Psychological fiction delves deep into the human mind, exploring characters' mental states, motivations, and psychological development. This genre prioritizes internal conflict over external action, examining how characters think, feel, and perceive their world. Psychological fiction often features unreliable narrators, stream-of-consciousness techniques, and detailed exploration of mental health issues, trauma, and emotional complexity. Authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky, Virginia Woolf, and contemporary writers like Gillian Flynn use psychological realism to create compelling portraits of human consciousness. The genre challenges readers to understand characters from the inside out, often revealing the complexity and contradictions of human nature.

Psychological fiction has roots in 19th-century realism but truly emerged with modernist authors like Dostoevsky and later Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. The genre evolved through the 20th century as understanding of psychology and mental health deepened, with contemporary authors like Ian McEwan and Gillian Flynn bringing psychological insight to popular fiction. Today, psychological fiction continues to evolve with greater awareness of mental health issues and diverse psychological experiences.