ADVENTURE
DEFINITION:
Adventure fiction usually features a hero on a quest of some kind (saving the world, combating terrorists, etc.) The genre is fast-paced, action-packed, and often set in exotic locales, whether on earth or in other fantasy worlds. Adventure fiction has a long history, from classic works by authors such as H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Rafael Sabatini through more recent fiction by Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Ted Bell, and many others. The heroes featured in these stories allow armchair warriors to experience the danger and overcome obstacles without leaving the comforts of home.
CHARACTERISTICS:
Heroes undertake desperate missions, overcoming obstacles and rescuing themselves and others. The protagonist is traditionally male, and his ingenuity and skill are instrumental in the success of the mission. There is almost always a happy ending, with the hero safe and order restored. Pacing may be slower in historical adventure, but a life-and-death urgency drives all these stories.
APPEAL:
Adventure fiction fans participate vicariously in dangerous missions against deadly opponents, set in hostile environments in the present day, the past, the future, and the imaginary worlds of science fiction and fantasy. Adventure novels feature larger-than-life characters, good and evil, and heroes on seemingly impossible missions, often with the fate of the world in their hands. These cinematic stories are often made into movies.
TRENDS:
Adventure proper is a relatively small genre. Readers/librarians looking for adventure fiction will get more results by searching for adventure as a keyword rather than as a genre heading. (NoveList does have a genre heading called adventure stories. Combine it with other genres for a narrower results list. Try GX adventure stories AND (GN thrillers OR GN suspense). Adventure books can have a long, long shelf life. (See The Odyssey.) Tales of derring-do and bravery never go out of style. Many of the best, most popular adventure books are quite old.
AUTHORS:
Classics: Edgar Rice Burroughs, C. S. Forester, H. Rider Haggard, Jack London, Patrick O'Brian, Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Popular: Ted Bell, Dale Brown, Lee Child, Bernard Cornwell, Michael Crichton, Jack Higgins, Francine Mathews, Douglas J. Preston, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, Wilbur Smith
DEFINITION:
Adventure fiction usually features a hero on a quest of some kind (saving the world, combating terrorists, etc.) The genre is fast-paced, action-packed, and often set in exotic locales, whether on earth or in other fantasy worlds. Adventure fiction has a long history, from classic works by authors such as H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Rafael Sabatini through more recent fiction by Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Ted Bell, and many others. The heroes featured in these stories allow armchair warriors to experience the danger and overcome obstacles without leaving the comforts of home.
CHARACTERISTICS:
Heroes undertake desperate missions, overcoming obstacles and rescuing themselves and others. The protagonist is traditionally male, and his ingenuity and skill are instrumental in the success of the mission. There is almost always a happy ending, with the hero safe and order restored. Pacing may be slower in historical adventure, but a life-and-death urgency drives all these stories.
APPEAL:
Adventure fiction fans participate vicariously in dangerous missions against deadly opponents, set in hostile environments in the present day, the past, the future, and the imaginary worlds of science fiction and fantasy. Adventure novels feature larger-than-life characters, good and evil, and heroes on seemingly impossible missions, often with the fate of the world in their hands. These cinematic stories are often made into movies.
TRENDS:
Adventure proper is a relatively small genre. Readers/librarians looking for adventure fiction will get more results by searching for adventure as a keyword rather than as a genre heading. (NoveList does have a genre heading called adventure stories. Combine it with other genres for a narrower results list. Try GX adventure stories AND (GN thrillers OR GN suspense). Adventure books can have a long, long shelf life. (See The Odyssey.) Tales of derring-do and bravery never go out of style. Many of the best, most popular adventure books are quite old.
AUTHORS:
Classics: Edgar Rice Burroughs, C. S. Forester, H. Rider Haggard, Jack London, Patrick O'Brian, Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Popular: Ted Bell, Dale Brown, Lee Child, Bernard Cornwell, Michael Crichton, Jack Higgins, Francine Mathews, Douglas J. Preston, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, Wilbur Smith