paranormal fiction
Ghost story genre
Paranormal fiction is a genre featuring supernatural elements—ghosts, psychic powers, vampires, werewolves, or other phenomena beyond scientific explanation—set in an otherwise recognizable world.
Unlike fantasy, which builds entire alternate realms, paranormal fiction grounds the uncanny in familiar settings: a detective who sees the dead, a romance between a woman and a shapeshifter.
The genre overlaps heavily with paranormal romance.
- vampireBlood-drinking undead creature
- telepathyDirect mental communication
- parallel worldsSeparate coexisting realities
- witchcraftPractice of supernatural magic
- djinnSpirit in Arab folklore
necromancy · banshee · spirit world · ghost · werewolf · clairvoyance · time travel · shapeshifter · blood magic · haunted house · alchemy · magical realism · precognition · psychic abilities · supernatural powers · grimoires · demon · fallen angel
paranormal fictionrealistic fiction
Invented yet plausible storytelling
literary realism · realism · social realism · kitchen sink realism · literary fiction
paranormal fictionhard science fiction
Speculative fiction emphasizing accuracy
techno-thriller · police procedural · medical drama · political thriller · espionage fiction
paranormal fictionnon-fiction
Writing about real things
journalism · biography · scientific literature · academic writing · documentary
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