Genres of fiction and non-fiction

In a nutshell

Genre means 'type' so when a genre of a book is mentioned, it means the type of book it is. In this summary, you will learn more about some common genres in writing.

Fiction genres

There are lots of different genres in writing. Here are some common genres in fiction narratives:

Genre	Description
Fairy tales	This genre will have magical lands and beings. Usually there is a moral that goes along with the story.
Science-fiction	This genre is based on science and technologies that may occur in the future. It may also include changes in the environment and can be linked to space, time travel or visits from other planets.
Mysteries	Like its name, a mystery genre follows a mystery. Common mysteries involve a crime or a murder. The mystery is not revealed until the end, but the narrative gives the reader clues along the way.
Adventure stories	This genre includes stories where the main character goes on an epic journey. Often the main character has many missions and problems that they face along the way.
Scary stories	This genre focuses on creating fear when reading. Scary stories often include supernatural beings such as ghosts, witches or vampires.

Note: Some stories might have more than one genre! Have you ever read a book that is scary but also adventurous? Before reading a book, you can find clues as to what the genre is by reading the title or the blurb on the back cover of the book.

Non-fiction genres

Non-fiction books also have genres.

Examples

Recipe books, instruction manuals or history books.

These all follow their own set of rules and style. You wouldn't usually find recipes in a history book, for example.