Then there are the types who exclusively read one or two subtypes of genre fiction and automatically classify any "serious" works of literature as pretentious or boring. There are certainly high brow literary readers who believe that genre fiction does not deserve any merit. In publishing, literary fiction novels are regarded as having more literary merit than most commercial or "genre" fiction. Or, maybe literary fiction is a genre … Genres are fluid, and many books tow the line between them. According to this nifty and educational infographic (from Hiptype via Galleycat), the top-grossing type of fiction is "literature." According to this nifty and educational infographic (from Hiptype via Galleycat), the top-grossing type of fiction is “literature.”While it’s easy to define romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and other genres, it can be harder to pinpoint what exactly literature is, especially in contrast to popular, mainstream, commercial, or just plain fiction fiction. Genre fiction can tackle complex themes as well, but it’s more of an entertaining story that allows the reader to escape from reality. But as I said, genre distinctions can be useful to consumers/fans. So we really have three words to deal with, Genre, Form and Style (literary or genre fiction). Literary Fiction Definition – What’s the best definition for Literary Fiction? Books in the Literary Fiction genre tend to be more “sophisticated” than books that are simply labeled as Commercial, Mainstream, or General Fiction. Primarily literary writers such as Sam Lipsyte and Jennifer Egan have written sci-fi stories for The New Yorker's Science Fiction Issue. A primary one is plot. As more “literary” writers venture into genre fiction, the lines of distinction have blurred. All the same, a number of major literary figures have also written genre fiction, for example, John Banville publishes crime novels as Benjamin Black, … Having a grasp of these as writers is very important as we come into contact with other writers. Literature vs genre is a battle where both sides lose Literary fiction is an artificial luxury brand but it doesn’t sell. I’ve also heard literary fiction defined as paying diligence to the craft of writing (or the art of stringing words together), exploring the human condition, and making bold commentary or criticism of society and culture. Writers are certainly discussing this topic a lot these days and it’s a focus of Donald Maass’s latest book, Writing in the 21st Century. Genres are typically understood as collections of structural elements. The writer of a literary novel can tackle any subject, any theme—though these aren’t necessarily the most important part of the story. Genres are typically understood as collections of structural elements. While it's easy to define romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and other genres, it can be harder to pinpoint what exactly literature is, especially in contrast to popular, mainstr In general, when people talk about the difference between literary fiction and genre fiction, they're talking about the difference between art and entertainment.It's like comparing an esoteric independent theatre release to a summer blockbuster with a character licensing deal.