The Forgotten Genre for Petrolheads
Some genres race ahead. Others seem stuck in neutral. And when it comes to fictional books about cars and car culture, we’ve got a real case of literary breakdown on our hands. That’s right — despite the car being one of the most important inventions in human history, a global obsession, a symbol of freedom, rebellion, identity and adrenaline… it’s barely visible in the world of fiction.
Movies? Dominated by cars.
Games? Overflowing with horsepower.
TV? Gearheads get entire seasons.
But books? Tumbleweed.
So what gives?
A Short History of Car Fiction (Blink and You’ll Miss It)
Let’s rewind. Early 20th century books dabbled in cars – as novelties, not stars. Think gadgets in pulp adventures, or props in war stories. Then came On the Road (1957), and for a moment the car became the spirit of the story – raw, poetic, and rebellious.
Fast-forward to the ’70s, and J.G. Ballard gave us Crash – controversial, shocking, but undeniably automotive to its core. Horror crept in with Stephen King’s Christine. Manga fans had Initial D drifting through the 90s. And that’s… pretty much it.
There’s no rich genre of petrolhead fiction. No shelf at Waterstones marked “Car Thrillers”. No James Bond of the blacktop. No Jack Reacher for the racetrack. No emotional dramas in scrapyards. No supercar spies, rogue mechanics or drifting anti-heroes.
What we got instead was a giant, roaring void.
Why It Matters
Because fiction shapes identity. It builds heroes. It feeds dreams. And while we’ve had fantasy wizards, dystopian kids, romantic vampires and military thrillers, we haven’t had proper car heroes.
And let’s be honest — car people love stories.
We bond over mods, over drives, over breakdowns and builds.
We swap tales like war veterans.
So why hasn’t fiction caught up?
Because publishers think petrolheads don’t read.
That we’re not their audience.
That we want noise, not nuance.
Rubbish.
👆🏾 See this awesome automotive novel I recently discovered and reviewed!
The Genre Deserves a Reboot
I say it’s time to change that. That’s why I wrote The ULEZ Files, a full-throttle political action thriller. That’s why Quantum Races exists – 13 short stories fusing cars, sci-fi, and satire. These stories are written by a car guy, for car people – with no apologies.
It’s time for new characters, for street racers with depth, mechanics with mystery, and journeys that mean something more than 0-60. Fast & Furious shouldn’t be the only name in the race.
Final Lap
Car fiction isn’t just a missed opportunity – it’s an open lane waiting for someone to put their foot down.
So I’m asking:
Where are all the car novels?
And more importantly… are you ready to help bring them back?
Drop a comment. Recommend a book. Or grab one of mine – let’s prove petrolheads do read.
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