
+[[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.  In later periods other genres such as the [[chivalric romance]], [[opera]], and [[prose fiction]] developed.
-In addition, it can be argued that all novels, no matter how "literary", also fall within the bounds of one or more genres. Thus [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'' is a romance; [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]'s ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' is a [[psychological thriller]]; and [[James Joyce]]'s ''[[A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man]]'' is a coming-of-age story. These novels would usually be stocked in the general or possibly the [[classic book|classics]] section of a bookstore. Indeed, many works now regarded as literary classics were originally written as genre novels.
+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, 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]].
-==Genre fiction and popular fiction==
+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". However, many romances, including the [[Historical novel|historical romance]]s of Scott, [[Emily Brontë]]'s ''[[Wuthering Heights]]'' and [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]'',  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''."
-The term '''''popular fiction''''', formerly contrasted with ''literary fiction'', is no longer often used. It appears that ''genre fiction'' is essentially a successor term.
-==The evolution of fiction genres==
+Genre fiction developed from various subgenres of the novel (and its "romance" version) during the nineteenth century, 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]]. 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).
-Since the beginning of [[literature]] it has been acknowledged that there are different types or categories of created work. [[Poetry]], a form of literature older than [[prose]], was in ancient times divided into narrative, dramatic, and [[lyric poetry|lyric]] forms. Narrative poetry, at least as it was first written (as opposed to recited or sung), was primarily [[epic poetry|epic]]. Dramatic poetry came to be divided into tragedy and comedy. The Greek philosopher [[Aristotle]] in his ''[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]'' for the first time named story genres by categorizing [[drama]]s according to the value-charge of their endings and the design of their stories.
-Many fiction genres can be traced to a small number of important or extremely popular literary works written before that genre came into [[existence]].  "Genre" fiction is portrayed as those works that seek, in some degree, just to emulate these paradigms. [[Science fiction]] began with [[Jules Verne]] and then [[H. G. Wells]], as a recognizable ''genre''. [[Horror fiction|Horror]] stories and mystery stories can both be traced in large measure to [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and a few others.
+Critics have often regarded genre fiction as having less artistic merit than [[literary fiction]], but this assumption been contested after the growth of fiction that blurs these boundaries and the serious study of genre fiction within universities.
-The period 1900–1910 was fertile for the development, by writers such as [[M. P. Shiel]], of fiction genres and character types. Often these appeared in [[periodical]]s, which eventually became the [[pulp magazine]]s of the early 20th century.
+==The genres==
+The following are some of the main genres as they are used in contemporary publishing:
-==The genres of genre fiction==
-As noted, there are many different ways of labeling and defining fiction genres. Following are some of the main genres as they are used in contemporary publishing:
-===Action-adventure===
-[[adventure novel|Action-adventure fiction]], appealing mainly to male readers, feature physical action and violence, often around a quest or military-style mission set in exotic or forbidding locales such as jungles, deserts, or mountains. The conflict typically involves commandos, mercenaries, terrorists, smugglers, pirates, and the like. Stories include elements of courage, male bonding, and betrayal, as well as lore on technology, weapons, and other hardware.
 ===Crime===
-[[Crime fiction]] stories, centered on criminal enterprise, are told from the point of view of the perpetrators. They range in tone from lighthearted "caper" stories to darker plots involving organized crime or incarcerated convicts.
+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]], 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.
-===Detective===
-[[Detective fiction]] has become almost synonymous with ''mystery''. These stories relate the solving of a crime, usually one or more murders, by a protagonist who may or may not be a professional investigator. This large, popular genre has many subgenres, reflecting differences in tone, character, and [[setting (fiction)|setting]].
 ===Fantasy===
-[[Fantasy|Fantasy fiction]] features stories set in fanciful, invented worlds or in a legendary, mythic past. The stories themselves are often epics or [[quest]]s, frequently involving [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]]. The enormous popularity of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' novel and [[J.K. Rowling]]'s [[Harry Potter]] novels demonstrates the wide appeal of this genre.
