Guide to 9 Types of Fiction: Genre

Definitions and Examples

Indeed Editorial Team
Updated February 4, 2023

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There is a broad variety of books available for the entertainment of readers around the
world. From mysteries to romance to suspense, the assortment of fictional novels with
unique characters and interesting stories is endless. If you enjoy reading or have ever
considered a career in creative writing, you may benefit from better understanding the
different types of fiction genres for story writing.
In this article, we discuss what fiction is in literature and explore nine types of fiction with
examples of each.

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What is fiction?
Fiction is a type of writing that comes from an author's own imagination and tells a
story. Authors publish fiction across a range of mediums, and fiction stories can be any
length—like novels and novellas or short stories. There are many types of fiction within
the genre of fiction itself, but all types of fiction include basic elements:

 Plot: All stories contain a plotline, which has a clearly defined

beginning, middle and end of story.
 Characters: There are many characters portrayed in fiction stories, but
the narrative generally focuses on a protagonist and an antagonist. The
protagonist is the hero of the story who the reader hopes to see
succeed, and the antagonist is the villain.
 Dialogue: Direct back-and-forth conversations between characters
happen throughout the story to help progress the plot.
 Conflict: There may be many instances of conflict throughout the story,
but there is usually one major conflict that needs to be solved by the
story's end.
 Setting: Every type of fiction has a setting that explains where and
when the story takes place.

Different types of fiction

Here is a list of types of fiction based on unique characteristics and examples of each
fictional genre:

1. Science fiction

Science fiction stories often take place in the future and involve fictional aspects of
science and technology. Characteristics of science fiction include:
  Space or time travel
 Futuristic setting or alternate history
 Advanced technology
 Exploration of societal issues within our current societal model
(Dystopian society)

Example: It's the year 2473, and Dell is an engineer on a spaceship that's traveling to
the distant planet of Moton. While en route to Moton, he gets word that a meteor has
decimated 80% of the population back on Earth. It is now up to him and the rest of his
crew to successfully make it to the new planet in order to create a thriving settlement for
the remaining people on Earth to live.

Related: How To Become a Creative Writer in 9 Steps

2. Mystery

Mystery is a genre of fiction that focuses on solving crimes and mysterious events.
Ordinarily, the protagonist is a detective, and the remaining characters are suspects
until proven otherwise. Common characteristics of the mystery genre include:

 A mysterious crime or death that needs to be solved

 Suspects that have motives that the detective must evaluate
 Clues left by the author that show the reader possible outcomes about
who the murderer might be
 Red herrings, or clues that lead the reader to false conclusions about
the murder

Example: Detective Miranda Lane is investigating a recent case. After the police
discover a woman's body behind a local Boston restaurant, Detective Lane finds a
strange note in her jacket pocket. Even more startling is the note's contents: the place
and name of the woman Miranda was supposed to visit the night before her murder.
Soon, Detective Lane is rushing through a series of clues to find the killer before they
attack again.

Related: How To Write a Storyline (With Tips)

3. Historical fiction

Historical fiction is a story that takes readers to a particular time and place in the past,
typically at least 50 years or more in order for it to be considered historical fiction.
Although the story takes place in the past, the plot itself is one that didn't actually
happen in history.

Common characteristics of historical fiction include:

  A combination of historical and fictional experiences
 A setting that exists in a historical time and place in the past
 Mostly fictionalized characters, but occasionally there is a character that
is based on a historical figure from that time period

Example: The year is 1918, and the commander has sent Jacques to the front lines of
the war in Belgium. With no combat experience and a terror of what comes next, this is
the story of how Jacques conquers his fears and overcomes the unthinkable in order to
survive.

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4. Thriller

The thriller genre generally has a fast-paced storyline and tension and suspense from
beginning to end. There are many sub-genres within the thriller genre such as the
psychological, political and spy variety to name a few. Some characteristics of the
thriller genre include:

 Suspense incorporated throughout the novel

 Plot twists to keep the readers guessing as they read
 Cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that leaves the plotline at a
climactic moment in the story
 Ending climax to answer the questions readers build up throughout the
story

Example: Shannon Holmes can't wait to marry the love of her life, Sheldon. They have
a date, and all the preparations are in place. Everything is perfect until Shannon finds
out that Sheldon has been married for the past seven years and his wife lives in a town
only an hour away. She doesn't know what to think or how to feel. All she knows is that
she's going to play along in his twisted game in order to find out the truth behind his lies.

