Go Ask Your Father
The designation of “Dad fiction” is often applied—sometimes disparagingly—but rarely described. As such, I decided to create a working definition for myself and for any other interested parties. Dad fiction is not necessarily about a dad so much as it is one that appeals to an adult, male audience.
Dad fiction is a story about someone—usually a man—doing the thing he is a good at in difficult circumstances. These are generally not “coming of age” stories because the protagonist is already accomplished in his field, possibly an expert, and this proficiency is revealed through the action of the story. The dramatic tension comes from the use of his skills in the face of challenging or dangerous opposition rather than “growth.” There can be and often is character development, but such arcs are not the main focus. This sets the story apart from many narratives typical of younger protagonists who experience conflict regarding a need to become stronger or more capable. Technical details about accomplishing his task or job and showing the mastery and integrity of the protagonist is essential.
A story of Dad fiction is usually one of masculine adulthood and identity. The protagonist does not have to be conventionally moral. Professional assassins, expert thieves, operators in the grey or black markets, and similar such individuals can be found as leads in these stories. He must, however, have an understandable code of conduct because it is part of his identity as a man and an expert. The self-creation and self-regulation of this code and moral compass is an admirable trait as it shows his self-control and that he is his own man. As such, the protagonist becomes a type of role model that points the way to an identity of masculine adulthood and a fulfilled life.
Adventure Dads
While they certainly share some elements Dad fiction differs from Men’s adventure fiction in that the latter skews much more toward pulpy sensationalism. The thrills and main action tend to be visceral and heightened, bordering on melodrama. Dad fiction can cover similar ground but it also includes stories that are much more sedate or where the principle conflicts are less overt like in Challenge by Warwick Collins or any number of sports stories. This is not to say that Dad fiction cannot also be adventure or genre books; Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is certainly one such example.
Much like Men’s adventure, Dad fiction many times is considered disposable media. As with many of the pulp magazines and comic books from decades ago, the stories were not often taken seriously, and little effort was made to preserve or maintain them. The shame in this situation is that stories that meant something to the readers or that were popular or influential have been left behind or are out of print.
Where Have All the Dad Stories Gone?
It is worth noting that there is a contemporary claim that men do not read, and they almost certainly do not read fiction. The evidence for this assertion is spurious at best, and it is more accurate to say that publishers now concentrate less on publishing fiction targeted toward adult men than they once did. These circumstances are likely the result of publishers chasing trends because “growth” is prized as a metric among corporate and investing decision-makers. Finding new markets that can produce sales translated to lines going up on are chart are a premium and more worthwhile to those decision-makers than consistently servicing a market that already exists. This phenomenon is noticeable in how when a book of a certain genre “breaks out,” publishers race to find their own versions of said genre: high fantasy, chick-lit, cozy stories, young adult dystopias, dark academia, and romantasy are all products of this publishing mindset. As many genres that more generally appeal to female readers are growth markets, publishers target their efforts there.
Fatherhood
Though having less market share than it once held, Dad fiction remains accessible. Similarly, the uptick in booktubers reading and exploring older and contemporary stories that fit the mold of Men’s adventure and Dad fiction shows there is a continued interest from an audience that wants to experience these stories for both their entertainment and edifying qualities. With a little luck, the older fiction in these categories can be preserved and enjoyed by future generations of dads.
© 2025 Seth Tomko