Genre

Examples of Different Genre Types

A genre is a category of art, music, or literature. The following are some popular examples of
genres, along with some related sub-genres. Not only will you find literary genres, but some of
the most popular music genres as well.

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Action and Adventure Genre

Action and adventure are sometimes considered two distinct genres, however, the two go hand-
in-hand: they involve exciting sequences and obstacles that must be overcome before reaching a
goal. There are many different categories of action-adventure stories.

Epic Examples

An epic is a tale, often told in verse, of a heroic figure on a quest. You see epics in literature,
movies, and even music. A few epic examples you’ll see in literature, movies, and music
include:

 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

 The Last Legion (2007)
 Skylon by Gruff Rhys

Military Examples
The military genre usually involves stories of battle and espionage from the war front. Examples
of this genre include titles like:

 We Were Soldiers Once… and Young by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore

  Black Hawk Down (2001)
 Soldiers and Jesus by James Otto

Spy Fiction Examples

This genre, in the James Bond vein, recounts the pulse-pounding expeditions of spies in various
agencies throughout the world. Examples include:

 The Secret Agent  by Joseph Conrad

 Red Sparrow (2018)
 Dangerous by Big Data, Joywave

Westerns

This genre covers the Wild West, typically including gun duels, train robberies, heists, and
showdowns, known collectively as Westerns. A few fun examples you might know include:

 True Grit by Charles Portis

 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
 Ghost Riders in the Sky by Johnny Cash

Comedy Genre
Comedies are humorous stories intended to make the reader or viewer laugh. Whether it’s a
literary genre or found in the most popular music genre, comedy is just funny.

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Black Comedy Examples

Although these stories are intended to be funny, they also touch darker areas of storytelling, such
as death and fear. Black comedy makes it way into books, movies and songs in these examples.

 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

 In Bruges (2008)
 Let Me Watch You Make Love by Black

Parodies

A parody intends to mimic another genre to humorous effect. Parodies can be intended to mock
and criticize as well as to pay homage like:

 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

 Scary Movie (2000)
 Amish Paradise by Weird Al Yankovic
Rom-com Examples

Romantic comedies, or rom-coms, mix love stories together with comedic events. Examples are
a plenty for this sub-genre.

 The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

 Isn’t It Romantic (2019)
 Beautiful Love by The Afters

Slapstick Comedy

This type of comedy features physical humor such as pratfalls, silly and exaggerated body
language, and unlikely scenarios.

 The Gates by John Connolly

 There’s Something About Mary (1998)
 Yakety Axe by Chet Atkins

Fantasy Genre
Stories about magic spells, mythical creatures, and fabled kingdoms are known as fantasies. This
genre sometimes includes witchcraft and wizardry, dragons and unicorns, and an emphasis on
legend. Check out a few fantasy sub-genres and examples.

Fables

This type of fantasy story demonstrates a general truth or a parable. Examples include:

 Aesop’s Fables by Aesop

 The Tortoise and the Hare (1935)
 Tell Me a Fable by Robert Miles

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Fairy Tales

These are often age-old stories that include magic and folklore in addition to traditional fantasy
characters like elves and goblins. Fairy tales are a popular movie genre but can be found in music
and literature as well.

 Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

 The Beauty and the Beast  (2017)
 Today was a Fairytale  by Taylor Swift
Legends

While legends may include bits of historical fact, they are usually made to seem larger than life,
as in the Legend of King Arthur.

 The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
 Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin

Scientific Fantasy Examples

A fantasy story that may include elements of scientific fact is known as science-fantasy. You
might seem scientific fantasy examples like:

 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

 Avatar (2009)
 Oblivion by Mastodon

Horror Genre
Horror stories are intended, as the name suggests, to horrify and scare an audience. The genre of
horror has been shocking audiences for many centuries and includes many sub-genres.

Ghost Story Examples

These are stories where the dead return to life and haunt the living, such as Dickens' A Christmas
Carol. Sometimes the ghosts are trying to teach the living a lesson. Other examples include:

 A Woman in Black by Susan Hill

 The Others  (2001)
 Thriller by Michael Jackson

Monster Stories

Monster stories use creatures that frighten or threaten human beings as the antagonists. Check
out examples like:

 Frankenstein  by Mary Shelley

 Dracula Untold (2014)
 Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett

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Slasher Fiction

Popular in cinema, slasher stories tell of deranged killers who are out to punish regular people.
Slasher music, literary, and movie genre examples might include:
  There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
 Texas Chainsaw (2013)
 Halloween (Main Theme) by John Carpenter

Survival Story Examples

These stories paint a future where humankind is up against a threat like zombies or vampires and
must survive against the odds.

 World War Z by Max Brooks

 Train to Busan (2016)
 The Salvation Gates by Marco Beltrami, Marcus Trumpp, Brandon Roberts

Mystery Genre
Mystery always leaves you guessing. Not only are you guessing who did it, but what will happen
next. Explore several different subgenres of mystery along with music, movie, and literary
examples of each.

Thriller Examples

This genre will really get your heart racing. You might have seen thrillers like:

 The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 Split  (2016)
 Groucho Won’t Die  by Candie Hank

Investigative Examples

You’ve entered the world of whodunit. This thriller sub-genre uses ace detectives and medical
specialist to find out the who, what, and why like:

 The Dancing Girls by M.M. Chouinard

 Gone Girl  (2014)
 Crossborder by Patric Catani

Suspense

This genre leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for that next moment of action. Here
you’ll find examples like:

 The Girl on the Train by Paua Hawkins

 Shutter Island (2010)
 We Knew Her at Once by Twiceyoung

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Drama Genre
When you are ready for a good cry or just want to curl up to smile at a good romance, then it is
time to look for drama. You might find a heartwarming family story or a spicy romance set 100
years ago.

Romance Examples

Love lost, love at first sight, and even forbidden love will be found here. Find a few titles that
you might enjoy.

 Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

 A Star is Born (2018)
 I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston

Historical/Period Examples

Is your jam more history? You’ll find all different types of historical pieces in the genre. Explore
from live to life through these titles:

 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

 Tulip Fever (2017)
 Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits

Tragedy Examples

Endless tears for days. Tragedies can be epic or everyday, but they always hit you right in the
heart strings. Dive into these tragedy examples.

 Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

 Titanic (1997)
 Last Kiss by Pearl Jam

Science Fiction Genre

Any story that uses scientific concepts to explain the world or the universe is known as science
fiction, sci-fi, or syfy. This genre is very similar in construction to fantasy, except that science is
a central theme.

Apocalyptic/Dystopian Sci-fi
Any science fiction that has to do with the end of the world or the destruction of mankind is
known as "apocalyptic" or “dystopian” sci-fi. In this sub-genre, you might find:

 Divergent by Veronica Roth

 The Hunger Games (2012)
  Uranium Echoes by Woo York

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Soft Sci-fi

Soft sci-fi typically deals less with the complications of applied science and more with the
effects of science. Here’s a few titles that you’ll find here.

 The Giver by Lois Lowry

 Planet of the Apes  (2001)
 Elysion by Antti Martikainen

Space Opera
This type of science fiction deals with the long-term effects of a life lived in space, such as Star
Trek  or Star Wars. Other examples might include:

 Ender’s Game by Orson Scott

 Jupiter Ascending (2015)
 Battlestar Galactica Theme by Stu Phillips

Different Genre Types

There are many examples of genres and subgenres. The movies, books, literature, and
entertainment you enjoy fall into one of these genres. Now that you have a solid understanding
of genres, dive into theme examples in literature.