Confused about genres

[HopelessDreamer]

The entire time I was writing my book, I was unsure of whether it fell into the category of action/adventure or fantasy. I still find myself questioning this, and now that it's important for me to define my genre (I'm sending queries to agents) I still can't figure out which one suits it. My dilemma is that my novel takes place in a fictional world; I made up the countries and cities. However, other than being set in a fantasy world, it has very few fantasy elements (no magic, mythical creatures, or anything like that). It takes place during a war, and the characters have to cope with various life-threatening situations, which is why I was considering placing it under the action/adventure genre. Which would you consider it?

[RRK]

The entire time I was writing my book, I was unsure of whether it fell into the category of action/adventure or fantasy. I still find myself questioning this, and now that it's important for me to define my genre (I'm sending queries to agents) I still can't figure out which one suits it. My dilemma is that my novel takes place in a fictional world; I made up the countries and cities. However, other than being set in a fantasy world, it has very few fantasy elements (no magic, mythical creatures, or anything like that). It takes place during a war, and the characters have to cope with various life-threatening situations, which is why I was considering placing it under the action/adventure genre. Which would you consider it?

I would place anything that takes place in another world in the fantasy genre. I think most readers looking for action adventure in general might feel a little misled when they opened the book and found that it was about a fictional place.

I'm currently having a genre dilemma of my own, so I'll raise it here also (sorry for the intrusion, HopelessDreamer :) ). Are dystopias set in the future considered science fiction rather than mainstream? My WIP is set in the future, but doesn't have much of a technological focus. Is The Children of Men considered science fiction? What about 1984? Brave New World? Obviously bookstores are more likely to place such famous works under general "fiction"--but for a first time novelist querying an agent (in theory--I'm not nearly to that stage yet!), would the novel be considered science fiction, or mainstream?

[Chasing the Horizon]

Magic isn't a requirement for fantasy (if you go to the sci-fi & fantasy sub-forum there have been a number of discussions about just that). Taking place on a made-up world makes it fantasy.

[HopelessDreamer]

Thanks for the feedback; looks like I definitely have a fantasy novel then.

In response to your question, RRK, like you said, I know I've seen Brave New World and 1984 in the Fiction/Literature sections of bookstores and not under Sci-Fi/Fantasy. As you stated, I suppose it depends on how established the author is; Huxley and Orwell are very famous. If I were you, I'd go the safe route and pitch it as Sci-Fi.

[JoNightshade]

I agree, pitch the dystopia as sci fi. I think most of them begin there and then migrate into "literature" as they become well known. :)

[RRK]

Good advice, thanks!

[Wolvel]

While we are on the subject. I'm not sure which genre mine fits into either.

It is set in the known modern world with werewolves but not in the horror sense.

I'm guessing it would be straight up fantasy, correct?

[nevada]

Wolvel, taht's more paranormal than fantasy.

Hopeless, there is a new genre, or subgenre, to sci fi/fantasy which is called slipstream. It sounds from your description that your novel would be more accurately called slipstream. Although the countries are made up, is everything else exactly the same as our world? If it is, I would definitely lean towards slipstream.

[Wolvel]

Wolvel, taht's more paranormal than fantasy.

.

Thank you I could not think of the word paranormal to save my life.

[HopelessDreamer]

Wolvel, taht's more paranormal than fantasy.

Hopeless, there is a new genre, or subgenre, to sci fi/fantasy which is called slipstream. It sounds from your description that your novel would be more accurately called slipstream. Although the countries are made up, is everything else exactly the same as our world? If it is, I would definitely lean towards slipstream.

Yeah, everything else is the same; most of my countries represent real countries as well. Thanks for the info; I'd never heard of slipstream before.

[writeroffthelake]

Wow, I'm impressed with what everyone's saying because it's the exact opposite of what I've always read. I was lead to understand that fantasy had to have mythical creatures, and that since most realistic fiction also takes place in a made-up fictional world, whether or not a place really existed I always thought had nothing to do with making it fantasy, sci-fi, magic realism, or any other genre.

Before reading all the other opinions, I was certain the genre should be action/adventure. Now I'm not so sure.... Time for me to get offline and page through a few hundred of my writing texts and see if I need to revise my original opinion.

[Stijn Hommes]

I wouldnt call it fantasy just because it is set in a made up world.
It's also important to know how much that world differs from our own.

I could set my story in Lakefield, Alabama (which hopefully is a made up town), but that doesn't make it fantasy.

[Azraelsbane]

If you want a really good example of slipstream, read Haruki Murakami. He's a master of it. :) I suggest Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but all of his stuff is awesome.

