What the Genre? Uncovering the Lesser-Known Types of Literary Styles

Fantasy, mystery, romance, oh my!

Want to know the difference between contemporary and realistic? What about mystery and thriller?

There are enough books out there to make your head spin. Let's dive into seven of the lesser-known book genres.

1. Slipstream Literature
2. Magical Realism
3. Eco-fiction
4. Nordic Noir
5. Speculative Fiction
6. Fake Memoir
7. Paranormal

1. Slipstream Literature is a sub-genre of Speculative Fiction. It mixes literary fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy into one. If it makes you dream, you're on the right track. Think of the late 1950s- early 1960s The Twilight Zone. The words, "weird" and "strange" come to mind but also "unpredictable"  and "without a consistent plot." 

2. Magical Realism: Where magical elements are placed into real-life scenarios and settings. The key word is "real," then everything else is added onto it. Alejo Carpentier described Magical Realism as "an unexpected alteration of reality." Think "Sword in the Stone," "Peter Pan," or the time travel twist in The Unmaking of June Farrow.

3. Eco-fiction: Explores anything that has a setting, characters, or plots that affect the environment. Think about climate change, the environment, and how humans interact with it.

Here is a great list of Eco-fiction stories compiled by Nina Munteanu that "help you care and give you hope." 

4. Nordic Noir: Burr. If you're thinking, well, the word Nordic is in there, so it must be about being in a cold place with Scandinavia, you'd be halfway correct. While Scandinavian characters are involved, the plot and setting are much darker than you might think, and don't necessarily go back to the Viking Age. Some refer to it as "scandi crime-fiction," with dark themes, violence, cold settings, and police.

5. Speculative-Fiction: When you can't quite figure out whether a book is under science fiction or fantasy, it is placed under the bigger umbrella of speculative fiction. The difference? It focuses on a human problem rather than a technological or outer-worldly ones.

If you want to understand more about this particular genre, here is a great video by Mary Kate "M.K." Williams, "What is Speculative Fiction? Science Fiction and Fantasy Umbrella Genre Speculative Fiction."

6. Fake Memoir: A memoir typically focuses on a specific period or defining experience in the author’s life. A fake memoir plays with that expectation. It’s a fictional story written as if it were a real memoir- but ultimately it isn't true.

These novels can feel realistic, which is part of their appeal—but can be misleading. Readers often assume the story actually happened, only to discover later that the author invented the characters and events. Just a warning; if you're the type who likes to read about real people and events this might leave you crestfallen.

An example is By Way of Conshohocken: A Fictionalized Family Memoir by Cydney Iris Afriat Menihan.

7. Paranormal: Night Nook Books owner, Tracy Daley, termed it, "Worlds just beyond our ability to sense them: ghosts, phantoms, angels, demons." This could even include vampires and werewolves, there is even a sub-genre of Paranormal called Paranormal-Romance, Twilight anyone? You get the point.

Tracy Daley has a great YA Paranormal trilogy called, Descendants of the Angels on sale now at Night Nook Books.

For a more in depth list of genres if you want to learn more, Reedsy's The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Book Genres, Explained.

Conclusion: If you are one of those people who like to try new things, there is a wide variety of genres for you to choose from. If you have a favorite genre, there might be a sub-genre within that category that might interest you. What genre are you most interested in and why?

Happy reading!