I asked AI about book genres and here is what I was given - the link to where AI gathered the information can be viewed by clicking the purple links.
"Book genres are categories into which kinds of literary material are organized. They help readers to find the types of books they enjoy and also assist authors in targeting their work to the appropriate audience. Here are some popular book genres:
Fiction Genres
- Fantasy: Characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural, often inspired by mythology or folklore1.
- Science Fiction: Explores futuristic or technological themes and ideas to address scientific “what if” questions1.
- Dystopian: A subgenre of science fiction, usually set in a bleak future to explore cultural or social issues1.
Non-Fiction Genres
- Biography: A detailed description of a person’s life.
- Autobiography: A self-written account of the author’s life.
- Memoir: A historical account or biography written from personal knowledge.
There are many more genres and sub-genres, and some books may fall into multiple categories. The exact number of genres can vary, with some sources suggesting there are around 50 main genres, and over 16,000 when you take sub-genres into account
Fiction Genres
- Literary Fiction: Artistic/character-driven works1.
- Historical Fiction: Fiction set in the past1.
- Alternate History: Fiction with altered history1.
- Historical Fantasy: Fiction with historical and magical elements1.
- Historical Mystery: Fiction with historical and crime-solving elements1.
- Historical Romance: Fiction with historical and romantic elements1.
- Regency Romance: Fiction with romance in Regency era1.
- Nautical Fiction: Fiction with maritime themes1.
- Metafiction: Fiction that self-references1.
- Nonsense: Fiction with absurd elements1.
- Paranoid Fiction: Fiction with conspiracy themes1.
- Philosophical Fiction: Fiction with philosophical themes1.
- Pop Culture Fiction: Fiction with pop culture references1.
- Postmodern Literature: Fiction with experimental techniques1.
- Satire: Fiction with social criticism1.
- Thriller: Fiction with suspense and danger1.
- Urban Fiction: Fiction with urban themes1.
- Western Fiction: Fiction with Old West themes1.
Here are some of the sub-genres of science fiction:
- Hard Science Fiction: This sub-genre focuses on scientific accuracy and detail. It often explores scientific concepts in depth1.
- Soft Science Fiction: In contrast to hard science fiction, soft science fiction emphasizes character-driven plots. The scientific aspects are less detailed1.
- Military Science Fiction: This sub-genre revolves around military conflicts and themes. Characters are usually part of a military organization1.
- Robot Fiction: This sub-genre centers around the science of robotics. It often relates to the work of Isaac Asimov and the ideas advanced in his Robot series1.
- Social Science Fiction: This sub-genre extrapolates and critiques future societies, often for the purpose of social satire1.
- Space Opera: This sub-genre typically involves long-running series with continuing story arcs, often set in space and involving large-scale fictional events like galactic wars1.
- Steampunk: This sub-genre merges science fiction with alternate history and the design aesthetic of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. It often involves the introduction of modern or futuristic concepts into an earlier setting1.
