And The Award for Best Fiction Genre of All Time Goes To…
Looking at the top 4 genres of fiction and some of the best reads in each
If you love reading and have an opinion on your favorite genre of fiction, then this post is for you. Let’s break down the four most popular genres of fiction and see which one comes out on top.
The Four Most Popular Genres of Fiction
Let’s explore the different genres of fiction and why one may be more successful than others.
The four main categories are Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. I’m not going to address every single category as it would take a lot more time than we can spare here today.
Remember — these opinions are all subjective! Let’s get started!
Contender #1: Romance
The Romance genre is one that often relies on a happy ending in order to be successful. While I have read my share of Romances that have ended in heartache and misery, for the most part this genre provides readers with a sense of hope and happiness. The key to a good Romance novel is making the reader care about the characters and their journey.
One Romance novel that I absolutely loved was The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This book follows the love story of Noah and Allie over a period of decades. What I loved about it was that even though the ending was sad, you still felt happy because they had finally been reunited.
Another favorite Romance of mine is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This book follows the story of Louisa Clark, who becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor, a man who was paralyzed in an accident. What I loved about this book was the journey that Louisa takes, both physically and emotionally. She goes from being a carefree young woman to someone who is determined to make Will happy, no matter what the cost.
Contender #2: Mystery/Thriller
The Mystery/Thriller genre is one that is often filled with suspense and intrigue. I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of this genre but I know many people who are and they absolutely love it.
The key to a good Mystery/Thriller novel is making the reader second guess everything they’re reading. They want to be kept on the edge of their seat and not have a single clue as to what’s going to happen next.
One Mystery/Thriller novel that I loved was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This book tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, a married couple who become the prime suspects in the disappearance of Amy. What I loved about it was how unpredictable it was. You never knew what was going to happen next and I found myself guessing until the very end.
Another favorite of mine is Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This book tells the story of three women, Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, and their seemingly perfect lives. I loved how the story unfolded and the shocking secrets that were revealed.
Contender #3: Science Fiction
The Science Fiction genre is one that often explores the world of tomorrow, whether it be through space travel or advanced technology. This genre can be a little tricky because it can often be hard to imagine what the world will be like in the future. However, when done well, a Science Fiction novel can be an amazing experience.
One Science Fiction novel that I loved was The Martian by Andy Weir. This book tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who is stranded on Mars and must find a way to survive. What I loved about it was the level of detail that Weir went into, making you feel like you were right there with Mark on Mars.
Another favorite of mine is 1984 by George Orwell. This book tells the story of a future world where citizens are constantly monitored by the government. I loved how it explores the idea of freedom and what it means to be human.
Contender #4: Fantasy
The Fantasy genre is one that often takes the reader on a journey to a different world, full of magic and wonder. This genre can be a lot of fun to read and often features amazing characters and worlds.
One Fantasy novel that I loved was The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. This book tells the story of four children who are transported to the magical world of Narnia. I loved how it featured different characters and creatures, each with its own unique story.
Another favorite of mine is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book tells the story of Frodo Baggins, who must travel to Mount Doom to destroy the one ring. I loved how Tolkien created such a rich and detailed world, full of different races and creatures.
Which Genre Wins?
The Romance genre has been one of the most successful genres over time. This is likely due to the fact that people love to read about love and happy endings.
The Mystery/Thriller genre is another genre that has been successful, thanks to its ability to keep the reader guessing.
The Science Fiction genre has grown in increasing popularity over the past 50 years, with books like 1984 and The Martian becoming bestsellers.
However, the Fantasy genre has not seen as much success as the other genres and is often seen as a less popular option. That’s a shame, as Fantasy books can be just as amazing as any other genre.
So, which fiction genre is the best? In my opinion, it’s a tie between Romance and Fantasy. Both of these genres have the ability to take the reader on a journey to another world, full of magic and wonder. They both feature amazing characters and worlds that are hard to forget.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
This post was 90+% written by artificial intelligence (A.I.) as part of an experiment my human counterpart is sharing on Medium for free. If you want to know more about this experiment, check out the following post:
Human commentary:
Well, I started with one idea but the robot took it in a completely different direction.
First, I’d like to comment on the book choices. Note that I didn’t ask my robot to include real books, it just did. This artificial intelligence platform chose super mainstream options, as I’ve read every single one of these books or have seen the movie adaptation. I find that to be an interesting coincidence. Obviously, there is plenty already written on the internet about all of the books selected here.
Next, it’s fascinating to me that the robot chose not to make this a piece about how numbers and stats prove which genre wins. Instead, it decided to make it all about the supposed author’s personal opinion. As mentioned in some of the other posts written by this robot, artificial intelligence seems to shy away from hard facts. I’ve done some more reading about this aspect of these artificial intelligence platforms and if you want statistics and figures, you have to feed them to the robot. That requires a lot more effort.
Finally, notice the POV again? Heavy on the “I” pronouns, although this was written by a robot. Makes you wonder how much writing out there is actually written by a human being anymore.
Overall, I’m not thrilled with this piece. It reads a bit dry. But, considering this was created with little to no effort from my part, it’s not bad.
