I suspect that if you have two genres, you could label with both for the purposes of querying. You could say something like "A horror story in a sci-fi setting" or note it takes place on a spaceship or other planet. You might find a movie as a comp title for that combo. There are plenty of sci-fi mysteries, etc., out there. I can think of some classic short stories and novels that would fit.

Hi Caroline,

I'm glad the post is helpful!

I found an article that may be of use. It's geared toward non-fiction.

reedsy (dot) com (slash) blog (slash) guide (slash) nonfiction

Good luck with your book. It sounds interesting!

That's great, Denise!

Thank you, Gale!

From what I remember of your series, high fantasy seems just right.

Hi Karen,
I hear you. That decision can be tough. Your description makes me think thriller. There's also multiple subgenres.

As an extreme example, I'm pondering "Shawn of the Dead" comedic horror. I imagine that would lean a tad toward horror, although there are comedies that don't really feel comedic to me. More like Ancient Greek comedies where nobody dies.

My best to you for you work in progress!

Thank you, Diana.

The struggle is real! Do you go with speculative fiction for your more science-based novels?