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Fiction
In literature, a work of fiction can refer to a short story, novella, and novel, the latter being the longest form of literary prose.
4Mystery
Mystery Novels follow a detective solving a case from start to finish. They drop clues and slowly reveal information.
2Science Fiction
Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets.
1Horror
Horror. Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader. Humor.
2Fantasy
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality.
1Romance
These stories are about a romantic relationship between two people. They are characterised by sensual tension, desire, and idealism.
0Action-Adventure
Any story that puts the protagonist in physical danger, characterised by thrilling near misses, and courageous and daring feats.
3Speculative Fiction
These are created in worlds unlike our real world in certain important ways. This genre usually overlaps one or more of the following.
0New Adult
New Adult (NA) books feature college, rather than school-aged, characters and plotlines. It is the next age-category up from YA.
0Young Adult
Young Adult (YA) books are written, published, and marketed to adolescents and young adults.
1Police Procedurals
Mysteries that involve a police officer or detective solving the crime. The emphasis rests heavily on technological or forensic aspects
0Historical
These fictional stories take place against factual historical backdrops. Important historical figures are portrayed as fictional characters.
3Westerns
These books are specifically set in the old American West. Plotlines include survival, romance, and adventures with characters of the time.
0Family Saga
This genre is about on-going stories of two or more generations of a family. Plots revolve around things like businesses, acquisition, etc.
0Biography
A biography is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just facts like education, work, relationship, death,etc.
1Autobiography
An account of a person's life written by that person.
1Comedy
Professional entertainment consisting of jokes and sketches, intended to make an audience laugh.
1Dystopian Fiction
Dystopian fiction is a genre describing an imaginary place where life is extremely bad because of deprivation or oppression or terror.
4Coming of Age Stories
Literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood.
0Non Fiction
Prose writing that is informative or factual rather than fictional.
1Gothic Fiction
Gothic fiction is characterized by an environment of fear, the threat of supernatural events and the intrusion of the past upon the present.
0Inspirational
Inspirational Fiction encompasses many genres including Romance, Historical, Suspense, Fantasy, Teen, even Horror!
1Mythology
Mythic fiction is literature that is rooted in, inspired by, or that in some way draws from the tropes, themes, of myth, legend, etc.
1Short stories
A short story, also known as a nouvelle, is a piece of prose fiction that can typically be read in a single sitting.
3Travel
The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs.
1Post-Apocalyptic stories
This refers to stories that deal with the aftermath of a catastrophic event that devastates humanity.
0Mecha
The super robot genre features superhero-like giant robots that are often one-of-a-kind and the product of an ancient civilization.
0Self Help
Non-fiction books written with the intention of instructing the reader on how to solve a problem or improve an area of their life.
0Sports Fiction
Sports fiction is a genre that the story line or plot involves the love of sports.
0School story
The school story is a fiction genre centring on older pre-adolescent and adolescent school life.
0Anime/Manga Theoretical
You may explore the world of anime theoretical author's and readers! Create your own.
1Poetry
Are you a poet? Post your poems out here!
2Traditional Art
traditional art is made using more physical conventional media such as pencils, charcoal, oil paints, clay, etc.
0Digital art
Digital art is any artwork that draws upon digital technology as an essential part of its creative process.
2Ai art
AI art (artificial intelligence art) is any form of digital art created or enhanced with AI tools.