+[[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===
+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." There are many subgenres of the romance novel including [[fantasy]], [[Historical romance|historical]], [[science fiction]], same sex romantic fiction, and [[paranormal fiction]].
+There is a [[Romance (literary fiction)|literary fiction form of romance]], which [[Walter Scott]] defined as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents".
+===Science fiction===
+Science fiction is a [[genre]] of [[speculative fiction]] dealing with [[imagination|imaginative]] concepts such as [[future|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". 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.
 ===Horror===
-[[Horror fiction]] aims to evoke some combination of fear, fascination, and revulsion in its readers. This genre, like others, continues to evolve, recently moving away from stories with a religious or supernatural basis to ones making use of medical or psychological ideas.
+[[Horror fiction]] aims to frighten or disgust its readers.  Although many horror novels feature supernatural phenomena or monsters, it is not required.  Early horror took 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.
-===Mystery===
+==Critical reception and controversies==
-[[Mystery fiction]], technically involving stories in which characters try to discover a vital piece of information which is kept hidden till the climax, is now considered by many people almost a synonym for detective fiction. The standard novel stocked in the mystery section of bookstores is a [[whodunit]].
+A number of major literary figures have written either genre fiction books, or books that contain genre fiction elements. For instance, the novel ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' by [[Fydor Dostoevsky]] contains elements of the [[crime fiction]] genre. [[Gabriel García Márquez]]'s ''[[Love in the Time of Cholera]]'' is a [[romance novel]]. ''[[Frankenstein]]'' and ''[[Dracula]]'' are [[Gothic fiction|gothic]] [[horror fiction|horror]] novels. [[Graham Greene]] at the time of his death in 1991 had a reputation as a writer of both deeply serious novels on the theme of Catholicism, and of "suspense-filled stories of detection". Acclaimed during his lifetime, he was shortlisted in 1966 for the [[Nobel Prize for Literature]]. The Nobel laureate [[André Gide]] stated that [[Georges Simenon]], best known as the creator of the fictional detective [[Jules Maigret]], was "the most novelistic of novelists in French literature".
-===Romance===
+[[Stephen King]] was awarded the [[National Book Award|Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters]]; but this polarized opinions and led to debate on genre fiction's literary merit.  Negative comments about genre fiction have sparked responses from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', ''[[Salon (website)|Salon]]'', ''[[the Atlantic]]'', and the ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]''. Nobel laureate [[Doris Lessing]] described science fiction as "some of the best [[social fiction]] of our time", and called [[Greg Bear]], author of ''[[Blood Music (novel)|Blood Music]]'', "a great writer".
-[[Romance novel|Romance]] is currently the largest and best-selling fiction genre in North America. It has produced a wide array of subgenres, the majority of which feature the [[romantic love|mutual attraction and love]] of a man and a woman as the main plot, and have a [[happy ending]]. This genre, much like [[fantasy fiction]], is broad enough in definition that it is easily and commonly seen combined with other genres, such as [[romantic comedy|comedy]], fantasy fiction, [[realistic fiction]], or action-adventure.
+In the 2000s, the [[BBC]] defended itself against charges that it had sneered at genre fiction, while the [[Man Booker]] and [[National Book Awards]] have been criticized for ignoring genre fiction in their selection process.
-===Science fiction===
+Some critics have claimed that reading romance and suspense thrillers makes readers more sensitive, because these novels focus on interpersonal relationships.
-[[Science fiction]] is defined more by setting than by other story elements. With a few exceptions, stories set out of [[Earth]] or in the future qualify as science fiction. Within these settings, the conventions of almost any other genre may be used. A sub-genre of science fiction is [[alternate history (fiction)|alternate history]] where, for some specific reason, the history of the novel deviates from the history of our world. ''[[Pavane (novel)|Pavane]]'' (1968) by [[Keith Roberts]] was an influential early alternate history, [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[The Guns of the South]]'' a popular example. Of late, alternate history has come in its own as distinct and having an independent existence from science fiction generally.
+==19th-century British and Irish genre fiction==
+[[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. He also wrote realistic fiction about the lower middle class in novels like ''[[Kipps]]'' (1905) and ''[[The History of Mr Polly]]'' (1910).
