EXPLAINING THE MAIN LITERARY TRENDS OF POP CULTURE

Canal Cultura POP
Jul 8
8 min read

After exploring the history of the main musical and cinematographic genres, it is now time to explore the main literary currents of pop culture, from horror to dark fantasy, citing their main characteristics, authors and most relevant works.

Modern Fantasy

Modern fantasy emerged as a response to the desire to bring the magical closer to everyday life. Unlike epic fantasy, which dwells in distant worlds and ancient times, modern fantasy blends the supernatural with the real world, whether in schools, cities, or ordinary homes. This subgenre took shape between the 1980s and 1990s, but exploded in the 2000s with a generation of readers eager for adventure, humor, and relatability.

The definitive milestone came with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter (1997), which not only revolutionized children's literature but also created its own universe with schools of magic, wizarding sports, and secret ministries. Soon after, Rick Riordan followed suit with Percy Jackson (2005), transporting gods from Olympus to the streets of the United States, in a perfect fusion of mythology and urban reality.

Modern fantasy has also embraced themes of belonging, bullying, identity, and diversity, with contemporary authors like Tracy Deonn (Legendborn) and B.B. Alston (Amari and the Night Brothers) expanding the genre's boundaries. Today, it remains one of the most popular genres among young audiences, adapting to the social and cultural demands of the new generation.

Notable Works: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Neverwhere, The Magicians, Amari and the Night Brothers

Main Authors: J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman, Tracy Deonn

Dark Fantasy

Dark fantasy is the dark side of the imagination. Emerging as a more adult and philosophical strand of traditional fantasy, it blends elements of horror, nihilism, and moral dilemmas with magical and decadent worlds. Since the 1960s, authors like Michael Moorcock and Stephen King began to break away from Tolkien's Manichaeism, creating narratives where heroes fail, villains are complex, and the world is rarely just.

The genre gained momentum in the following decades, with works like The Sandman (Neil Gaiman), The Witcher (Andrzej Sapkowski), and the manga Berserk (Kentaro Miura), which struck a chord with audiences for their somber aesthetic, tormented characters, and reflections on death, power, and madness.

With the rise of adaptations for games, series, and comics, dark fantasy has established itself as one of the most revered genres in modern pop culture. In times of uncertainty and cynicism, it echoes the existential unease of a generation searching for meaning even in collapsing worlds.

Notable works: The Witcher, The Sandman, Berserk, The Dark Tower, Elric of Melniboné

Main authors: Neil Gaiman, Kentaro Miura, Andrzej Sapkowski, Michael Moorcock, Stephen King

Paranormal Romance

Paranormal romance rose to prominence in the early 2000s, bringing together two of pop culture’s most beloved elements: supernatural creatures and forbidden love. While its roots trace back to gothic literature and 20th-century vampire fiction, the genre fully crystallized when romance met creatures of the night, and teenage longing, in a modern setting.

The turning point came with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (2005), which redefined vampires for a new generation. Brooding immortals, telepathic soulmates, love triangles, and supernatural high school drama became the hallmarks of the genre. Alongside Twilight, TV hits like The Vampire Diaries and True Blood further cemented the formula: romance with danger, where love defies mortality, magic, and fate.

By blending the emotional intensity of romance novels with fantastical lore, paranormal romance found a massive following, especially among teens and young adults. Over time, it expanded to include witches, werewolves, fae, demons, and angels, always with a central love story burning at its core.

Today, its influence lives on not just in books, but in films, series, and fanfiction. More diverse and inclusive narratives have also emerged, showing that even the undead can evolve with the times.

Iconic works: Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Shiver, Hush

Main authors: Stephenie Meyer, L.J. Smith, Charlaine Harris, Maggie Stiefvater, Becca Fitzpatrick

Epic Fantasy

Epic fantasy, often called high fantasy, is the cornerstone of the genre: sprawling worlds, ancient prophecies, mythical creatures, and the eternal battle between good and evil. Defined by its fully imagined settings and intricate mythologies, epic fantasy is where swords clash, kingdoms fall, and heroes rise.

It all begins with J.R.R. Tolkien, whose The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954–1955) set the standard for everything that followed: elves, dark lords, magic rings, and heroic quests. Tolkien’s meticulous world-building and invented languages turned Middle-earth into a model emulated by generations of writers.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the genre was redefined again by George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, which stripped away the clear-cut morality of earlier tales. With political intrigue, flawed characters, and brutal realism, Martin showed that epic fantasy could be emotionally complex and disturbingly human.

Today, epic fantasy thrives both in literature and on screen. Streaming platforms, video games, and major franchises like Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power have made the genre a global phenomenon. New voices, including women and authors of color, are also reshaping the genre with fresh mythologies and diverse perspectives.

Iconic works: The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Wheel of Time, Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive

Main authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, N.K. Jemisin

Space Opera

Space opera is the most grandiose form of science fiction, full of interstellar empires, heroic destinies, alien civilizations, and battles that echo across galaxies. It’s not concerned with the hard scientific accuracy of traditional sci-fi, but with scale, spectacle, and human emotion projected onto the stars.

The genre took off with Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars in the early 20th century and solidified with E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series in the 1930s and 40s. But it was in 1965 that Frank Herbert's Dune gave the genre literary depth, exploring ecology, religion, and politics across generations on a desert planet ruled by prophecy and blood.

