The Originals: 5 Books That Defined Genres

First Young Adult Novel: Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
It seems strange today, but the concept of “childhood” as a separate and distinct period of life is pretty recent. Of course, the odds of surviving childhood have greatly improved only pretty recently, too, so it does make sense. While a lot of novels are floated as the first book intended for a young audience, Alcott’s Little Women (1868) is the earliest one to have all the features: A focus on youthful characters and their struggles, a story that presents an idyllic starting point that becomes complicated by adult concerns, and a realistic approach to the concerns of youth. It’s easy to see the seeds of the whole genre in this wonderful book.

First Detective Novel: The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins
Published in 1859, there’s little argument that Collins’s novel about a mentally deranged woman, amateur sleuths, and a plot to steal a fortune is one of the first true detective novels ever written. Marian Halcombe and Walter Hartright are genuine amateurs, employing nothing more than their good sense and keen eye to slowly unravel a mystery involving switched identities and an enormous amount of money. The novel’s also notable for Collins’s somewhat progressive take on women’s rights, as the mystery centers on the lack of legal standing a wife had at the time when it came to her own money, and is written in a lively tone that makes it seem more modern than it actually is.

First Science Fiction Novel: Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift
Giants, tiny people, flying islands—Gulliver’s Travels (1726) is a grand adventure that was originally intended as a satire and a parody of “traveler’s stories” literature, popular at the time. While the parody is lost on most modern readers, the satire of human nature remains potent and hilarious, and the novel itself is surprisingly fantastic for something written nearly 300 years ago, fitting snugly into the modern confines of the science fiction novel long before the term itself had been coined. It’s also the rare novel that remains just as enjoyable today, despite the changing times, technology, and attitudes.

First Horror Novel: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
The obvious choice is sometimes obvious for a reason. Frankenstein (1818) remains one of the most famous and well-known stories in history, and is the clear forerunner of the modern horror story, not only telling a tale involving some pretty horrific stuff (dead bodies sewn together and animated against all natural law, leading, of course, to hilarity) but telling it in a way that was decidedly revolutionary at the time. Some argue it’s actually the first science fiction novel, due to the scientific manner of the monster’s animation, but the technological aspect of the novel is really just a handwave—the core of this book is the mounting dread resulting from Victor Frankenstein’s notorious experiment, with a shifting foundation of grief and regret. In other words, even today, no matter how many modern horror books you may have read, this one will still get to you.

First Romance Novel: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Published literally 200 years ago, Pride and Prejudice remains so powerful a template for romance fiction that it’s still used as the inspiration for new novels every year. To this day a million first-date conversations begin with confessions (or confident assertions) by people that this was the first novel they read that felt real, and contained the first speech they’d ever memorized (almost always Mr. Darcy’s dual proposals, and why not? It’s gorgeous writing). You could (and people have) rewrite this book today with modern slang and language and sell millions of copies.
What’s your favorite gateway genre novel?