Questions, Complaints, Whines, General Commentary, Shitposting

Institutional:

Set at a non-commercial institution or facility, like a school, science lab, or prison. HARD MODE: Not a school.

Mashup:

A combination of two or more genres or non-fiction topics. HARD MODE: Unusual combo, like fantasy thriller.

It Takes Two:

Written by two or more authors. HARD MODE: Written by three or more authors.

It’s About Time:

The passage or manipulation of time is a major theme or plot driver. HARD MODE: Backward in time, not forward.

Debut Work:

An author’s first work. HARD MODE: The author is widely regarded as having a profound impact on the genre/topic.

It's a Holiday:

Takes place during a specific holiday, which is significant to the plot. HARD MODE: Not Christmas, a fictional variation of Christmas, or other winter festival.

Among the Stars:

Features space, astronomy, or stardom. HARD MODE: The title references the theme, too.

ALT - She Blinded Me With Science

The author has a background and degree in a hard science. HARD MODE: More than one post graduate degree.

ALT - Translated

Not originally in your native tongue. HARD MODE: Has been translated into at least ten other languages. This Wikipedia page is a good place to start for widely translated works.

Disability Representation:

A main character has or gains a disability to which they must adapt. This disability must be grounded in reality: if a 4,000 year old Prince of the Shokan lost an arm, that would count; if he became a werewolf, it would not. HARD MODE: The piece is at least partially from their perspective.

Eazy, Breazy, Read-zie:

A light, popcorn-worthy read that’s not real deep (see also “beach read” and “airport novel”). HARD MODE: You actually read it while on a vacation/staycation.