I’ve noticed some handwringing over what genre to stick The Honours under. I appreciate the anxiety – taxonomy is important. Books are like Pokémon – they come in many types, each with different strengths and weaknesses, the more you own, the cooler you are, and the most popular ones are a bit shit.

To save readers, reviewers and booksellers the epistemological agony of not knowing how to classify my debut novel, I have compiled a list of T Clare-endorsed terms you may use in your shop, review or conversation, when answering the question: ‘What genre is The Honours?’ This will be particularly useful if you’re one of those people who feels an obscure, crawling shame whenever the possibility that they might be reading Science Fiction or Fantasy arises. Don’t worry! I have provided a range of Fully Endorsed Euphemisms. If you’d like a copy, please go to your nearest bricks and mortar bookshop, or order it online here (currently the cheapest option!). I am happy with your describing my book in any of the following ways:

The Canonical List Of Approved Genres™ for Tim Clare’s THE HONOURS

Norfolk Gothic

Downtonpunk

Old Peculiar

Cosy Interbellum Bloodbath

Odd Lit

Tunnelcore

High Pulp

Riddleporn

Bizarro Realism

Psychedelic Poirot

ChriopTerror

Fantastical Historicism

Fantasy (but not really, I mean, it transcends the genre)

Science Fiction (but not like, spaceships and lasers and stuff like that, god no, anything but that)

Speculative Fiction

YA

SFF

SF

F

Literary Fiction

Adventure

Mystery

Thriller

Horror

General

Self-Help

Novel

Story