+[[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, 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. [[Bram Stoker]], yet another Irish writer, was the author of 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]].
+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]].
+The [[Lost World (genre)|Lost World]] literary genre was inspired by real stories of archaeological discoveries by imperial adventurers. [[H. Rider Haggard]] wrote one of the earliest examples, ''[[King Solomon's Mines]]'' in 1885. Contemporary European politics and diplomatic manoeuvrings informed [[Anthony Hope]]'s swashbuckling [[Ruritanian romance|Ruritanian adventure novels]] ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' 1894, and ''[[Rupert of Hentzau]]'', 1898.
+[[F. Anstey]]'s [[comic novel]] ''[[Vice Versa (book)|Vice Versa]]'' 1882, sees a father and son magically switch bodies. Satirist [[Jerome K. Jerome]]'s ''[[Three Men in a Boat]]'' 1889, is a humorous account of a boating holiday on the river [[Thames]]. Grossmith brothers [[George Grossmith|George]] & [[Weedon Grossmith|Weedon]]'s ''[[Diary of a Nobody]]'' 1892, is also considered a classic work of humour.
+==20th-century genre fiction==
+===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]]".
+[[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]]''.
+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, and New Zealander [[Ngaio Marsh]] ([[Roderick Alleyn]]). [[Georgette Heyer]] recreated the [[historical romance]] genre since 1921, and also wrote detective fiction (1932–1953).
+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", and was a central influence on [[C. S. Lewis]]'s ''[[Space Trilogy]]''. Also [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] said he read the book "with avidity", and praised it as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality. 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]] thriller's ''[[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 ''[[Historical novels by Nigel Tranter set between 1286 and 1603#Robert the Bruce trilogy|The Bruce Trilogy]]'', and [[William Wallace]] in ''[[Historical novels by Nigel Tranter set between 1286 and 1603#The Wallace|The Wallace]]'' (1975), works noted by academics for their accuracy.
+====Science fiction====
+[[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" 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====
+[[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]].
-===Thriller===
+[[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]]''.
-A [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] is a story intended to evoke strong feelings of suspense and danger, usually involving a high-stakes hunt, chase, or a race against time. Thrillers often involve espionage, crime, medicine, or technology. Sub-genres of [[thriller]] fiction often overlap with [[detective]] and [[action-adventure]] fiction.
-===Western===
+====Horror====
-[[Western fiction]] is defined primarily by being set in the [[Western United States|American West]] in the second half of the [[19th century]], and secondarily by featuring heroes who are rugged, individualistic horsemen ([[cowboy]]s). Other genres, such as romance, have subgenres that make use of the Western setting.
+[[Clive Barker]] horror novels include ''[[The Hellbound Heart]]''.
-===Other genres===
-Though not as widely acknowledged as works of genre fiction, less conventional genres like [[comic books]] and [[video games]] often follow certain patterns and conventions which make them appeal to selected audiences.
-==Crossover works==
-Many works of undisputed [[literary merit]] do in fact bear the characteristic traits of one or another genre.  The result is that fans of the genre will tend to treat the work as one of their own and as showing the value of that genre; while those who look down on genre writing will tend to deny that the work in question belongs to that genre at all.  [[Ursula K. Le Guin]]'s ''[[The Left Hand of Darkness]]'' and [[Mervyn Peake]]'s ''[[Gormenghast series|Gormenghast]]'' are the works of science fiction and fantasy, respectively, most often taken seriously as literature in their own right outside of those genres; correspondingly critics are often hesitant to so classify them.  A more extreme example would be [[Thomas Pynchon]]'s ''[[Gravity's Rainbow]]'', widely considered one of the most important novels of the century.  It is never called [[science fiction]], despite the fact that a great deal of [[fiction|fictional]] [[science]] is central to its plot. Such marginal works often receive the designation of [[experimental fiction]], [[magical realism]] or [[Slipstream (literature)|slipstream]].
 ==See also==
+*[[Stock character]]
+*[[Thriller (genre)]]
 *[[formula fiction]]
 *[[genre studies]]

Genre fiction

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Contents

Genre and the marketing of fiction

History of genres

The genres

Crime

Fantasy

Romance

Science fiction

Horror

Critical reception and controversies

19th-century British and Irish genre fiction

20th-century genre fiction

Early 20th century

Later 20th-century

Science fiction

Fantasy

Horror

See also

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