- 小说家 xiǎoshuōjiā novelistnovelist; an author who writes fiction
- 长篇小说 chángpiānxiǎoshuō novelA long piece of fiction, typically featuring many characters and a complex plot.
- 武侠小说 wǔxiáxiǎoshuō wuxia novela genre of fiction concerning the adventures of martial arts heroes
- 短篇小说 duǎnpiānxiǎoshuō short storyA type of fiction characterized by its brief length, limited number of characters, and focused plot.
- 中篇小说 zhōngpiānxiǎoshuō novellamedium-length novel; novelette. Longer than a short story but shorter than a full novel, usually between fifteen thousand and fifty thousand characters. Focuses on a few characters or a single sequence of events.
- 历史小说 lìshǐxiǎoshuō historical fictionfiction or novels based on historical events and people
- 言情小说 yánqíngxiǎoshuō romance novela novel centered on romantic love and relationships; romantic fiction
- 侦探小说 zhēntànxiǎoshuō detective novelA work of fiction centered on the investigation and resolution of a mysterious crime or puzzle; detective story
- 章回小说 zhānghuíxiǎoshuō novel in chaptersA traditional style of long Chinese novel divided into several chapters, with each chapter headed by a couplet or title summarizing its content.
- 公案小说 gōng'ànxiǎoshuō detective fictionTraditional Chinese stories or novels centered on solving criminal cases or judicial mysteries.
- 报告小说 bàogàoxiǎoshuō documentary novelA literary work that blends journalistic facts and news value with artistic storytelling techniques; often refers to reportage literature in Mainland China.
- 推理小说 tuīlǐxiǎoshuō detective noveldetective fiction; murder mystery or whodunit; a story centered on solving a complex puzzle or crime through logical deduction
- 极短篇小说 jíduǎnpiānxiǎoshuō flash fictionA form of fiction that is very short, typically containing between 1,500 and 2,500 characters, yet still possessing characters, a plot, and a setting; also called [[小小说|小小說|xiao3 xiao3 shuo1]] or [[微型小说|微型小說|wei1 xing2 xiao3 shuo1]]
- 白话小说 báihuàxiǎoshuō vernacular fictionFiction written in vernacular Chinese rather than classical literary style.
- 神怪小说 shénguàixiǎoshuō supernatural fictiongenre of fantasy literature depicting gods, demons, and supernatural phenomena
- 神魔小说 shénmóxiǎoshuō supernatural fictionA genre of classical Chinese fiction involving gods, demons, and supernatural phenomena; notable works include [[西游记|西遊記|xi1 you2 ji4]] and [[封神演义|封神演義|feng1 shen2 yan3 yi4]]
- 科幻小说 kēhuànxiǎoshuō science fiction novelscience fiction; a genre of fiction that uses scientific facts or theories as a basis for describing future worlds or past scenarios; often abbreviated to [[科幻|科幻|ke1 huan4]]
- 科技惊悚小说 kējìjīngsǒngxiǎoshuō techno-thrillera genre of fiction that blends the technical details of science fiction with the suspense of a thriller
- 笔记小说 bǐjìxiǎoshuō literary sketchesA genre of classical Chinese literature consisting of miscellaneous anecdotes, sketches, and records of informal events or folklore; often written in an informal, lively style and covering various topics like local customs, strange occurrences, and historical rumors.
- 色情小说 sèqíngxiǎoshuō pornographic novelpornographic novel; erotic book; smutty book
- 虚构小说 xūgòuxiǎoshuō fictionfiction; a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
- 记实小说 jìshíxiǎoshuō documentary novelfiction based on actual events; documentary novel
- 谴责小说 qiǎnzéxiǎoshuō novel of denunciationA genre of late-Qing fiction that satirizes and exposes social corruption; the term was originally coined by the writer [[鲁迅|魯迅|lu3 xun4]].
- 通俗小说 tōngsúxiǎoshuō popular fictionpopular fiction; light literature
- 非小说 fēixiǎoshuō non-fictionwriting that is based on facts, real events, and real people
- 中国小说史略 zhōngguóxiǎoshuōshǐlüè A Brief History of Chinese FictionTitle of a famous work by [[鲁迅|魯迅|lu3 xun4]] covering the history and development of Chinese fiction; also translated as "Concise History of the Chinese Novel"
- 黄色小说 huángsèxiǎoshuō pornographic novelPornographic fiction or erotic novels.
- 京本通俗小说 jīngběntōngsúxiǎoshuō Popular Fiction from the CapitalTitle of a collection of vernacular short stories from the Song and Yuan dynasties; first published in modern times by Miao Quansun, it features famous stories depicting common life and social customs. While some scholars debate the authenticity of its origins, it remains an essential source for studying early vernacular literature.
- 古今小说 gǔjīnxiǎoshuō Stories Old and NewA collection of late Ming vernacular short stories compiled by [[冯梦龙|馮夢龍|feng2 meng4 long2]] and published in 1620; also known as [[喻世明言|喻世明言|yu4 shi4 ming2 yan2]].
- 史传小说 shǐzhuànxiǎoshuō historical novelA genre of fiction based on historical events or figures; historical novel
- 同人小说 tóngrénxiǎoshuō fan fictionstories written by fans that use characters or settings from an existing creative work
- 小小说 xiǎoxiǎoshuō flash fictionShort-short story that is even briefer than a regular short story; often limited to under 1,500 characters and fewer characters or scenes.
- 廉价小说 liánjiàxiǎoshuō dime noveldime novel; yellowback; cheap sensational fiction
- 影射小说 yǐngshèxiǎoshuō roman à clefA novel in which real people or events appear with invented names
- 微型小说 wēixíngxiǎoshuō flash fictionA short-short story with a very small word count, often featuring a clever structure and a single plot point; also called [[小小说|小小說|xiao3 xiao3 shuo1]]
- 志怪小说 zhìguàixiǎoshuō zhiguai fictionA genre of classical Chinese fiction focused on stories of the supernatural, spirits, and strange occurrences, which flourished during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods.
- 恐怖小说 kǒngbùxiǎoshuō horror novelhorror fiction; gothic novel; a genre of fiction characterized by elements of fear, suspense, the supernatural, and macabre events