Then came the cultural supernova: Star Wars (1977). Blending mythology, westerns, and samurai cinema with space-age visuals, George Lucas turned space opera into global mythology. Since then, franchises like Star Trek, Mass Effect, and The Expanse have followed suit, expanding the emotional and philosophical scope of space-based storytelling.

Today, space opera continues to thrive in books, film, games, and streaming, evolving with complex characters, ethical dilemmas, and richly imagined futures, often reflecting today’s real-world struggles from the safe distance of light-years away.

Iconic works: Star Wars, Dune, Foundation, The Expanse, Mass Effect

Main authors: Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, James S.A. Corey, Ann Leckie, Becky Chambers

Comic Books

Born in the pages of cheap paper and bold colors, superhero comics have become one of the most dominant forms of modern mythmaking. What began as escapist entertainment during the Great Depression evolved into a cultural empire, one where gods walk among humans, and ordinary people wear masks to fight injustice.

The Golden Age (1938–1950s) gave us icons like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America, symbols of hope, patriotism, and morality in a world shaped by war. The Silver Age (1956–1970) saw the rise of flawed, human heroes at Marvel: Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The X-Men dealt with teenage angst, addiction, prejudice, and identity in ways that reshaped the genre.

As decades passed, comics matured. The Bronze and Modern Ages brought darker, more complex narratives. Watchmen (1986) deconstructed heroism. The Dark Knight Returns (1986) reimagined Batman as a broken legend. Meanwhile, Marvel and DC built interconnected universes that spilled into TV, cinema, and gaming.

In the 21st century, superheroes are more than entertainment, they’re cultural currency. The MCU and DCU dominate the box office, while comics themselves explore race, gender, trauma, and legacy. Superhero fiction is no longer just about saving the world, it’s about understanding it.

Iconic works: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Spider-Man, X-Men, Avengers, Watchmen, Justice League

Main creators: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis

Horror

Where other genres thrill with action or wonder, supernatural and psychological horror unsettle through silence, suggestion, and the collapse of reality itself. Here, the threat isn’t always visible, it lurks in the unknown, the unseen, the mind. Drawing from both Gothic tradition and cosmic dread, this genre explores humanity’s deepest fears: madness, death, and the limits of understanding.

The modern foundation of this genre was laid by authors like H.P. Lovecraft, whose tales of ancient, unknowable forces (The Call of Cthulhu) inspired an entire mythology of fear beyond comprehension. Later, Stephen King brought horror into everyday life, turning clowns, hotels, and small towns into nightmare fuel in classics like It and The Shining.

Supernatural horror thrives on atmosphere, ambiguity, and emotional decay. Works like Coraline (Neil Gaiman) and The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson) show that fear doesn't always scream, sometimes it whispers. As cinema and streaming embraced this genre, psychological horror evolved into a medium for exploring trauma, grief, and the subconscious.

In today’s pop culture, horror is no longer a niche, it's a mirror. Whether set in haunted mansions or inside fractured minds, this genre forces us to confront the monsters within.

Iconic works: It, The Haunting of Hill House, Coraline, The Shining, Hereditary, Silent Hill

Main authors: Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, Thomas Ligotti

Post-Apocalyptic

Few genres capture the anxieties of an era quite like post-apocalyptic fiction. Whether born from nuclear fallout, climate disaster, or authoritarian collapse, these stories imagine a broken world, and the will to survive within it. While adult post-apocalyptic tales often focus on societal decay (The Road, Mad Max), it was in young adult dystopia that this genre reached peak pop culture visibility.

The 2010s saw an explosion of YA dystopias led by Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, a trilogy that mixed rebellion, reality TV satire, and brutal class warfare. Soon came Divergent, The Maze Runner, The 100, and others, turning young protagonists into symbols of resistance against corrupt, high-tech regimes.

These stories aren't just about surviving the end of the world, they’re about questioning it. Themes like identity, autonomy, systemic control, and found family make YA dystopia resonate with young readers facing real-world instability.

Though the trend has cooled slightly in recent years, the genre continues to evolve. Newer stories embrace global perspectives, ecological collapse, and intersectional struggles, proving that even after the world ends, storytelling doesn't.

Iconic works: The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, The 100, The Road, Station Eleven

Main authors: Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, Veronica Roth, Cormac McCarthy, Emily St. John Mandel

Existential Sci-Fi / Speculative Slice-of-Life

In a world saturated with bombastic heroes and apocalyptic stakes, a quieter current of pop literature has steadily grown in resonance, one that doesn’t ask how the universe works, but why we are in it at all. Existential sci-fi blends surreal or speculative concepts with deeply personal, often melancholic introspection. It’s science fiction not about lasers or empires, but about time, memory, identity, and the fragile human psyche.

Its cinematic roots can be traced back to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which used the vastness of space to explore consciousness and transcendence. Later, stories like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Her reimagined sci-fi through emotional, romantic, and cerebral lenses. Rather than saving the world, the characters in these narratives are trying to save themselves.

Streaming anthologies like Black Mirror and Devs pushed the genre even further, turning speculative premises, simulations, mind uploads, social credit systems, into parables of human alienation. In animation, series like BoJack Horseman and Undone explored memory, depression, and the passage of time with surprising metaphysical depth.

In a digital era where identity is fragmented and reality often feels like fiction, this genre offers no easy answers, only strange, beautiful questions.

Iconic works: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Black Mirror, Undone, Her, Solaris, Russian Doll

Main creators: Charlie Kaufman, The Daniels, Charlie Brooker, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Michel Gondry, Andrei Tarkovsky