Covering nearly 6,000 titles in such popular genres as crime, adventure, romance, western, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Herald"s best-selling reference defines each, describes its characteristics and subgenres, and groups authors and books according to type or subject. You"ll also learn about some of the latest subgenres that have emerged.Find the best read-alikes for patrons and build a fiction collection that appeals to the broad spectrum of readers that you serve with this thorough guide. Covering nearly 6,000 titles in such popular genres as crime, adventure, romance, western, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Herald"s indispensable reference defines each, describes its characteristics and subgenres, and groups authors and books according to type or subject. You"ll find everything you need to know about traditional genre literature, and you"ll learn about some of the latest subgenres to emerge - e.g., virtual reality, bioengineering, and biothrillers. A entirely new chapter covers historical fiction, and there are also lists of resources for further research, including numerous genre-related online sources. Invaluable as a reader"s guide, and as a resource for bookstore personnel, Herald"s work will also be useful to publishers and writers of genre fiction.