Guiding readers through key writers and genres, historical contexts and major theoretical approaches, this is a comprehensive introduction to the study of popular fiction. Charting the rise of commercial fiction from the 19th century to today, includes introductory surveys, written by leading scholars, to a wide range of popular genres, including: Science Fiction Crime Writing Romance and Chick Lit Adventure Stories and Lad Lit Horror Graphic Novels Children's Literature Part II of the book also includes case-study readings of key writers and texts, from the work of HG Wells, Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler to more recent books such as . The book also includes a chapter covering "The Writer's Perspective" on popular publishing, while annotated guides to further reading and online resources throughout give students the tools they need to pursue independent study on their courses.