Although, as readers, we tend to read what we like, there is some indication that the blending of genres is allowing us to explore other kinds of story. In 2026, this is indicated by the following staples and growing topics and themes.

TRENDING GENRES

1. Young Adult (YA) is still in high demand by the intended age group but also older readers, especialy when a book is adapted for a movie, or series.
2. LGBTQ+ Fiction, which was huge (and still is) within the fan fiction arena is seeing growth probably due to the youth growing up and wanting representation in adult stories.
3. Horror stories allow us to escape the real life horror of current times, knowing it isn’t real and there is resolution. Added to this is the growing popularity of a new sub-genre Fem-Gore, which is revenge fantasy. Ladies we can relate.
4. As we all know the internet is dominated by romantasy and romance hybrids currently. It might not continue at such a meteoric trend this upcoming year, but time wil tell. Is there a saturation point for such stories?
5. Another popular genre, grounded speculative fiction currently covers the current climate change difficulties, AI controversy and space exploration expenditure and the billionaire trips.
6. There is a huge interest in 18th and 19th century narratives, which are aided with such shows as Bridgerton and the numerous Jane Austen adaptions. However, stories of the thirties upto the two-thousands do not have any real interest.
7. There is an indication that Gen-Zers are reading western small-town narratives showing a desire for nostalgia and simpler times. Within this genre are superhero and history tie-ins to compliment the narratives.
8. As always there is still interest in the classics, where their timeless themes and characters are part of the culture.

Do you have a favoured genre?

What draws you to this particular genre?

Have you tried other genres?