Genre Fiction Is A Fave with American Readers

Stephen KingA recent Harris Poll sought to uncover if Americans are reading, what they are reading and who they are reading. The results show that genre fiction is a favorite among American readers.

Among those who say they read at least one book in an average year, 79% have read a fiction book in the past year. Among those who read fiction, almost half (48%) read mystery, thriller and crime books, while one-quarter read science fiction (26%).

Although mysteries and thrillers topped the fiction reading list, a horror author topped the list of favorite authors. Stephen King beat out James Patterson, John Grisham, Nora Roberts, J.D. Rob and Tom Clancy for the title of America’s favorite author. Dean Koontz also made the list, coming in sixth place. And, would you believe that J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien were tied for ninth place?

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About the author

As The Genre Traveler, Carma Spence loves to view the world through Genre-Coloured glasses. In other words, she sees the world through a lens of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, where trash cans can be Daleks in disguise and neighborhood forests can harbor faeries and sprites. Magic realism is real! Or at least you can choose to see the world that way to add to the fun and awe of life.

3 comments on “Genre Fiction Is A Fave with American Readers”

  1. Johnnie Namaka

    I’m a huge science fiction fan and I absolutely love the stuff you have on this site. Please keep up the good work and I’ll keep checking back. If you get more information on The Event I would love to read it. Thanks

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