Fiction Genres: Every Genre & Sub-Genre (2022)
Fiction genres are much debated and revised, but they’re crucial to providing logical order to the storytelling arts.
Fiction genres are much debated and revised, but they’re crucial to providing logical order to the storytelling arts.
These literary masterpieces, penned by authors long past, have continued to captivate readers for centuries, resonating with universal themes and insights into the human condition.
Fictional heroes have been an integral part of literature since time immemorial, captivating readers with their extraordinary abilities, moral dilemmas, and relentless pursuit of justice.
The vast world of comics is filled with lesser-known antagonists who are just as compelling, if not more so, than their famous counterparts. These underrated villains possess rich backstories, unique powers, and the potential to become the next big threat in their respective universes.
Amidst the iconic Sith Lords and powerful Force-sensitive adversaries, there exists a rich tapestry of non-Force sensitive villains who have played pivotal roles in the unfolding drama.
For nearly 61 years, Doctor Who has captivated audiences with its innovative storytelling, eccentric characters, and the iconic figure of the Doctor.
Unlike their big-budget counterparts, indie games often operate with smaller teams and budgets, yet they manage to deliver rich, immersive narratives that captivate players worldwide.
Fantasy TV shows have an unparalleled ability to transport audiences to realms of magic, mythical creatures, and boundless imagination.
David Fincher, a name synonymous with cinematic brilliance, has etched his mark on the world of film.
While Buffy the Vampire Slayer is often lauded as a feminist triumph in television a closer examination reveals noteworthy shortcomings in its representation of feminist ideals.
Classic literature has long been celebrated for its timeless narratives, intricate characters, and profound themes.
On recent decades, antiheroes have become increasingly popular and prevalent in television, especially in the genres of drama, crime, thriller, and fantasy.
World-building in epic fantasy is an alchemical blend of geography, cultures, history, and magic.
In an era where representation and inclusivity are paramount, literature stands as a powerful tool for embracing and celebrating the richness of diverse cultures, identities, and narratives.
As the galaxy far, far away continues to expand through the minds of passionate fans, the wealth of creative interpretations and speculative ideas has given rise to a new frontier of storytelling.
Dystopian fiction has long been a compelling and thought-provoking genre in literature, offering a glimpse into possible dark futures.
In recent years, one of the most significant trends in the gaming industry has been the rise of narrative-driven games.
The classic era consists of multi-episode serials that are considered to be the best examples of Doctor Who’s creativity, humor, horror, and drama.
The synergy between video games and movies has captivated audiences for decades.
However, the journey from controller to camera has often been fraught with challenges and disappointments.
If you’ve ever been stuck indoors and driven stir crazy from lack of social interaction, these trapped movies help you feel not so alone.
Adapting a book into a film is a daunting task, primarily because the two mediums have distinct storytelling methods.
Since its inception in 1963, Doctor Who has become a beloved and iconic science fiction series, captivating audiences with its thrilling adventures, complex characters, and imaginative storytelling.
The decision of relegating the Expanded Universe stories to the non-canon Legends left many fans yearning for the return of beloved EU tales.
Horror literature has always held a unique fascination for readers, weaving tales of the macabre, the supernatural, and the terrifying.
In the early years of consoles, video game storytelling was often a secondary consideration, with gameplay taking center stage.
Every now and then, a game’s ending comes along that leaves players utterly stunned, reeling from unexpected twists, revelations, and emotional gut punches.
The magic of storytelling often resides not in what is explicitly stated but in the unspoken–the subtext beneath the surface of a narrative.
Comics, with their colorful heroes, vivid villains, and thought-provoking narratives, have emerged as a cultural superpower, leaving an indelible mark on society’s collective imagination.
What is it about villains that makes them so compelling? The answer lies in the complex psychology of villains.
Han shooting first is much more in line with his rogue nature and reinforces his character development throughout the original trilogy.
This corpulent, slug-like crime lord may not fit the traditional mold of a hedonist icon, but just take a look at his lifestyle and values.
We’ve brought the receipts with these nine reasons why Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda game.
Recent developments in Majors’ personal life have raised questions about how these developments could potentially affect the future of the MCU.
In May 2023, Hollywood once again found itself at the center of a storm as the Writers Guild of America embarked on a strike that reverberated throughout the entertainment industry.
