Fantasy is a type of fiction that includes imaginary or magical elements, such as made-up worlds and creatures that do not exist in real life. This genre began in books and plays that featured magical stories. Starting in the 20th century, fantasy stories spread to other forms of media, such as movies, TV shows, comic books, Japanese comics, animated shows, and video games.
Speculative fiction is a large category of stories that includes many types of stories not based on real life. Instead, these stories have magical, supernatural, futuristic, or other imaginative elements. This group includes, but is not limited to: fantasy, science fiction, social science fiction, science fantasy, superhero stories, paranormal and supernatural horror, alternate history, magical realism, slipstream, weird fiction, utopia and dystopia, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.
Robinsonade (/ˌrɑːbɪnˈsənɑːd/ ROB-in-sən-AID) is a type of story where one or more people are suddenly cut off from civilization, usually by being shipwrecked or left alone on a remote, empty island. They must use the limited resources available to survive. The genre is named after the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
The picaresque novel is a type of story that follows the adventures of a clever but not always honest main character, usually from a poor background, who uses their skills to survive in a dishonest society. These stories are often made up of many short events or episodes and are written in a realistic way. They may include funny or mocking parts.
A campus novel, also called an academic novel, is a story where the main events happen on a university campus and nearby areas. These novels usually focus on professors or students. Novels that mainly follow students are sometimes called varsity novels.
True crime is a type of non-fiction writing that looks at real crimes. It describes what people involved in or affected by the crime did, and it tries to understand why the person who committed the crime acted that way. True crime stories often focus on serious crimes like murder and crimes by people who kill many people, such as Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and the Zodiac Killer.
The type of writing called travel literature or travelogue includes outdoor writing, guidebooks, nature writing, and travel memoirs. Over time, many writers have shared their experiences in this type of writing through various formats, such as poems, books, memoirs, biographies, novels, journals, and online blogs. People have learned more about important events, like slavery in the United States, by reading travel accounts and books.
An essay is a piece of writing that presents the author’s own ideas or arguments. However, the exact definition of an essay is not clearly defined and can overlap with other types of writing, such as letters, articles, pamphlets, and short stories. Essays are often divided into two types: formal and informal.
A memoir is a type of nonfiction writing that tells a story based on the author’s personal experiences and memories. The information shared in a memoir is considered to be true. Although memoirs have been seen as a part of biography or autobiography since the late 1900s, they are different in how they are written.
An autobiography, sometimes called an autobio, is a book someone writes about their own life. It shares a personal story that includes the writer’s experiences, memories, and thoughts. This type of writing lets people share their unique views and life events, helping readers learn about the writer’s journey and the time or culture they lived in.