Books have been our primary sources of information, but the prevalence of fiction novels characterize our desire for compelling stories that are told by creative minds. Fiction novels are famous for their exciting narrative quality and ability to rouse the imagination. As a textual art, fiction is further classified into many genres or categories, the most common being crime, detective, mystery, horror, thriller, fantasy, romance, science fiction, action/adventure, and Western.
Crime fiction, one of today's most popular genres, involves stories about crime, how it is discovered, the characters like the criminal and the victim, and the reasons for committing the crime. It is further commonly sub-divided into detective fiction, legal thriller, hard-boiled fiction, and courtroom drama. Crime fiction was only regarded as a significant genre in 1900, and was popularized by the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
A sub-division of the crime genre, detective fiction is focused on a detective investigating a crime, most often murder. The amateur or professional detective is usually accompanied by a less competent assistant, who does not make key discoveries for the investigation. Also referred in literature as a foil, the assistant acts as the reader's substitute to whom the detective tells how the mystery was solved. This genre is popular for its ability to keep a reader's attention through suspense, where the events slowly unfold and clues to solving the mystery are very well disguised even to the central characters. Although basically the same as its old predecessors, contemporary detective novels today incorporate modern elements into their plots.
Mystery fiction is often considered as synonymous to detective fiction since they both involve a detective investigating a crime. Mystery fiction is generally a kind of detective fiction that underscores the puzzles and how they can be logically solved. The Juvenile mysteries, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys series that were developed by Edward Stratemeyer in the 1920s were hailed as valuable contributions to the genre. Agatha Christie, one of the best known and unparalleled mystery authors, was also from the 1920s.
Horror fiction, meanwhile, refers to the type of narration that aims to scare, horrify, and disturb the reader. The horror element is often established as an encounter with an evil presence, usually of supernatural origin and nature. This genre started as early tales of horrifying beings such as vampires and demons derived from mythologies, legends, and folklore. Presently, anything that has a gruesome, frightening, and extremely terrifying theme or characters are placed under horror fiction. Some famous predecessors of present horror novels that continue to scare readers today are Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Thriller fiction involves a fast-paced storytelling of quick-witted heroes whose objectives include foiling the plans of big-time and heavily-armed villains. The protagonist is often a character that is used to all sorts of dangers and usually puts himself in very serious risks. In comparison to mystery fiction, thriller fiction usually does not involve solving a mystery, but centers on foiling and defeating the villain. Also, while a mystery fiction's climax is reached when the puzzles are solved, a thriller fiction's climax occurs when the protagonist succeeds in overpowering the villain. Although the genre is more commonly associated with films, the thriller genre also appears in writing through well-known authors like Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Dan Brown.
Stories under the fantasy fiction genre incorporate magic and supernatural elements to establish the plot, setting, and theme. Since its early forms involve creatures such as dragons, goblins, fairies, magicians, and elves, the genre became rather more attractive to children. Hence, the juvenile fantasy fiction was born. Some examples such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan are now some of today's popular children's classics. However, fantasy fiction also gave birth to some of popular fantasy novels that appeal to both children and adults up until now, such as The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter.
Romance fiction is another popular genre, which centralizes on romantic love, relationship, and connection usually between a man and a woman and typically has a happy and emotionally moving ending. According to famous Romance writer Nora Roberts, the genre celebrates falling in love, the human emotions, and the choices that lead us to make a commitment with someone. Romance stories are usually told through a woman's perspective since most readers of the genre are women. Some famous contemporary romance writers are Judith McNaught, Danielle Steele, and Jude Deveraux.
Science fiction, on the other hand, is a genre that sources its plots and themes on speculations on the science and technology available at present or will be available in the future. The genre cannot be considered similar to the fantasy genre, since the storyline is derived from existing scientific laws and theories. Common elements include futuristic or alternative timelines, settings in outer space or alien civilizations, encounters with alien creatures, and unearthing new scientific concepts and technology.
Action/adventure fiction, an equally widely-read genre, is characterized by an exciting adventure that involves a central theme of risks and physical perils. Most medieval writings involved a chain of adventure, where the hero usually goes on an adventure to meet or save his lady. Adventure novels usually incorporate other genres such science fiction, fantasy, western, and crime. A famous adventure novel is the swash-buckling classic The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
Aiming to tell stories of life in the Western United States from about 1860 to 1890, the Western genre is characterized by the transition from the old and primitive lifestyle to the modern standards of living. The most renowned icons and images of Western fiction are cowboys and gunslingers, saloons, revolvers or rifles, horses, gambling, desert locations, and large Stetson hats.
