Cozy Fiction and Why We Crave It

I have a theory. 

It's about the rise of 'cozy' as a genre descriptor, or a sub-genre, if you will.

Cozy fantasy. Cozy science fiction. Cozy family drama. Cozy historical fiction. Cozy mystery. 

It's a theory about cozy literature, and why readers want more and more of it. Well - at least - here's one of the reasons readers want more of it.

What is Cozy Fiction? 

Cozy fiction is fiction that makes you feel cozy: where the stakes aren't necessarily high, we don't have to deal with the grimmer, grittier sides of human nature in gory detail, and we can enjoy mundane moments that fill us with warmth and happiness. Well, that's what cozy is to me, anyway. Maybe it's the same for you?

I was first introduced to the concept of cozy fiction through a range of cozy murder mysteries. Cozy murder mysteries are lighthearted and fun. They're always clean (no violence, no mature themes). They're not meant to get into the gritty and grim. Justice is always done. Though the investigation of the murder is the main focus of the story, there's still a lot of humour and charm, and satisfaction. Often, it takes place in a small town or other intimate setting - that's part of the cozy aesthetic, I've found - and can have romantic subplots. They often have female protagonists. Characters are as much front-and-center of the book as the mysteries themselves. Often, they have a job that isn't directly a detective-type job, like a baker, or a hotel manager. Average people with average lives going about said average lives as they try to find out who killed someone in their community. 

And if a 'cozy murder mystery' sounds oxymoronic to you, that's okay. Maybe you want your cozy fiction - the stories that bring you warmth and peace - to stay away from the more morbid or heavy topics, like murder. (You can read this interesting article about why readers enjoy cozy murder mysteries when there's really nothing cozy about murder at all.)

Maybe you don't want a fantasy protagonist who's out to save the world - on whose shoulders the fate of a nation or the entire world rests. Maybe you don't want stories that get you all riled up with nostrils flaring at the injustice of it all! or deeply saddened by the death of a favourite character. Maybe you just want to have a nice time in a cool fantasy world, or a cool sci-fi world, or a cool real-world. Maybe you just want to be immersed, to see neat things, to meet neat characters, and enjoy peaceful literary moments that uplift you.

Cozy fiction is safe, generally upbeat, and slow-paced (in that you get to stop and smell the flowers, not slow-paced as in the story never moves forward and we have been stuck here for years). Think classics like The Railway Children or The Secret Garden. Small worlds, small troubles. Lots of happiness. Lots of joy. Mundane but engrossing. 

Here's a great example of cozy fantasy writing from a well-loved classic, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien: 

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors.

In fact, that whole first chapter of The Hobbit fits in with my idea of a cozy fantasy. (Probably the full book, too, but I'm still reading it, so I'll hold off on a final decision on that for now.) If you haven't already, check it out! (And, if you have any other recommendations for cozy fiction, drop them below!)

Cozy Fiction and Escapism

In a previous blog post on reading habits, I discussed how escapism plays a key role in why we as humans are always seeking out entertainment - including books - to keep us distracted. In a world that is going through so many changes and experiencing high levels of turbulence across a wide range of sectors, it can be deeply disturbing and upsetting for many. It's natural to want to avoid it for just a little while - to give yourself time to recuperate, a moment of peace. During this pandemic, the entertainment industry saw tremendous growth, which means that people turned to entertainment even more than usual because of the situation we found ourselves in.

I remember reading about how different people cope with issues differently. The pandemic is still raging, so let's use that as an example. Some people want to play video games and read books and watch movies that feature pandemics; that's how they cope. So, think zombie movies and movies with digital themes and so on. Some people want to keep disease-related topics out of their preferred forms of entertainment and prefer to consume entertainment that allows them to 'be outdoors' so to speak; that's how they cope. Different people cope differently. Some people want to make jokes about it or discuss it, while others just want to ignore it for a little while so that they aren't always preoccupied with this issue.

It's the same for a lot of different things. And, as we go further into an age of global and social interconnectedness, it becomes clearer that there are a lot of problems in the world. Like, a lot. It's scary here on Earth. So, with this increased exposure to all of the issues our world and societies face, it's only natural to turn more and more towards entertaining distractions. I think that cozy fiction is one of these distractions.

Some people are okay with seeing the same issues reflected in their preferred forms of entertainment. For some, this is a way to cope, and it helps them feel better. But, just like with the example of the pandemic, there are many others who don't cope in this way. They don't want to read stories where bloody violence, death, and prejudice mar the fictional world. They don't want to read stories without happy endings, or where justice is not served, or where the issues hit a little too close to home - and not in a good way.

So, cozy fiction is a solution that provides both escapism and a therapeutic experience for readers. 

Cozy Fiction as Therapy

We know that fiction can be used as a form of therapy. In fact, here's an interesting article about how fiction can be used in official therapy sessions. And, here's a piece on an interesting initiative in which writers create stories with the goal of therapeutic change at the core of the books. With more and more people feeling isolated and lonely, fiction - including books, movies, and TV shows - can create a sense of belonging for fans as they create fandoms and share their love for particular works of fiction, going so far as to continue creating content based on or related to that particular fiction (fanfiction or fanart).

But on a more general level, when we experience something good, it makes us feel better. If we're having a bad day and we watch a funny comedian or play a video game we enjoy, we'll probably feel better. I think the same can be applied to cozy fiction. When I read The Railway Children, I was left with a pleasant, emotionally uplifting experience that made me feel good. When I read The Secret Garden, the same types of emotions surfaced.

As individuals in an imperfect world, it can sometimes feel isolating and frightening to realize just how much is wrong with the world outside your front door. There's violence, and death, and disease, and hatred, and prejudice, and discrimination, and so much more. And things don't always turn out okay in the real world. This can be extremely disheartening and saddening.

But things are always okay at the end of a cozy fiction. Good overpowers bad. Evil people get their just desserts. Justice is served, the ending is a happy one, and the satisfaction is complete. 

While cozy fiction isn't going to be the cure for depression, or anxiety, or any myriad of other mental health issues, it is something that can help us feel better, if only for a little while. It's one of the reasons that Winnie-the-Pooh was so popular, because at a time of great uncertainty, sadness, and fear, it gave people a moment of relief, of joy, and innocence.

It's like a hot cup of tea for the soul. A hot cup of tea doesn't do much, but it can make you feel better in the moment, and maybe even for a little while afterwards.

~⭐~

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