Stories that envision an ideal society, often including a metaphor for how the choices humanity makes determines such a possible future. Examples of utopian stories are harder to find, but Lost Horizon by James Hilton is said to be an example of this.

Stories that take place on our earth at the current time and have an urban setting, meaning that they take place in a city. This is a very popular genre in young adult literature. Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series is a good example of urban fantasy.

Time travel is the concept of moving backward or forward to different points in time, in a manner analogous to moving through space. Additionally, some interpretations of time travel suggest the possibility of travel between parallel realities or universes.Time travel is the concept of moving backward or forward to different points in time, in a manner analogous to moving through space. Additionally, some interpretations of time travel suggest the possibility of travel between parallel realities or universes.

This sub-genre is the bread and butter, some would say, of the Fantasy genre itself. And examples surely abound of award-winning novels replete with the hack and slash/ spells-a-flying plot lines. These types of stories usually include (with notable exceptions) sword-play, magic, and a modicum of medieval-brand adventure. One does not have to look far to find outstanding examples of this type of story, with authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, and Robert E. Howard.

These types of stories remove all elements that fall under fantasy and horror, and embrace supernatural elements that are considered commonplace in the natural world. Things like angels, demons, ghosts, God, and Satan. Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness is a great example of a supernatural fantasy novel.

Where does the fantasy story start and the comic book end? As with many of these sub-genres, this category has more than its share of grey area. The Superhero Fantasy has, at its heart, characters with super powers and/ or unusual abilities. The heroes and villains act out many of the same roles as you’d find in a comic book story line, only in a fantasy setting. George R.R. Martin‘s Wildcards Series is a good example of this sub-genre.

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that refers to works set in an era where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. Steampunk contains alternate history-style elements of past technologies like dirigibles or mechanical computers combined with futuristic technologies like multi-function goggles, giant robots and ray guns.

A space opera is usually set in outer space or on a distant planet. In most cases, to keep the story fast moving, a spaceship can fly almost unlimited distances in a short time, and can turn on a dime, without the boring necessity of decelerating. The planets usually have Earth-like atmospheres (Earth’s moon is an exception) and exotic life forms. Aliens usually speak English, sometimes with an accent. The machinery of space opera often includes (in addition to spaceships) ray-guns, robots, and flying cars.

Space opera backgrounds may vary considerably in scientific plausibility. Most space operas conveniently violate the known laws of physics by positing some form of faster-than-light travel. Many space operas diverge even more from known physical reality, and not uncommonly invoke paranormal forces, or vast powers capable of destroying whole planets, stars, or galaxies.

In a true science fiction story, the majority of the action takes place in our world and universe. It may or may not happen in a futuristic setting. But science fiction always deals with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology and does not violate the laws of nature. Everything is plausible. It could happen. And the reader is drawn into the “what if” of the story by knowing that this scenario could happen. Some great examples of science fiction novels are Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, Dune by Frank Herbert, and A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz.

This sub-genre is a fusion between the two main genres. It represents works that use main elements of both to create a story that is (for example) futuristic and technical in tone, with fantastical sub-plots and characters. Arthur C. Clarke once said, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”, which might make the sub-genre easier to identify! Some would argue that there are even “sub-genres for the sub-genre” in this category, but for our purposes we will stick with the high-level definition given here. Anne McCaffrey‘s Pern novels are good examples of this sub-genre.