Subject: Genre
Different varieties and sub-varieties of literature.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| shaggy god story n. (1965) | a story in which a religious (esp. biblical) myth is explained as having a science fictional origin |
| slash n. (1984) | a subgenre of fiction, originally published in fanzines and now esp. online, in which characters who appear together in popular films or other media are portrayed as having a sexual (esp. homosexual) relationship |
| slipstream n. (1989) | fiction which, while not classified as science fiction, engages to some extent with scientific or futuristic subject matter, esp. such fiction regarded as constituting an identifiable genre; this genre of fiction |
| space epic n. (1943) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven plots set in outer space; a work in this genre; cf. space opera n. |
| space opera n. (1941) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven, extravagantly dramatic plots (often including elements of romance) set in outer space; a subgenre of science fiction which uses stock characters and settings, especially those of Westerns translated into outer space; a work in this genre, regarded as being of an unsophisticated or clichéd type |
| speculative fiction n. 1 (1889) | = science fiction n. 2; (sometimes spec.) hard science fiction n. |
| speculative fiction n. 2 (1952) | = imaginative fiction |
| speculative fiction n. 3 (1968) | fiction which includes science fictional elements but which is regarded as not part of the genre of science fiction, as because it is soft science fiction, or to avoid a stigma felt to be associated with the term ‘science fiction’ |
| splatterpunk n. 1 (1987) | a subgenre of horror fiction characterized by the frequent and graphic description of grisly violence, bloody deaths, and extreme sexual situations; (in later use also) a similar genre of movies, video games, etc. |
| steampunk n. 2 (1987) | a subgenre of science fiction which has a historical setting (esp. based on industrialized, nineteenth-century society) and characteristically features steam-powered, mechanized machinery rather than electronic technology |
| subgenre n. (1955) | a style or category (of fiction, film, etc.) that is a regarded as a subset of another, broader genre |
| sword and sorcery n. (1953) | a subgenre of fantasy n. 1 which describes the adventures of larger-than-life heroes or heroines in bronze-age or medieval settings, and especially their battles with magical or supernatural foes; = heroic fantasy n. |
| technothriller n. (1978) | a thriller which employs science fictional technology or gadgetry |
| thud and blunder n. (1940) | (a disparaging term for) an adventure story that features violent exploits |
| time opera n. (1953) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven, extravagantly dramatic plots based on time travel; a work in this genre |
| urban fantasy n. (1978) | a genre of fantasy that uses a (modern) city as its primary setting; a work in this genre |
| weird n. (1923) | something that is weird adj.; weird fiction collectively |
| weird adj. (1923) | describing supernatural horror (often in weird fiction, weird story, etc.) |
| weird science n. (1927) | a genre that combines elements of weird with science fiction |
| widescreen baroque n. (1964) | Brian Aldiss’s term for: a subgenre of science fiction characterized by larger-than-life characters, violence, intrigue, extravagant settings or actions, and fast-paced plotting; a form of space opera n. |