Question Chinese Novel Genres

can someone explain the genres used in chinese novels? (wuxia, xianxia, xuanhaun)

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltrans...ry_of_terms_in_wuxia_xianxia_xuanhuan_novels/

 

thanks!

 

As far as I know, Chinese novels have some other sub-genres:
- Infinity (无限流): Named after the first novel of this genre, Terror Infinity (which is based on manga Gantz). MC get transported into a God Space, has to experience life-or-death battle, can buy abilities.
+ Anime Transmigration (综漫): A sub-genre of Infinity. Normal Infinity novels mostly used films, while Anime Transmigration mostly used manga/anime.
- Becoming One (同人): MC become a character in a film/anime/literature... (Some people said Infinity is a sub-genre of this, but I don't think so. Infinity based on many, while Becoming One based on just one)
+ Skill Competition (竞技): Football background.
+ Joyful (娱乐): K-pop background.
- Ancient Land (洪荒): Novels based on Chinese Mythology. Many contents based on Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West.
- Online Game (网游): MC is a player of a VR game. There is two types of this genre: one, MC is reincarnated to the past (knowing the future); two, MC gains a cheat ability.
- Farming (种田): The name says it all.

 

What's with all these wrong genre descriptions?

无限流 is named after that (Infinite Terror), but it's so much more than being transported into a separate dimension. It's when the novel involves entities or concepts that are so much more superior than science, magic, gods etc. Science fantasy if you must give it a name. The usual forms are when people from the real dimension get summoned to a separate dimension, created by science or magic, where they're "trained" indefinitely. Recent examples are novels where characters are dropped into a "system" for quick transmigration or real-life arena battles. Buying abilities and life-or-death battles aren't the defining feature. It's the "system" or "entity" that's forcing the character to loop scenarios endlessly.

综漫 is not a sub-genre of the above genre. It just means the novel is related to pop culture works. They may be fanfiction, but they can also not be. It's usually just to say it's going to use the tropes/characters of superhero/shounen etc in this novel.

同人 = fanfiction/work. For real people or not.

竞技 does mean competitive but not always football. There's a lot of e-sports novels with this tag.

娱乐 = Entertainment. Not K-pop. Just the entertainment industry.

洪荒 =/= Chinese mythology. It just means back to an ancient era when "magic" was still in the air. That far-off era where "gods" existed". Way before all the dynasties we know. Just because Chinese mythology is usually placed in that time (for mystical mystery and politics), doesn't mean it's just Chinese mythology.

网游 = online gaming. Not VR. In fact, VR novels will always have 全息 in its tags/description.

 

I describe them from what I read. Maybe there're exceptions, but I think it's small part.
Especially 网游/全息. The only novel I have read about playing an online game but not a VR is King's Avatar.