You’ve heard of fiction genres like mystery, horror, romance, and fantasy—but sometimes those labels are too broad to capture the stories that really stick with you.
Maybe you crave cozy, hopeful tales set in strange new worlds, or unsettling stories where the ordinary slips just a little off-center. That’s where subgenres and story themes come in. These lesser-known but richly specific categories can help you describe exactly what you love—and discover more of it. Here are 15 intriguing subgenres to help you fine-tune your reading tastes and explore fiction in fresh, unexpected ways.
Hopepunk
A subgenre rooted in optimism, community, and resistance. Even in dark times, characters believe in kindness and connection as a form of rebellion.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
Grimdark
The opposite of hopepunk—think bleak worlds, moral ambiguity, and anti-heroes. Popular in fantasy (e.g. Game of Thrones).
Slipstream
A genre-bending blend of speculative and literary fiction where the strange and surreal coexist with reality—stories that feel like dreams just a little too close to real life.
Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi)
Fiction focused on climate change and its consequences—sometimes dystopian, sometimes hopeful. Perfect for readers who enjoy stories grounded in environmental issues.
Afrofuturism / Indigenous Futurism
These genres center cultural perspectives that are often underrepresented in science fiction and fantasy, reimagining futures through Black or Indigenous lenses.
Low Fantasy vs. High Fantasy
Low fantasy brings magic into the real world (Harry Potter starts as low fantasy) while high fantasy builds an entirely new world (The Lord of the Rings). Recognizing the distinction can help narrow down fantasy preferences.
Low Fantasy:
High Fantasy:
New Weird
A blend of horror, science fiction, and fantasy with often grotesque, surreal, or baffling elements.
Solarpunk
A hopeful vision of the future featuring sustainable technology and community resilience. Great for sci-fi readers who want to imagine solutions, not just problems.
Magical Realism
Magical realism treats the magical as mundane and integrated into everyday life, unlike fantasy, where the magical is often dramatic and central.
Speculative Romance
Romance wrapped in sci-fi or fantasy worlds, where the emotional journey is as important as the speculative setting (popular in fan fiction!).
Domestic Noir
Psychological suspense stories often involve family secrets, unreliable narrators, and home life turned dangerous (Gone Girl is a classic).
Mythic Fiction
Modern or alternate-world retellings of myths, legends, and folklore. Often poetic, symbolic, and introspective.
Quiet Horror / Folk Horror
For those who don’t love gore but love a creeping sense of dread. Think atmospheric settings, rural myths, or ancient rituals (The Witch, The Wicker Man).
Bizarro Fiction
Intentionally strange, absurd, and often humorous. Think adult swim meets literature—good for adventurous readers.
Techno-Optimism / Techno-Dread
Stories centered around technology’s role in shaping society, for better (hopeful sci-fi) or worse (dystopias, Black Mirror-esque tales).
Want to learn more about subgenres and themes?
Looking to dive deeper into what makes your favorite stories tick? Our NoveList Plus database is a fantastic tool for discovering the why behind your reading preferences. Beyond broad genres like mystery or fantasy, NoveList helps you explore more specific story elements—including subgenres, themes, and appeal terms—that describe everything from a book’s tone to its pacing.
Happy reading!
Add a comment to: Genres You Didn’t Know You Loved