Despite the growing recognition of the importance of gender parity, many movies still fall short in providing substantial speaking opportunities for female characters.
One of the best things about video games is the ability to pick up the controller and play again, but with so many great video games out there, how do you narrow it down to which ones are worth replaying?
The title of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of the Skywalker, the purported last of the Skywalker saga, is a bit of a slap in the face.
In the vast realm of fiction, one narrative technique that continues to captivate readers and challenge perceptions is an unreliable narrator.
As someone who has danced around the poverty line all their life, I can tell you that, for people like us, it can be difficult to believe a better life is possible.
Daniel Kaluuya’s eyes carry so much charisma, Jordan Peele’s horror sci-fi Nope managed to accomplish a 21st century impossibility.
With banners held high, the community marches onward into the future, not knowing what the next day will bring.
There have been some wonderful examples in recent years, but here is our all-time top three alternative sports video games.
Many failed movies could benefit with extra running time. Let’s take a look at 10 terrible movies better suited as prestige TV series.
In this episode of The Fictionphile Podcast, we cover some of the highlights from the past week, including news about Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ghostbusters, and adaptations coming to Netflix and Amazon.
In this episode, we cover some of the highlights from the past week, including Anne Rice, The Eternals, and The Game of the Year Awards.
In this episode of The Fictionphile Podcast, we cover some of the highlights from the past week, including news about Spider-Man, Game of Thrones, and The Avengers.
In this episode of The Fictionphile Podcast, we cover some of the highlights from the past week, including news about Encanto, Doctor Who, and the passing of a musical theatre legend.
Squid Game: Season One was a surprise binge hit from South Korea about a high-stakes game of life and death for underprivileged desperate citizens, and for good reason.
We cover some of the highlights from the past week, including news about Black Panther, Ghostbusters, and Lethal Weapon.
With a series like The Walking Dead, the actors are bound to see some hardships. Let’s take a look at some sacrifices actors had to make.
You might be asking yourself what is speculative fiction? Speculative Fiction is a super-genre of fiction. But let’s dive even deeper.
We take a look back and review the newest completed Marvel TV outing for devoted viewers and potential binge watchers alike.
We sat down with some of Framestore’s key Army of the Dead VFX artists to chat about putting together this action-packed visual feast.
In this article, we examine Filipino movies and Philippine cinema, arguably one of the more underappreciated industries in Southeast Asia.
While these titles may be NSFW comic books, they’re actually great works of art worth the read. Just with lots of guts and nudity.
The newest miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand (2020), like its central plot, is a battle between good and bad. And the show’s good parts are only due to the source material.
Franchises rule the movie marquee, but there are still movies that need a sequel but don’t have one. Here’s our top 10 picks.
Here’s a look into how filmmakers select the perfect songs to complement their work and a breakdown of a few iconic movie soundtracks.
For 90s action movies, cinema moved away from the musclebound giants of yesteryear and embraced more relatable heroes.
The best buddy cop movies are, at their core, great action movies. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best buddy cop movies ever.
Netflix cancelling its GLOW TV series left more than plot threads unresolved. The series had just begun to tackle problematic social issues.
Before you check out the new nine-part series of The Stand (2020) coming to CBS in December, let’s journey back to the mid 90’s and revisit the four-part television miniseries of The Stand (1994).
Not all box office flops are made equal. Our proof? These 10 fantastic films that flopped financially in their original theatrical releases.
Mythology and fantasy have never been distant from one another, and the same holds true for Indian fantasy writers.
Screen legend Sean Connery rests in peace, theater chain AMC reports massive loss in revenue due to COVID-19, and other fiction-related news.
Looking back at science fiction film history, we see that its roots are dug deep and tied together with into sci-fi horror movies.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the movie The Shining is a work of art.
Vet tabletop gamer or not, it’s the season for spooky, so we’ve picked the best horror board games and horror themed board games of all time.
Monochrome: The Chromism’s crew is a genuine group of people who came together around a passion project to make something ambitious and different on a shoestring budget of $2,000.
The Shining and Doctor Sleep are Stephen King’s latest seemingly complete saga, years apart in the making but just as chilling.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the movie Alien is a work of art.
