Start living in 2022: Our genre and sub-genre predictions
We’re here to tell you how to get the edge on your competition.
The best way to become a popular author is to write something people want to read – it’s obvious, right? Well, we’re here to tell you what the five most popular genres and sub-genres will be in 2022, to help you to write that best-selling novel.
Table of Contents
Number one: The Pandemic
You want to appeal to reader’s all around the world, and what does everyone have in common right now? The Covid-19 Pandemic. We’ve already seen a rise in Pandemic related entertainment, with films like the mockumentary Death to 2020, coming out just a year after the first cases were reported.
There’s so many elements of the pandemic that create themes that you can apply to your book, such as isolation, social changes, health concerns. The integration of pandemic themes in your novel may not even noticeable to you but people will naturally gravitate towards your book if those are included, because they’ve experienced them too. You can add depth and global understanding by speaking about, or including the pandemic and it’s affects in your novel.
Number two: Artificial Intelligence
We are now seeing technology advance at a rapid speed. Every day we are closer to another level of A.I. People are pushing the boundaries of where A.I. could go, so you should do that in your novel as well. Everyone is fascinated by the changes that are coming. We see stories about A.I. in the news every day – there’s so many ways this will affect our day-to-day life and think about all the other things it will impact, health care, jobs, social lives.
Readers will be able to relate more than ever to this sub-genre so now is the time to write a story about A.I.
Number three: Space Western
Maybe you’ve never heard of Space Western but you’ve probably come across without even realising. It’s a sub-genre that’s resurfacing, one of the most famous examples is Disney’s The Mandalorian, which is a series that follows a character from the Star Wars films. The key element in Space Western, is that it’s a Science Fiction that integrates Western tropes like characters discovering new frontiers, or invading lawless planets. Space Western can be a lot of fun to read, and a lot of fun to write!
Number four: Novellas and Stand-alone
Finally taking the stand after years of long series Sci-Fi and Fantasy is the novella and stand-alone novel. The beginning of the end of the pandemic has started; people are going out, we are going back to work, we aren’t stuck inside any more. This means we have less time for media, for books, TV, games. So the key to writing in 2022? Keep it short. We are already seeing a trend spike in stand-alone Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels and higher numbers of people writing novellas.
In 2022, it’s all about quality, not quantity.
Number five: Humorous Sci-Fi
2022 is definitely going to be the year of good Sci-Fi but after the last two years we’ve just had, we need something light-hearted. It’s been 40 years since The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy came out, so it’s time for this sub-genre to swing back around. Think witty, funny characters with one liners and a good quip, all set in space. This sub-genre allows you to explore impossible worlds whilst remaining relatable to readers.
And just remember the wise words of Douglas Adams himself, ‘I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.’
Always write what you want to write, but just remember our tips and predictions are here to help you write something popular, and that will sell!