List of literary genres

Literary genres are determined by literary technique, tone, content and by critic definitions of the genres.

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


 * Absurdist fiction
 * Literary nonsense
 * Adventure novel
 * Epic
 * Imaginary voyage
 * Lost World
 * Men's adventure
 * Milesian tale
 * Picaresque novel (picaresco)
 * Robinsonade
 * Apocalyptic 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
 * Platonic Dialogues
 * Political fiction
 * Political satire
 * Pulp fiction
 * Religious fiction
 * Christian fiction
 * Christian science fiction
 * Contemporary Christian fiction
 * LDS 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
 * by Theme
 * Dark fantasy
 * Magic realism
 * Mythic
 * Paranormal Fantasy
 * Superhero fantasy
 * Sword and sorcery
 * By setting
 * Epic Fantasy / High fantasy
 * Low fantasy
 * Prehistoric fantasy
 * Historical fantasy


 * Speculative Cross Genre fiction
 * Science fantasy
 * Sword and planet
 * 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

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