RPG horror stories put you right in the middle of some terrifying situations, making the genre all the more real and visceral, which is a perfect fit for Halloween or any particularly spooky occasion.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the comic book Preacher is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a work of art.
The Netflix series Away takes place in outer space, and VFX can make or break that illusion. Enter the Away VFX artists from Framestore.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why the Scott Pilgrim comic book series is a work of art.
A new Dune trailer dropped on Wednesday for Denis Villeneuve’s epic reboot of the famous science fiction story by Frank Herbert.
Project Power’s VFX is clearly one of the stars of the Netflix original movie, alongside Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Dark Knight Rises is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Dark Knight is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Batman Begins is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Shawshank Redemption is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Fifth Element is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Killing Joke is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV) is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Final Fantasy 7 is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Watchmen is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a work of art. Topics include the immersive gameplay, branching storylines, and innovative game mechanics.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a work of art. Topics include the innovative storytelling, engaging and charming graphics, and the lore that it helped to create.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is a work of art.
What better way to learn about writing novels, short stories, or any creative work than from essays on writing from legendary writers.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a work of art.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Star Wars: A New Hope is a work of art.
The TV show Community featured lots of laughs, but it did so with a truly touching and American-centric message of acceptance, togetherness, and strength through diversity.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Ghostbusters is a work of art.
The supporting Legend of Zelda characters don’t get as much love as they should, yet the iconic series wouldn’t be the same without its cast.
In this episode of the Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why The Princess Bride is a fairy tale work of art.
In this launch of the new Fictionphile Podcast, the crew analyzes why Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is truly a masterpiece.
We recently revisited the pint-sized blonde detective and rekindled our love. But not all Veronica Mars episodes are created equal.
Girl power was on the move in 2020, but like most things, it was derailed by the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe and driving many indoors, voluntarily or not.
The 2020 Quarantine Book Club formed just two weeks ago, but it’s already marshaled 1,000 member to read the work of debut authors.
Philosophy shapes every action in our lives, whether we recognize and understand it or not.
Countless science fiction books, from short story collections to novels, line the shelves of book stores and libraries.
If you haven’t seen all or any of director Denis Villeneuve’s movies, make the filmmaker’s catalog a priority on your watch list.
Taika Waititi’s 2019 film Jojo Rabbit expands society’s collective memory of World War II.
Princess, priestess, and prophetess Cassandra of Troy lived under a curse; she could see the future, but no one would ever believe her.
Proceedings start slowly with Christine, as two high school friends, Arnie the geek and Dennis the jock, navigate life through high school.
This past award season, we bet there is one name you’ve probably heard more than any other: South Korean director and auteur Bong Joon-Ho.
Often times in science fiction we tend to eschew sci fi armor and instead focus on the ships, creatures, gadgetry, big flashy guns, and legally distinct laser swords.
Psychological thrillers leverage the complexity of the human brain, which allows them to tap into infinite possibilities.
HBO Max’s May 2020 premiere was already anticipated, but with Warner Max it’s clear WarnerMedia will enter the streaming wars guns blazing.
When analyizing A Star is Born (2018) using Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema it’s clear the narrative is inherently sexist.
Magnificent in decaying splendor, lonely, haunted and windswept, the big old building stands at the center of most Gothic fiction.
When Shakespeare’s great tragedies are brought up, including Macbeth, we often focus on literary merits, but what about plot structure?
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson is a debut epistolary novel about a farmer’s wife’s correspondence with a Danish museum curator.
Religious movies have fallen in popularity at the box office in recent decades. But what caused the rise and fall of these religious epics?
Author Rayne Hall delves into the psyche to discuss how and why dreams influence her work and the work of great authors past.
At Fictionphile, we’re pretty big science fiction nerds, so it’s only natural that we keep a close eye on upcoming sci fi across all of fiction’s mediums.
The 2020 Oscar Nominations were announced this morning for the 92nd Academy Awards, and Joker received the most nominations with 11 nods, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, and Directing.
Too Old to Die Young is one of those oddities that cause some of us to say to ourselves and viewing partners, “Just a… little more.”
There is a rumor that I am a picky person, perhaps even worse, a nitpicky person. Some would say this especially applies when it comes to action movie cliches.
If you ever loved a movie, play, TV show, or book–anything with dialogue–take a moment and thank Aeschylus. Not convinced? Let’s talk.
