What is Cult Fiction?

Cult fiction is fiction which has attracted a large following of loyal fans and supporters. In addition to cult fiction, it is also possible to see cult authors, authors who have attracted and held fans who eagerly await their new publications. This genre varies widely in terms of subject and even quality, with the literary value of some works being called into question by book critics who have managed to resist the fan mentality.

Often, cult fiction breaks new ground in some way. Perhaps the author uses an innovative narrative style, or brings up edgy issues which have not been widely discussed. The genre may include material which is considered explicit for the time in which it is published, attracting prurient interest from readers who like things a little racy. It may also be controversial: some of the most esteemed works of cult fiction have been banned at some point or another. Authors may explore the human condition, write terrifying visions of dystopian societies, or simply tell a good story.

Many people have strong memories about works of cult fiction. Books labeled as such are often described as books which fundamentally change the thinking of the reader, or challenge the reader in a refreshing way. In English, books like Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Lord of the Flies, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, Ulysses, Naked Lunch, On the Road, Wise Blood, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Brave New World, Fight Club, The Bell Jar, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? are often cited as works of cult fiction. Some of these books became almost totemic for a generation, with people reading them on college campuses and widely discussing them, and while some were controversial for their time, many are included in reading lists for middle and high school students today.

Cult fiction is typically widely read, even if that was not always the case, and allusions to characters and events in the genre are usually widely understood among the general public. For example, not everyone has read Lord of the Flies, but many people understand what is meant when people refer to “holding the conch” when it is their turn to speak, referencing a pivotal element of this 1954 novel. Books also usually stay in print, making it easy for new readers to pick up a copy and explore it for themselves.

Some examples of cult authors who work in English include Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, Henry Miller, Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, and Hunter S. Thompson. Hermann Hesse, Albert Camus, and Gao Xingjian, among others, are cult authors in their own languages who have become famous in English-speaking nations through translations. These authors have ardent fan followings who have read all of their published works and picked them apart in detail, finding a range of meaning in every line.