Light Novels: What to Know & Where to Get Started

While manga is what many think of in terms of popular Japanese literature, there's another medium that's almost as massive: light novels. Many popular anime got their start as light novels, and because of that, the form is getting bigger than ever. My Next Life As a Villainess, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime, Sword Art Online, the list goes on. But light novels aren't just big in Japan anymore, it's actually easier than ever for fans overseas to get into them. Light novels got their start around 1975 when magazines that published short stories for young adults began to include illustrations before each story and published articles about pop culture like anime, manga and video games. Eventually, these companies would sell these stories in small volumes, giving rise to light novels. Author turnaround is high for light novels, with publishing houses holding annual contests to find new authors to publish.

While manga is what many think of in terms of popular Japanese literature, there's another medium that's almost as massive: light novels.

While manga is what many think of in terms of popular Japanese literature, there's another medium that's almost as massive: light novels. Many popular anime got their start as light novels, and because of that, the form is getting bigger than ever. My Next Life As a Villainess, That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime, Sword Art Online, the list goes on. But light novels aren't just big in Japan anymore,