Literary fiction

Literary fiction, also known as serious fiction, is a term principally used for fictional works that hold literary merit, that is to say, they are works that offer deliberate social commentary, political criticism, or focus on the individual to explore some part of the human condition. Literary fiction is deliberately written in dialogue with existing works, created with the above aims in mind. Literary fiction is focused more on themes than on plot, and it is common for literary fiction to be taught and discussed in schools and universities.

Literary fiction is usually contrasted with paraliterary fiction (e.g., popular, commercial, or genre fiction). Some have described the difference between them in terms of analyzing reality (literary) rather than escaping reality (paraliterary). The contrasts between these two subsets of fiction is highly controversial among critics and scholars who study literature.

Characteristics

Literary fiction is usually not considered a genre, with associated conventions, but there are common characteristics that can help define it.