Many authors came up with numerous genres that cater to every reader's taste and preferences. Each genre is a distinct and imaginative masterpiece, and at least one of these written arts have captured our attention and kept us busy in some points of our lives. We all love a good story, and there will be more than enough for us to delight ourselves in as these genres continue to evolve and produce enchanting stories.
A sub-division of the crime genre, detective fiction is focused on a detective investigating a crime, most often murder. The amateur or professional detective is usually accompanied by a less competent assistant, who does not make key discoveries for the investigation. Also referred in literature as a foil, the assistant acts as the reader's substitute to whom the detective tells how the mystery was solved. This genre is popular for its ability to keep a reader's attention through suspense, where the events slowly unfold and clues to solving the mystery are very well disguised even to the central characters. Although basically the same as its old predecessors, contemporary detective novels today incorporate modern elements into their plots.
Mystery fiction is often considered as synonymous to detective fiction since they both involve a detective investigating a crime. Mystery fiction is generally a kind of detective fiction that underscores the puzzles and how they can be logically solved. The Juvenile mysteries, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys series that were developed by Edward Stratemeyer in the 1920s were hailed as valuable contributions to the genre. Agatha Christie, one of the best known and unparalleled mystery authors, was also from the 1920s.
Horror fiction, meanwhile, refers to the type of narration that aims to scare, horrify, and disturb the reader. The horror element is often established as an encounter with an evil presence, usually of supernatural origin and nature. This genre started as early tales of horrifying beings such as vampires and demons derived from mythologies, legends, and folklore. Presently, anything that has a gruesome, frightening, and extremely terrifying theme or characters are placed under horror fiction. Some famous predecessors of present horror novels that continue to scare readers today are Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Thriller fiction involves a fast-paced storytelling of quick-witted heroes whose objectives include foiling the plans of big-time and heavily-armed villains. The protagonist is often a character that is used to all sorts of dangers and usually puts himself in very serious risks. In comparison to mystery fiction, thriller fiction usually does not involve solving a mystery, but centers on foiling and defeating the villain. Also, while a mystery fiction's climax is reached when the puzzles are solved, a thriller fiction's climax occurs when the protagonist succeeds in overpowering the villain. Although the genre is more commonly associated with films, the thriller genre also appears in writing through well-known authors like Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Dan Brown.
Stories under the fantasy fiction genre incorporate magic and supernatural elements to establish the plot, setting, and theme. Since its early forms involve creatures such as dragons, goblins, fairies, magicians, and elves, the genre became rather more attractive to children. Hence, the juvenile fantasy fiction was born. Some examples such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan are now some of today's popular children's classics. However, fantasy fiction also gave birth to some of popular fantasy novels that appeal to both children and adults up until now, such as The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter.
Romance fiction is another popular genre, which centralizes on romantic love, relationship, and connection usually between a man and a woman and typically has a happy and emotionally moving ending. According to famous Romance writer Nora Roberts, the genre celebrates falling in love, the human emotions, and the choices that lead us to make a commitment with someone. Romance stories are usually told through a woman's perspective since most readers of the genre are women. Some famous contemporary romance writers are Judith McNaught, Danielle Steele, and Jude Deveraux.
Science fiction, on the other hand, is a genre that sources its plots and themes on speculations on the science and technology available at present or will be available in the future. The genre cannot be considered similar to the fantasy genre, since the storyline is derived from existing scientific laws and theories. Common elements include futuristic or alternative timelines, settings in outer space or alien civilizations, encounters with alien creatures, and unearthing new scientific concepts and technology.
Action/adventure fiction, an equally widely-read genre, is characterized by an exciting adventure that involves a central theme of risks and physical perils. Most medieval writings involved a chain of adventure, where the hero usually goes on an adventure to meet or save his lady. Adventure novels usually incorporate other genres such science fiction, fantasy, western, and crime. A famous adventure novel is the swash-buckling classic The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
Aiming to tell stories of life in the Western United States from about 1860 to 1890, the Western genre is characterized by the transition from the old and primitive lifestyle to the modern standards of living. The most renowned icons and images of Western fiction are cowboys and gunslingers, saloons, revolvers or rifles, horses, gambling, desert locations, and large Stetson hats.
Many authors came up with numerous genres that cater to every reader's taste and preferences. Each genre is a distinct and imaginative masterpiece, and at least one of these written arts have captured our attention and kept us busy in some points of our lives. We all love a good story, and there will be more than enough for us to delight ourselves in as these genres continue to evolve and produce enchanting stories.
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