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Writer's Glossary - H # - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z 
A book produced with a hard cover, usually done on high-quality paper. Hardcovers are more durable; dust jackets protect the cover; and they are more expensive. Promising novels are often released in hardcover first; once the buying frenzy has died down, paperback rights are usually sold to a paperback publisher and the book is released, far less expensively, for us poor sods.
Legal rights a publishing house acquires to publish a paperback original as a hardcover edition.
The central character, usually the protagonist, in a story. The hero or heroine is usually good, virtuous, and moral, although he or she certainly can—and certainly must!—have character flaws.
Heroic fantasy is set in imaginary, usually fantastic, lands, and usually features a clear-cut "good vs. evil" conflict. The hero is often reluctant to be such, often being someone of small importance who goes on to greater things, including victory. Sword & sorcery often falls under the blanket of heroic fantasy, but heroic fantasy need not involve dragons and magic and a pseudo-Medieval setting.
A subgenre of fantasy, high fantasy stories are usually set in invented or parallel worlds. Notably, there is no science fiction aspect to them. The hero usually has a detailed past and he is extremely central to the plot. Although there is high fantasy short fiction, high fantasy is often epic—over many volumes, or perhaps over many serial stories.
Speculative fiction dealing with frightening or supernatural elements, or traditional horrific creatures such as vampires, werewolves, etc.
The HWA is a group of horror writers serving writers of horror and dark fantasy. There are member areas as well as public-access areas. For more information, visit their Web site at HWA.org. For some commentary on those who complain that memberships to such groups is unfair, check out writers associations.
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