Search for Human Values in Literature

The Lowdown on Genres

What is a genre?

"Any sizable group of fiction authors and/or specific titles that have similar chracteristics and appeal; these are books written to a particular, specific pattern." From Saricks, Joyce. Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library.

What are some major genres?

What are some examples of prominent authors in each genre?

• NoveList ~ NoveList is a readers advisory resource that assists fiction readers in finding authors and titles. You can search for books that grouped by select genres. Mostly contemporary fiction.

To access this resource from off campus, go to Reference/Literature Sources, then choose NoveList. You may also want to look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.

• WorldCat ~This worldwide catalog can quickly tell you if your book belongs to a certain genre. Most fiction records for books contain a "Genre/Form" line. You can look up you specific title and see how it is catergorized.

• The following magazines contain book reviews that are organized by genre. We carry current issues upstairs and older issues in bound volumes downstairs. You can also search these journals in our database by looking at Journals and Magazines Available Online.

• BookList
• The Publishers Weekly
• Library Journal

Literary Databases:

• Gale Databases ~ Includes the Dictionary of Literary Biography and the Twayne series which provides criticism of the works of major U.S., English, and world authors from Aristophanes to the present. Author entries range from 175-200 pages.The Twayne series is a good place to start for literary criticism. Dictionary of Literary Biography is one of the best places to start for biographical information about authors.
• Literary Index ~ An online index to the print Gale literature criticism series, many of which the library owns, including Contemporary Literary Criticism, Poetry Criticism, Drama Criticism, and Short Story Criticism.

 

To access this resource from off campus, go to Reference/Literature Sources, then choose one of the Gale Databases from the list (Dictionary of Literary Biography or Twayne Author Series). You may also want to look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.

• MagillOnLiterature ~ This database contains a wealth of critical essays and plot summaries of those works most often studied and written about by scholars.

  • MagillOnAuthors ~ Intended as a companion reference work to MagillOnLiterature, this database covers a variety of different authors. There is also a literary glossary.

   

  To access this resource from off campus, go to Reference/Literature Sources, then choose one of the Magill databases from the list. You may also want to look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.

• MLA International Bibliography ~ The primary index to literary criticism.

Print Resources about Genres in Literature

• Saricks, Joyce. Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. 2001. Call number R 025.54 S245r

• Herald, Diana Tixier. Genreflecting: a guide to reading interests in genre fiction. 2000. Electronic Resource (see library catalog for access) and personal copy (see librarian)

• Burgess, Michael. Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. 1992. Call number R 809.3876 B955r

• Pringle, Dave, ed. St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers. 1998. Call number R 809.3873 S143

• Bloom, Harold. Classic Horror Writers/ Modern Horror Writers. 1994. Electronic Resource (see library catalog for access)