0Contest
AUTHORS HAVEN X WRITER'S LOUNGE - Special Contest
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- Dystopian FictionLily's small fingers carefully adjusted the tape inside her cherished video camera. The worn cassette held precious memories—fleeting glimpses of her family gathered around a dinner table. Her uncle, Samuel, in his late twenties, bore a striking resemblance to Lily with their warm brown eyes and somewhat curly chestnut hair, though hers was halfway braided in the back. He stood as the final remnant of that once complete family. The video camera, a constant companion, hung from Lily's neck or shoulder wherever she went—a tangible link to the past she carried with her daily. The family dinner video captured not only the shared laughter and warmth but also the intricacies of daily life—a favorite dish, a playful sibling squabble, and the comforting rhythm of familial bonds. "Remember, Lily, the more you watch, the more fragile it becomes," Samuel would say, concern etched across his weathered face. Their half-room, battered by the city's destruction, sheltered them from the elements amid the remnants of a once-thriving urban landscape. Crumbling structures and dilapidated buildings surrounded them, a stark reminder of a city now reduced to rubble. Lily and Samuel existed in a precarious balance between survival and the persistent longing for what once was, their makeshift dwelling standing as a poignant reflection of the destructive forces that had reshaped their world. Samuel, who became Lily's sole family, took on the responsibility of raising her. Despite the challenges of their fractured world, he was determined to safeguard the innocence of her childhood. He devoted himself to shielding her, a 12-year-old girl, from the harshness of their surroundings and striving to provide a semblance of normalcy and warmth in their tumultuous existence. *** One day, Lily noticed a glimmer of distorted glamour amid the debris—a lipstick tube from the famed "Wogy-Wdy." The beauty company's mystique captivated the inhabitants, promising allure through a peculiar smudging effect. "Uncle, I found something," Lily exclaimed, holding up the lipstick like a tiny treasure. Samuel studied the find, a mixture of curiosity and caution in his eyes. "Be careful, Lily. Those things can change more than just your appearance." Undeterred, Lily, determined to fit into a society that still clung to notions of beauty, applied the lipstick with the cracked reflection of a mirror she found. As the smudging began, it concealed Lily's few freckles, creating a stark contrast against her delicate, pale skin. As she ventured outside, the desolate streets, littered with debris from crumbling buildings and abandoned vehicles, teemed with pedestrians. Faces and skin were daubed with arbitrary smears of Wogy-Wdy, a visual hierarchy dictating one's worth. Young and old, male and female, all adorned in the kaleidoscope of colors, their societal standing determined by the vividness of the hues. Each foray outdoors served as a stark reminder of Lily's yearning for acceptance in the society that enveloped her, a constant desire to seamlessly blend in. She encountered fellow survivors, their countenances marked by the peculiar charm of Wogy-Wdy. In the ruins, a group of children, faces adorned with smudged patterns, played—a fleeting respite from the unforgiving reality. Lily approached cautiously, greeted by a girl with a particularly intricate smudge design. "Wogy-Wdy works wonders, doesn't it?" the girl grinned. Lily smiled, her makeshift lipstick a humble attempt to join the camaraderie. Amidst the remnants of a broken city, the pursuit of beauty, however fleeting, became a collective endeavor—a shared illusion that briefly eased the weight of their collective loss. Undeterred by the initial cold reception, Lily mustered the courage to approach the group of girls playing. "Hi, can I join you?" Lily greeted, a hopeful smile on her face. The girls, however, regarded her with disdain, their eyes conveying a silent judgment that left Lily feeling like an outsider. A particularly brash girl, with meticulously smudged patterns on her face, sneered at Lily's humble attempt at Wogy-Wdy charm. "What's that on your face? Looks like you raided a child's play kit," the girl scoffed. Lily, however, didn't waver. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the leader of the group, Avali, a striking figure with short, silky blond hair that framed her face in a delicate bang. With unexpected confidence, Lily retorted, "Soft Breeze. The perfume you're wearing." The girls exchanged puzzled glances. "How did you know?" Avali questioned, her tone shifting from mockery to curiosity. Lily, now wearing a smirk, revealed a knowledge that transcended mere appearances. "Wogy-Wdy's fragrance collection. You can tell by the undertones. Yours is quite distinct." Avali's expression changed from skepticism to amazement, her piercing blue eyes widening with surprise and fascination. Lily's unexpected insight had turned the tables. The girls, impressed by her unexpected knowledge, began to warm up to her. They invited her to join their circle, offering not just acceptance but also a chance to be one of them. "Let us fix your Wogy-Wdy properly.. You'll be stunning," one of the girls insisted, extending a hand. Lily, overwhelmed with a sense of belonging she hadn't felt in a long time, gladly accepted. As they adorned her with Wogy-Wdy's transformative makeup, the shattered city seemed to fade away, if only for a moment, replaced by the joyous