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Genre: a distinctive category of literary composition

Literature Genre: marked by distinctive style, form and content. One is just right for YOU!

Are You for Real?

• NON-FICTION: real, factual, deals with actual people, places, and events

• FICTION: unreal, not true, not factual, a made up story

Biography

• Story of a real person’s life
• Form of nonfiction (true)
• Bios means life
• Graphe means to write
• Author must do research by interviewing the subject or those who knew the subject

Realistic Fiction

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Accurately reflects life as it could be lived today
• Everything in the story could happen to real people living in our natural physical world
• The characters have normal human characteristics
• Story may be set in real places, but the story is NOT based on history

Autobiography

• Form of nonfiction (true)
• Story of a real person’s life
• Auto means self
• Bios means life
• Graphe means to write
• Written by the person the story is about
• Author does not need to do research
• Author shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks

Historical Fiction

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Based on historical events
• Authentic settings
• Characters portrayed in realistic manner
• Some characters may be actual people from history, but the story is fictional
• Artistic mix of fiction and historical fact

Science Fiction

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Contains some sort of scientific element, such as

• Outer space Medicine Technology
• Outer space
• Medicine
• Technology

• Within the realm of possibility
• Characters have some believable traits/qualities

Fantasy

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Contains one or more of the following:

• supernatural occurrences characters with magical powers things with magical powers animals with human characteristics real people in fantastic places fantastic creatures or characters in real situations
• supernatural occurrences
• characters with magical powers
• things with magical powers
• animals with human characteristics
• real people in fantastic places
• fantastic creatures or characters in real situations

High Fantasy

• Form of fiction (not real)
• Good vs. evil (supernatural/evil forces)
• Story written in a series of books/ volumes
• Coming- of- age themes
• Include fantastical elements, such as:

• Elves and dwarves Magic Wizards Invented languages quests
• Elves and dwarves
• Magic
• Wizards
• Invented languages
• quests

Mystery

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Story revolves around a puzzle/problem
• Characters deal with the solution to a puzzle/problem, such as

• finding a missing item/person unraveling a secret rationalize an event that is not explained
• finding a missing item/person
• unraveling a secret
• rationalize an event that is not explained

• Contains clues/hints that help the characters and readers solve the puzzle/problem

Folktales

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Story that teaches a lesson
• Contain the beliefs and customs of a region or country
• Original story is modified to make it more interesting or more humorous
• Present larger-than-life characters and very unusual happenings

Fables

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Type of folktale
• Ends in a moral or lesson
• Characters are animals that talk and act like humans
• A character usually represents a single human characteristic, such as a fox being symbolic of a trickster

Legend

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Stories written about a real life hero and his/her mighty deeds
• Mix of fiction and historical facts that have been creatively altered to encourage moral conduct and right choices
• Leaves questions/wonder in the reader’s minds (Did Mike Fink really wrestle a grizzly bear?)

Myths

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Pertains to the actions of the gods and/or goddesses
• Characters are super-natural beings with human emotions and qualities
• Plot may involve interplay between worlds (this world and previous/original world)

Classics

• Form of fiction (not true)
• Timelessness: enjoyed by readers from generation to generation
• Deals with universal themes and experiences that relate to readers, such as:

• love conquers all good vs. evil rags to riches
• love conquers all
• good vs. evil
• rags to riches

• Communicates ideas across cultures
• Unforgettable characters