Related: What Is Third-Person Limited Point of View?

5. Young adult

Writers create and market young adult fiction to readers between the ages of 12 and 18.
The plotline can be realistic or can contain magical elements, but in most young adult
fiction the protagonist faces challenges and changes that are relatable to an adolescent.
Common elements in the young adult fiction genre include:

 A teenage protagonist
 A love triangle in which the protagonist must choose between two
potential love interests
  Conflicts in the story that are age-appropriate for the audience such as
trying to feel like they belong, succeeding in a sport or having a
romantic relationship

Example: Paige is your typical 16-year-old—she just wants to feel like she belongs and
to one day fall in love with a boy. When a new, handsome student named Owen starts
school in the middle of the year, she thinks he might be everything she's been looking
for. She gets to know him, and they become fast friends. Paige believes they could
become more, but when her best friend Lily tells her she also has feelings for Owen,
Paige realizes she's in a difficult situation. She must choose whether she is willing to
risk her lifelong friendship for a boy she just met.

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6. Realistic fiction

Realistic fiction is a type of fiction in which a story is told that could easily happen in
today's society. It contains believable characters and events and takes place in an
actual setting, but the storyline itself is one that has never actually happened.
Characteristics of realistic fiction include:

 Conflicts that the reader could face in everyday life

 A setting that takes place in the present-day and is an actual location or
a fictional place that could be real
 Characters that seem like actual people you might encounter
 Conflicts that are solved realistically

Example: Bethany has a perfect life. She lives off the coast of Monterrey in a beautiful
home with a wonderful husband and two small children whom she loves dearly. She
has everything she's ever wanted until one day she wakes up and has completely
forgotten who she is. With the help of a group of doctors and her husband, will she be
able to remember who she is and everything she holds dear?

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7. Romance

The romance genre can take place during any time period and may contain a realistic
plot line or have magical elements, but the primary element of a romance novel is that
there is a central love story throughout the novel. Other characteristics include:

 A hero or main protagonist with whom the other main character falls in
love
  Many conflicts throughout the story making it difficult for the characters
to be together
 An emotionally satisfying conclusion

Example: Carol is in her late 20s and single. One day, she sees her old high school
crush, Jack, walking down the street. After a few minutes of talking, they realize how
beneficial it would be for them to pretend to be engaged. Her parents would stop
bothering her about settling down, and he could attend his ex-girlfriend's wedding with a
fake fiance at his side. Carol soon realizes she has feelings for Jake and has to remind
herself that this plan is just an arrangement, but she begins to wonder if it could turn
into something real.

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8. Horror

The horror genre's purpose is to create feelings of terror and excitement in the reader.
Common characteristics include:

 Explorations into the darker aspects of humanity

 Main characters who readers can identify with and who often have
haunted pasts and emotional traumas
 Supernatural elements such as ghosts or demonic forces
 A goal to provoke terror in their readers

Example: Kenneth just got a job as a night nurse at Grace Gables Mental Hospital.
Although he's looking forward to starting his career, he's worried his dark past will come
back to haunt him, quite literally. When he begins to see things that no one else can see
—ghosts that call to him in the night—he starts questioning his own sanity and begins to
lose track of what's real and what isn't.

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Fantasy

Fantasy is a type of fiction that focuses on magical and supernatural elements that do
not exist in the actual world. There can be elements of romance, action and mystery in
fantasy, and typically include the following characteristics:

 Magical elements or characters of magic, like sorcerers, witches or

werewolves
 Conflict involving good versus evil
 Imaginary worlds, often similar to medieval settings
 Mythical characters or beings like elves, dragons or talking animals
Example: Foxx is a lowly elf who lives in the land of Myrial. With no powers of his own,
and destined to work on the farms for the rest of his life, he has accepted his fate. One
day as he picks oranges in the family orchard, a fairy named Ozlo appears and tells him
that he's been chosen to save the rest of his kingdom from Magda, the greatest evil
force the kingdom has ever seen. Although skeptical at first, Ozlo, convinces him that
he alone can save the kingdom of Myrial from this evil