FictionBook E-Book (.FB2)
FB2 (FictionBook 2.0) is an XML-based e-book format popular primarily in Russia and Eastern Europe. It stores book content with structured metadata including author information, genre classification, and series data in a single XML file. FB2 separates content structure from presentation, allowing reading applications to apply their own styling while preserving the logical document hierarchy.
Advantages of FictionBook E-Book
What the FB2 format does well, and why you might choose it.
- Rich structured metadata including author, genre, series, and annotation
- Single self-contained XML file with embedded images in base64
- Strong support in Eastern European and Russian e-reading ecosystems
Limitations of FictionBook E-Book
What the FB2format doesn't do well, and when to choose another format.
- Very limited adoption outside of Russia and Eastern Europe
- Fewer features than EPUB 3 for multimedia and interactive content
- Not supported by mainstream Western e-readers like Kindle or Kobo
What FB2 files are used for
- Russian-language e-book distribution and libraries
- Eastern European e-reader devices and applications
- E-book archiving with comprehensive structured metadata
Convert to FB2
The most common formats people convert to FB2, ready to convert in seconds.
Convert FB2 to other formats
Convert FictionBook E-Book files into the format you actually need.
Frequently asked questions about FB2
What is a .FB2 file?
FB2 (FictionBook 2.0) is an XML-based e-book format popular primarily in Russia and Eastern Europe. It stores book content with structured metadata including author information, genre classification, and series data in a single XML file. FB2 separates content structure from presentation, allowing reading applications to apply their own styling while preserving the logical document hierarchy.
What is the MIME type of FB2?
The official MIME type for FB2 files is application/x-fictionbook+xml. This is the value web servers and applications use to identify the format when transferring files.
What category does FB2 belong to?
FB2 is a E-Book Converter format. Files in this category share common conversion paths and use cases.
How do I open a .FB2 file?
FB2 files are typically opened by software that natively supports the FictionBook E-Bookformat. If you don't have a compatible application, the most reliable approach is to convert the file to a more universal format using the converters listed above. Most FictionBook E-Book files convert to widely-supported alternatives in seconds.
Have a FB2 file you need to convert?
Free, instant, no signup. Files deleted within an hour of upload.
Convert FB2 to PDF