Urban Fiction is a literary genre set in an urban environment. Urban Fiction is defined by more than the setting - a defining characteristic of the genre is the culture. References to hip-hop and the gritty reality of the inner-city lifestyle are common themes. There may be themes of rags-to-riches; however, the characters usually never lose touch with their roots. The tone of these books tend to be dark and focus on the underbelly of life in the city– explicit profanity, sex, and violence is the norm.