Disney buying Fox shook up the state of the evolving Fox comic book universe, claiming victims like X-Men. Yet, strangely enough, it seems Deadpool 3 has survived the purge.
Hunting Kris Kristofferson in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, James Coburn enlists Slim Pickens and María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García — or the Mexican actress Katy Jurado, for short.
As a long-time fan of the Star Wars series, ever since I was introduced to it in the 90’s, I was enamored with the aesthetic of glowing laser swords, massive mechanical marvels, mysterious ancient orders, and strange-looking puppets dressed up as aliens.
With Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker out less than a week, Disney didn’t wait long to announce a Star Wars The Skywalker Saga box set of all nine installments of the franchise’s flagship story.
The New Mutants movie, based on the X-Men horror spin-off, finished years ago but never released. Now, sources say it’s on its way in 2020 with a trailer in January.
A Carrie limited series just got approved for FX based on the horror novel of the same name by Stephen King.
The trailer for Hulu’s TV series remake of High Fidelity dropped today. The series and the original movie, starring John Cusack, is based on the Nick Hornby novel.
Thanks to various forms of fiction, popular culture is rife with different fictional locations from Hogwarts to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Just like bodies, no two examples of body swap fiction are exactly the same. They can range from the macabre to the quirky or cringe-worthy to brilliant.
If you’re relatively new to Stephen King, you might not know the terms constant reader or the Stephen King Multiverse. That’s why we’re here to break down the fiction universe you simply must know.
The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep is now a feature film directed by Mike Flanagan.
Lunar Lander started as a small project by a high school kid but has become a genre unto itself. This gaming story is 40 years in the making.
The battles of science fiction usually need heavy artillery. However, sci-fi movies do not all follow the rules of a single universe.
The best sci fi books for teens capture essentials about the teenage years, and they’re often the best sci fi books the genre has to offer.
Martial arts movies reside in a pseudo-genre where actual martial art skill is not necessary. Yet, we wondered what a fighting expert might like in a martial arts film–so we asked one.
The British writer Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE, more commonly known simply as Agatha Christie, was a 20th century crime fiction novelist and the best selling author of all time.
Though commonly found in poetry and prose, metaphors appear in several popular movies. Let’s review a few underrated metaphors in movies.
Movie remakes might seem like they’re a sign of the times, but their relationship with storytelling is woven into our collective history.
Earth as we know it could one day be rendered uninhabitable by some form of apocalypse, whether it’s nuclear war, zombies, or a robot uprising.
With April 14th fast approaching, Games of Thrones theories are getting more accurate and also a lot more weird.
Superhero Fatigue has been discussed for years, but yet the movies (and merchandise) kept on coming. Do other films have a shot anymore?
Even before SpaceWar!, the earliest known video game, games have always crossed paths with computers.
DM dives deep into the striking parallels between Jungian archetypes and D&D character classes before suggesting ways to break the mold.
Pop culture references in Rick and Morty run deep. Even the concept of the time traveling duo started as a satire of Doc and Marty from Back to the Future.
Watching Altered Carbon, one inevitably asks, would life lose its savor if we lived forever?
Narrative games today act more like an interactive work of fiction than games of the past, and no recent narrative-driven game proves this more than Spider-Man.
MCU phase 4 is just around the corner. After Avengers: Endgame and the ensuing in-world fallout, there’s an approaching need for new properties.
Science Fiction is influential to the world around us, and in turn, short stories are influential to Science Fiction.
Recent lawsuits against Fortnite could affect more than just the game’s developer. The outcome of the suits could affect all of pop culture.
Drugs and the talkies share a storied history. But two still-popular series show a scary resemblance. Let’s compare Breaking Bad vs Weeds.
Many episodes of Black Mirror can have a tendency to feel both prescient and totally plausible. Turns out, some are totally possible.
Researchers shook the Internet by the brain this week when they partially restored a quadriplegic man’s control of his hand, and we saw a glimpse of a potentially game changing brain-machine interface.
Hearing about new discoveries in science sometimes feels exactly like reading or watching science fiction.
The singularity, otherwise known as Dawn of the Planet of Computers, has been predicted for years. All we’ve received thus far are chat bots.
At the end of June 2013, a Star Wars casting call leaked for the sequel trilogy. Here are our guesses.