laughter of newfound friendship. Her eyes closed, embracing the sensation of their fingers delicately painting onto her skin. The vibrant chatter of the girls surrounded her, their voices weaving a narrative of transformation and acceptance. A content smile graced Lily's lips throughout the entire process. The tactile experience, coupled with the soothing rhythm of their conversation about her metamorphosis into a high-level girl, enveloped her in a cocoon of positive emotions. In that ephemeral moment, as her appearance underwent a magical evolution, Lily reveled in the tactile and emotional symphony that marked what truly felt like her best day in what seemed like an eternity. Lily, her transformed face aglow with newfound confidence, made her way back home where the scent of Samuel's cooking greeted her. He looked up from his culinary efforts, a warm smile forming until his eyes fell upon Lily's altered appearance. "Hey, want to help me with lunch?" he asked, concern etching his features. Lily beamed, unable to contain her joy. "Oh, uncle, you won't believe what happened! I met some girls, and they gave me the Wogy-Wdy experience. Look at me!" His expression shifted from curiosity to a mixture of anger and calm. "What have you done to your face, Lily?" Excitement still in her eyes, she explained, "These girls, they're on another level! They helped me to be like them, on a higher class." Samuel's fury, restrained but palpable, emerged. "Stay away from those girls, Lily. We are on another level. You don't need to change." "But everybody wears Wogy-Wdy.” “If everybody jumps, it doesn't mean that we do the same.” “If it was to be of a higher class, why should we stay like this?" she retorted, her frustration escalating. "Why won't you let me be better?" His response was stern. "You better stay away from them." Lily, infuriated, fired back, "So you want me to stay alone!" With that, she stormed away, seeking solace in the small shelter she had fashioned for herself. Placing her video camera in front of her, she watched her family's fleeting moments, the frustration and loneliness intensifying with each passing second. As the battery dwindled, Lily extracted the palm-sized object from the camera, and placed it on the charger. Her mind consumed by anger, she brought the naked end of the charging cable toward coiled wires. A spark erupted, accompanied by a sharp crackling sound that echoed in the desolate room. The acrid smell of burning electronics filled the air, signaling the dysfunction of the charging device. "No, no, no!" Lily's heart pounded in her chest. "It didn't just happen," she whispered to herself. "Lily, Lily!" Samuel's voice called from outside the shelter, a space his body didn't fit in. Lily, disheveled and distressed, emerged into the open arms Samuel had extended, the embrace she needed most. Tears streamed down her face, leaving a damp spot on his shirt as she melted into the warmth of his comforting presence. "You're beautiful just the way you are, Lily. You don't need anything else," he reassured her, the weight of his words comforting her troubled heart. Once Lily's emotions had settled, Samuel gently proposed, "How about we get a bite to eat?" "I don't want to eat." Her gaze was fixed on the ground. "Why? You must be hungry." She remained silent, the weight of her emotions heavy. Undeterred, Samuel tried to lighten the mood, asking, "Well, what do you feel like doing, then?" Lily hesitated before replying, "I don't want you to get mad at me." Samuel chuckled. "I won’t get mad at you, you precious little princess." Seeking further reassurance, Lily cautiously asked, "Are you sure you won't be mad at me if I tell you what happened?" Samuel, with a warm smile, replied, "Yes, I promise. You can tell me anything." With a sense of vulnerability, Lily opened up, "The battery died, and I was putting it into charging as usual, but the device is not charging anymore. The light is not lighting green." Her face retained hints of sadness, eyebrows arced downward, and lips slightly bumped. Samuel, understanding her distress, took the battery charger from her. He connected it to coiled wires several times while Lily watched carefully, but there was no sign of improvement. "It's okay, sweetheart. I will try to find someone who can fix devices like this." Though a bit relieved, Lily's sadness lingered; she couldn't watch her family until the charger was fixed. "Let us put some food into your tiny belly. Come,“ Samuel said, trying to shift her focus to something more immediate. Thank you for reading. A constructive comment will be appreciated. The rest is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yheq6FCjfSYS8tP-Gmu_PyIQFQtbY1ZdRWa5xcsJICc/edit?usp=drivesdkLike
- Inspirational“Music is spiritual, Music is healing” After telling this to the audience the flutist picked up his bansuri. He placed his mouth on the open hole at one end of the flute. And placed the rest of his fingers on the remaining holes lining the bansuri. He was sitting in front of a large audience of music lovers. Most of them were elderly men and women. However there were some young children fidgeting amongst the audience as well. The flutist took a deep breath and closer his eyes. He felt the gaze of the audiences slowly disappearing. In his mind he imagined himself sitting in an empty void. As he let his breath out the bansuri began to make a sound. His fingers played with the holes and rhythm emerged. And from the rhythm a melody began to emerge soon enough. “Fooouuuuu uuu…” The bansuri resounded in the dark void and his surroundings