[amber_grosjean]

Yea, I always have that problem too. Cursed Blood was written for the horror genre but after hearing from fans, its horror/suspense. And with Stolen Identity, Romance was my aim with a lot of sex. After being turned down by romance publishers, I tried the erotica publishers which also do romance genres and learned mine is erotica thriller. Of course, some of the scenes had to be rewritten through the edits with the publisher's editor but it is defenitly coming along. I didn't realize I gave too much information lol.

If all else fails, the publisher can let you know the exact genre to place it in if you're wrong. Let some of your friends read it and ask them what genre it fits in and go from there. Your story does have elements from both genres. A lot of fiction books have made up towns in them. If that is the only part that makes it fantasy, try the other genre. Of course, that also depends on the locations of these towns. If it is on Earth in normal locations but the names are made up, go with action/adventure. If the towns are from another place or in an ocean, or something like that, go with fantasy.

Amber

[wayndom]

I'm currently having a genre dilemma of my own, so I'll raise it here also (sorry for the intrusion, HopelessDreamer :) ). Are dystopias set in the future considered science fiction rather than mainstream? My WIP is set in the future, but doesn't have much of a technological focus. Is The Children of Men considered science fiction? What about 1984? Brave New World? Obviously bookstores are more likely to place such famous works under general "fiction"--but for a first time novelist querying an agent (in theory--I'm not nearly to that stage yet!), would the novel be considered science fiction, or mainstream?

I'm in the same spot as you, except that I've already finished my dystopian novel and am querying agents about it.

My query letter opens, "Default Line is a dystopian novel (not science fiction) that takes place in 2048."

I think the dystops you mention have to be considered separate from sci-fi, because they just aren't sci-fi. They're social novels. They're about what people do to each other, not what affect technology has on us, and the technology they include is never ground-breaking (TV was over ten years old when Orwell wrote 1984).

I'm specifically not querying agents who handle sci-fi, because (a) they might not be interested or be disappointed that it isn't "real" sci-fi, and (2) I'm looking for a bigger audience than the sci-fi genre appeals to.

But it really does pose a problem. I have some violence, some suspense, some intrigue and some sex, but my novel is neither thriller, mystery, nor any other genre I know of.

And by the way, no, Children of Men isn't sci-fi. It would have to include some scientific reason for the sterility, complete with some race to find a cure, to be sci-fi.

Nor is 1984. Brave New World qualifies as sci-fi, but has readership beyond the genre, which is why you won't see it in sci-fi sections in bookstores.

Also not sci-fi are The Handmaiden's Tale and the Michael Palin movie, Brazil.

[Xx|e|ph|e|me|r|al|xX]

Xx|I've been struggling with mine, too. Mind if I add it in?

It includes vampyres. 3 of my four mains are vampyres, and much of the story involves the society of vampyres and everything. But the vampyres themselves are almost more of a Matrix thing. As in, they're a form of half-dead human that has adapted to function differently--so they're "realistic", not "fantastical"--and all their abilities come from the ability to "see" things at a molecular level and altar it. That's Matrix-y in the sense of "there is no table...just molecules at our disposal". :tongue But the story itself is about the four MCs' relationships, and emotional/psychological drama and development. For instance, one major arch is Michel, the main MC, overcoming the emotional barriers he still carried around with him after his abusive relationship and realizing what's really important, what he really loves, and coming to terms and understanding with where and how things are. That kind of thing makes up all of the main themes/plots. Also, it's set in modern day through about 2014 London (and some Paris and US, too). No alternate universe or anything. The only thing altered is the existence of vampyres.

So would the vampyres throw it into fantasy/paranormal no matter what, or would it fall into something else? If so, what?

Sorry to throw another thing out there. But as long as we're on the topic, I've been wanting someone else's opinion...:)

TY and toodles~!|xX

[Red Robin]

Are there swords or guns? Swords are fantasy, guns are sci/fi. Star wars is SF because there are guns, and though it has swords, they are made of laser or something. He-Man was just crap :)

[Xx|e|ph|e|me|r|al|xX]

Xx| Are you asking me, or the OP?

I'll answer real quick if you're asking me...

There's both. One of the MCs has taken to swordfighting (he finds the dancerly movements easier to learn and the act overall more beneficial, you know, staying in shape and stuff; guns and other things are too daunting for him with their technicalities). But there are guns. For instance, in the beginning, when the M-MC is nearly killed and made a vampyre, he's shot a few times by a sniper. Also, you know those sedative guns they use to knock stray or wild animals out but not kill them? The hunters use those, but filled with liquid cyanide.

Sorry if you weren't asking me! I'll delete this if you weren't. XD |xX