40 Genres of Books

This year I’m posting a list a month to celebrate my 40th (see my other posts in the series.) This month I’m choosing 40 different books I own from 40 different genres. So hold onto your hats it’s going to be wild.

Short descriptions of the genre are my definitions. I know that some of these genres have controversy surrounding their definitions and what does and does not qualify within the genre.

40 Genres of Books I Own

1. Fantasy – A story that uses magical, mythological or fantastical elements.
2. High Fantasy – A story set in a completely made up world, with magical and imaginary races.
3. Low Fantasy – A story set in the real world, with one or two elements of magic.
4. Urban Fantasy – A fantasy story set in a modern, urban environment.
5. Sword and Sorcery – A fantasy story set in a medieval time frame.
6. Gaslamp – Fantasy set in the Victorian era.
7. Steampunk – Steam-power Science Fiction or Fantasy.
8. Science Fiction – Stories that feature speculation on science or the future.
9. Pulp Science Fiction – Short science fiction stories often published in a series.
10. Cyberpunk – Science fiction with a mostly urban setting that very heavily relies on computer technology (and often the merge of man and computer) in the story.
11. Alternative History – A retelling of an event or events in history but the author changes the outcomes.
    
12. Superhero – A story in which some of the characters have super human abilities.
13. Space Opera – Melodramatic events that is set mainly or entirely in outer space.
14. Dystopian – Living in a dysfunctional society.
15. Post-Apocalyptic – What the world is like after it fell apart.
16. Apocalyptic – How the world fell apart.
17. Mystery – A story that focuses on a mysterious event or crime that must be solved.
18. Thriller – A strong focus on the mood in a story to elicit strong “thrilling” emotions in the reader.
19. Suspense – Similar to thriller, but the mood elicits worry or anxiety in the reader.
20. Cozy Mystery – A mystery that is lighthearted and doesn’t elicit feeling of worry in the reader.
21. Contemporary – A story set in today’s world, without and science fiction or fantasy elements.
22. Inspirational Fiction – A story meant to encourage, inspire and uplift the reader.
23. Historical Fiction – A story set in a past time.
24. Christian Fiction – A fiction story with a decidedly Christian message and undertones.
25. Christian Romance – Same as above, but with a center theme of a romantic relationship.
26. Theology – The study of God and godliness.
27. Christian Living – How to live according to Biblical principles.
28. Biblical Reference – An information book about the Bible.
29. Reference – A book that contains information on a given subject.
30. Biography – A book telling the story of a real life person.
31. Poetry – A book of poems.
32. Drama/Play – A book that contains the script for a play.
33. Classic Fiction – A book that is at least 50 years old and well thought of today.
34. Textbook – A book from a class or course.
35. Arts and Crafts – A book that give step-by-step instructions or guidance on creating art or craft projects.
36. How-to – A guide book for how to do something, usually skill based.
37. Foreign Language Study – The study of a language other than English.
38. Western – A story set in the “Cowboy” era of the American West.
39. Comedy/Humor – A book that makes you laugh.
40. Comic – A book that contains an aggregate of comic strips.

Okay, wow this list was a monster to put together. I enjoyed digging through my collection of books to find examples for all 40 genres. I hope you equally enjoy looking through the list.