Genre Sub-Categories

By wry writer, August 6, 2012

Just what is Speculative Fiction anyway?

Speculative Fiction incorporates so many sub-genres these days, it’s really hard to keep up with them all, so here are just a few of the sub-genres for each of the holy trinity: SF, HORROR, and FANTASY.

SF

• AI
• Alien Invasion
• Colonization
• Cyber
• Dying Earth
• Dystopian
• First Contact
• Futuristic
• Galactic Empire
• Generation Ship
• Hard SF
• Immortality
• Military SF
• Mutants
• Nanotech
• Near Future
• Parallel/Alternative Universe
• Post Apocalyptic
• Pulp
• Robots/Androids
• Slipstream
• Space Exploration
• Space Opera
• Time Travel
• Utopia
• Virtual Reality

FANTASY

• Alternative History
• Contemporary [urban]
• Dark Fantasy
• Epic [classical]
• Fairy Tales
• Heroic Fantasy
• High Fantasy
• Historical
• Magic Realism
• Mythic
• Steampunk
• Sword & Sorcery
• Urban Fantasy
• Witches

HORROR

• Classic
• Demonic
• Ghost
• Gothic
• Monster
• Occult
• Psychic
• Supernatural
• Paranormal
• Vampiric
• Werewolf
• Zombies

2 Responses to “Genre Sub-Categories”

1. Stuart Sharp August 6, 2012

   Speaking as a purveyor of comic/light/humorous fantasy, I would just like to cough pointedly at this juncture.

2. wry writer August 6, 2012

   By golly, how could I forget to include comic/light/humorous fantasy, Stuart? Now how about writing me a zombie comedy? *grin*

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