slowly began to change. Grass began to grow on the surface were he sat, a large old banyan tree emerged within minuetes. The sounds of chirping birds reverberated across the void of his mind. The sound of children playing could also be heard. And soon enough two children along with their ‘mother’ emerged running, laughing and chasing each other playing a game of tag. The flutist playing his flute pulling out the deepest childhood memories he had of his adoptive mother, who was also his Sangeet guru. Along with the nostalgic memories came pain of death and separation as he remembered the feeling of losing his adoptive mother and guru to tuberculosis at a young age. The pain intermixed with his music, and reverbarated across the hallway reaching the audience’s ears. The pain within the melody reminded the elderly audience of the pain of losing their own loved ones, causing their eyes to water up and shed tears. The flutist continued to play his beautiful nostalgic albeit bittersweet melody for a long time. And soon far to soon the time to end the concert arrived The flutist finally reached his last note extending that one note until he lost his breathe and the music stopped. The moment the melody of his bansuri stopped playing the scenery within the void of his mind cracked. The banayan tree, birds, children, mother and the void shattered into a thousand pieces. And in their place an audience emerged who were giving the flutist a standing ovation with still wet eyes. The flutist put his hands together in a namaste and thanked them for their patience. The pain of his guru and mother’s death haunted him everyday. But everytime he played a melody In her memory his scarred heart healed and he was reborn again.Like
- BiographyThe novel is a memoir on the experiences of Homeric Qadri an Afghan women living through various tumultuous events in the history of Afghanistan. The story covers the Russian invasion And occupation, The Mujahideen era, and the eventual takeover of the country by the Taliban regime. Perhaps the most prevalent theme in the novel is the life of women in an extremely suppressive patriarchal society in Afghanistan. In a way this novel can be seen as an example of a Feminist writing from Afghanistan. The women in the author,s life including herself are staunchly rebellious towards the unreasonable restrictions and shame women are forced to endure in the country. There is a universal theme of ‘shame’ women are forced to feel just for existing. Nothing a women does is considered noble. Even the knowledge of a women,s name outside family circles or her name being included in the birth certificate of her child is considered shameful. This treatment or rather ‘rejection’ of women from Afghan society makes many characters make the following statements “It,s better to be a stone in Afghanistan than being born a women in Afghanistan” “ Being a women is like being trapped in quicksand the more you struggle the deeper you sink in” In addition to the the Taliban regime,s persecution of any and all forms of creative expression reminded me of the novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’ where the government burns books. And the movie equilibrium where the gov has banned emotion. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns, in the novel people,s ignorance leads to the current situation. People only watch gov sponsored Entertainment and Propaganda. People speak in short syllabus unable to express their thoughts and feelings into words. I noticed something similar in Afghanistan where in addition to forbidding girls groom receiving education, the Taliban only taught boys in school Taliban propaganda and religious sermons. Not teaching them valuable subjects like Mathematics and painting. Even their persecution of art and music and banning of dance and movies is reminiscent of the dystopian gov in the movie ‘equilibrium’. Shockingly if you are found on possession of a novel in Russian Literature you could be subject to an execution by the Taliban. The novel also contains ‘letters’ which the author wrote to her son after she was separated from him by a sudden divorce. Her Husband divorces her with the infamous “Triple Talaq” through the Viber messaging app (An equivalent of WhatsApp). The reason why her husband divorces her is because she refused to allow him to take a second wife. She is forcefully denied custody of her child because Afghan culture considers the child as belonging to the ‘man’. On top of that even the family courts in Afghanistan are against her, because in Afghan culture a women appearing in the court was considered shameful. Therefore regardless of whether the women was the defender or prosecutor she was considered ‘guilty’ by default. In addition at the beginning of her letter she tells her son how girls liked her were often told stories of ‘Demons’ and ‘Monsters’. Girls would be told that these creatures would come to eat them alive if they ever behaved in way that was considered shameful for a women. In contrast her younger brother was told stories in which there existed ‘genes’ who could fulfil any wish he had. In conclusion the novel gives a cross sectional view of women in Afghanistan. Their lives are showcases through the perspective of a single family over several decades and through multiple period of strife, political instability and regime change. This can perhaps help us understand why Afghanistan has one of the ‘highest’ rates of female suicide and self immolation cases. If you are not even allowed to breathe how can you even survive to ‘live’.Like