A genre is a category or type, made distinct from others by artistic form and content. In literature, the major genres are fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. They include myriad subgenres, a few of which are listed below. Many genres overlap. For example, if a mystery is set in the future in outer space, it can also qualify as science fiction.
| Genre | Subgenres |
| Fiction | Folklore Horror Mystery Romance Science fiction Western |
| Nonfiction | Autobiography Biography Essays News articles |
| Poetry | Epic Haiku Lyric Sonnets |
| Drama | Comedy Tragedy |
For more about helping students discover genres, explore these links:
ReadWriteThink.org
TeachingLiterature.org
