New book genres like life lit, domestic noir, magical realism and what they mean
Life lit, domestic noir, magical realism, speculative fiction, mythopoeia or cli-fi? This is what these new age literary genres really mean.
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Romantic suspense novels are driven by danger and romance.
How much emphasis is placed on each element varies dramatically between writers and stories. From the moment I discovered these books I loved them, and quickly became hooked on writing them.
Other than fairy tales, of which I was never a fan, my first taste of anything approaching a romantic suspense story ended with HeMan carrying SheRa from the battlefield after an epic battle in an episode of Masters of the Universe. Corny, I know, but I was eight-years-old and enjoyed morning cartoons.
I’ve always loved a good, scary story both on the movie screen and in the pages of a book. I grew up binging on anything thriller, suspense, mystery, action and adventure. A recurring theme in many of these tales was the hero fighting for a greater good while falling in love with the heroine he inevitably ended up rescuing along the way. This subplot raised the stakes and added another layer to the story, which I enjoyed.
There was just one thing that grated on me. Why was the heroine so often hopeless? What was with all the ridiculous screaming and swooning?
When I started writing, I was determined to create heroines capable of rescuing themselves. They’d be flawed, normal, relatable and challenged to overcome almost insurmountable odds by looking within themselves for the answers, not to the closest buff hero.
Of course, my hero can contribute equally to saving the day, but he can do so while being as flawed, normal and relatable as my heroine. I wanted to write everyday lead characters that complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses. So that’s what I set out to do.
Over the course of my previous books, namely Blood Tree River and Devil’s Lair, I’ve developed a variety of these characters, setting their stories against backdrops of extreme danger. In my new novel, Deadman’s Track, the lives of Tess and Jared are put on the line in the harshest of climates facing the darkest of threats. Neither character can rely solely on the other in order to survive, yet they can’t win alone. Because death is stalking them both and time is running out.
Romantic suspense and other little known literary terms
Life lit, domestic noir, magical realism, speculative fiction. Have I lost you yet? And what exactly is mythopoeia or bizarro? Is minimalism really a writing genre?
There are so many literary terms being thrown around these days that it’s easy to feel confused. Should we understand them all? Do we need to? Certainly, the ability to search for your next favourite read by genre or subgenre is easier than scrolling the back of every book that looks like it might fit the bill.
But what do these terms mean? As most of us are probably familiar with the more traditional categories of for example, romance, thrillers, science fiction and horror, let’s take a brief look at some of the lesser known terms you might find useful.
Romantic suspense: As I’ve written above romantic suspense story fuses together romance and the ever-present threat of danger. These stories end with a happily ever after. Suggested read: Undercurrents by Nora Roberts.
Magical realism: In Magical Realism, ordinary life is infused with magical events. These events are commonplace to the characters, in line with their views of normality and everyday existence. Suggested read: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman.
Life lit: As the title suggests, Life lit looks at modern day life, relationships and the stumbling blocks characters face as they navigate contemporary society. Suggested read: Lost Without You by Rachael Johns.
Domestic noir: Domestic Noir is a subgenre of crime fiction. It portrays domestic life in a challenging and often dangerous manner. Suggested read: Girl On A Train by Paula Hawkins.
Speculative fiction: Speculative fiction places the reader in an alternate world, complete with its own history, rules and challenges. It will usually incorporate genres such as fantasy or science fiction. Suggested read: The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood.
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Mythopoeia: Mythopoeia is a genre in which the author creates his or her own fictional mythology. This genre began with a poem by JRR Tolkien and continues today through titles such as The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Suggested reads: A Song Of Fire And Ice series by George RR Martin.
Cyber punk: Cyberpunk takes place is a futuristic dystopian reality. This science fiction subgenre tends to combine advanced technology with a breakdown of social order. Suggested read: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan.
Cli-fi: Cli-fi fiction explores issues of climate change, creating a world suffering a fate based on current scientific predictions. Suggested read: Overstory by Richard Powers.
Sarah Barrie is the author of Dead Man’s Track, published by HarperCollins, available now, $29.99
Slotting comfortably into the crime thriller category is Karin Slaughter’s The Silent Wife, our Book of the Month for July, available for 30 per cent off pre-orders at Booktopia with the code WIFE.
And do drop by our Sunday Book Club Facebook group to talk life lit and more.
Originally published as New book genres like life lit, domestic noir, magical realism and what they mean
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