There are times when I have a hard time classifying exactly what is the adventure genre. We all enjoy the fast paced  romps of Allan Quartermain, but honestly, many books that I have read in other genres were filled with adventure as well.

Does adventure only encompass those books that feature human adventurers going on a heroic journey or fighting to clear their name? Why can't a book featuring a werewolf main character fighting to save his family from hunters be considered adventure instead of horror. It seems that adventure can encompass most if not all genres of literature.

A swashbuckling romance filled with pirates and fair maidens in trouble, I would consider an adventure. A thrilling detective novel that has the sleuth following clue after clue until coming face to face with the evil mastermind is definitely an adventure.

I don't like pigeonholing the adventure genre into a mold like many others. We all know a mystery when we read it or a science fiction story. Adventure is an important piece in all genres. I think it should be broken down so that its adventure-science ficion or adventure horror. Why not? People have been creating subgenres for years. Where do you think survival horror came from?

My favorite adventure stories growing up always had elements of others genres inside it. So don't discount a book because it has or hasn't been classified as an adventure. You may be missing out on a great book because you're not open to going outside your comfort zone.