diff --git a/comicapi/genericmetadata.py b/comicapi/genericmetadata.py
index 5cc1ed3..23f92ca 100644
--- a/comicapi/genericmetadata.py
+++ b/comicapi/genericmetadata.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ possible, however lossy it might be
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Any, TypedDict
 
 from comicapi import utils
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ class CreditMetadata(TypedDict):
     primary: bool
 
 
+@dataclass
 class GenericMetadata:
     writer_synonyms = ["writer", "plotter", "scripter"]
     penciller_synonyms = ["artist", "penciller", "penciler", "breakdowns"]
@@ -73,59 +75,63 @@ class GenericMetadata:
     cover_synonyms = ["cover", "covers", "coverartist", "cover artist"]
     editor_synonyms = ["editor"]
 
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
+    is_empty: bool = True
+    tag_origin: str | None = None
 
-        self.is_empty: bool = True
-        self.tag_origin: str | None = None
+    series: str | None = None
+    issue: str | None = None
+    title: str | None = None
+    publisher: str | None = None
+    month: int | None = None
+    year: int | None = None
+    day: int | None = None
+    issue_count: int | None = None
+    volume: int | None = None
+    genre: str | None = None
+    language: str | None = None  # 2 letter iso code
+    comments: str | None = None  # use same way as Summary in CIX
 
-        self.series: str | None = None
-        self.issue: str | None = None
-        self.title: str | None = None
-        self.publisher: str | None = None
-        self.month: int | None = None
-        self.year: int | None = None
-        self.day: int | None = None
-        self.issue_count: int | None = None
-        self.volume: int | None = None
-        self.genre: str | None = None
-        self.language: str | None = None  # 2 letter iso code
-        self.comments: str | None = None  # use same way as Summary in CIX
+    volume_count: int | None = None
+    critical_rating: float | None = None  # rating in cbl; CommunityRating in CIX
+    country: str | None = None
 
-        self.volume_count: int | None = None
-        self.critical_rating: float | None = None  # rating in cbl; CommunityRating in CIX
-        self.country: str | None = None
+    alternate_series: str | None = None
+    alternate_number: str | None = None
+    alternate_count: int | None = None
+    imprint: str | None = None
+    notes: str | None = None
+    web_link: str | None = None
+    format: str | None = None
+    manga: str | None = None
+    black_and_white: bool | None = None
+    page_count: int | None = None
+    maturity_rating: str | None = None
 
-        self.alternate_series: str | None = None
-        self.alternate_number: str | None = None
-        self.alternate_count: int | None = None
-        self.imprint: str | None = None
-        self.notes: str | None = None
-        self.web_link: str | None = None
-        self.format: str | None = None
-        self.manga: str | None = None
-        self.black_and_white: bool | None = None
-        self.page_count: int | None = None
-        self.maturity_rating: str | None = None
+    story_arc: str | None = None
+    series_group: str | None = None
+    scan_info: str | None = None
 
-        self.story_arc: str | None = None
-        self.series_group: str | None = None
-        self.scan_info: str | None = None
+    characters: str | None = None
+    teams: str | None = None
+    locations: str | None = None
 
-        self.characters: str | None = None
-        self.teams: str | None = None
-        self.locations: str | None = None
+    credits: list[CreditMetadata] = field(default_factory=list)
+    tags: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
+    pages: list[ImageMetadata] = field(default_factory=list)
 
-        self.credits: list[CreditMetadata] = []
-        self.tags: list[str] = []
-        self.pages: list[ImageMetadata] = []
+    # Some CoMet-only items
+    price: str | None = None
+    is_version_of: str | None = None
+    rights: str | None = None
+    identifier: str | None = None
+    last_mark: str | None = None
+    cover_image: str | None = None
 
-        # Some CoMet-only items
-        self.price: str | None = None
-        self.is_version_of: str | None = None
-        self.rights: str | None = None
-        self.identifier: str | None = None
-        self.last_mark: str | None = None
-        self.cover_image: str | None = None
+    def __post_init__(self):
+        for key, value in self.__dict__.items():
+            if value and key != "is_empty":
+                self.is_empty = False
+                break
 
     def overlay(self, new_md: GenericMetadata) -> None:
         """Overlay a metadata object on this one
diff --git a/tests/comicarchive_test.py b/tests/comicarchive_test.py
index 93501a0..25618a8 100644
--- a/tests/comicarchive_test.py
+++ b/tests/comicarchive_test.py
@@ -48,9 +48,7 @@ def test_metadata_read():
         thisdir / "data" / "Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now #001 - Anda's Game (2007).cbz"
     )
     md = c.read_cix()
-    md_dict = md.__dict__
-    md_test_dict = comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test.__dict__
-    assert md_dict == md_test_dict
+    assert md == comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test
 
 
 def test_save_cix(tmp_path):
@@ -118,9 +116,7 @@ def test_copy_to_archive(archiver, tmp_path):
     assert set(cbz.archiver.get_filename_list()) == set(comic_archive.archiver.get_filename_list())
 
     md = comic_archive.read_cix()
-    md_dict = md.__dict__
-    md_test_dict = comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test.__dict__
-    assert md_dict == md_test_dict
+    assert md == comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test
 
     md = comicapi.genericmetadata.GenericMetadata()
     md.overlay(comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test)
@@ -129,6 +125,4 @@ def test_copy_to_archive(archiver, tmp_path):
     assert comic_archive.write_cix(md)
 
     test_md = comic_archive.read_cix()
-    md_dict = md.__dict__
-    test_md_dict = test_md.__dict__
-    assert md_dict == test_md_dict
+    assert md == test_md
diff --git a/tests/genericmetadata_test.py b/tests/genericmetadata_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16683fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/genericmetadata_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import dataclasses
+
+import pytest
+
+import comicapi.genericmetadata
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def md():
+    yield dataclasses.replace(comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test)
+
+
+stuff = [
+    (
+        {"series": "test", "issue": "2", "title": "never"},
+        dataclasses.replace(comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test, series="test", issue="2", title="never"),
+    ),
+    (
+        {"series": "", "issue": "2", "title": "never"},
+        dataclasses.replace(comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test, series=None, issue="2", title="never"),
+    ),
+    (
+        {},
+        dataclasses.replace(comicapi.genericmetadata.md_test),
+    ),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("replaced, expected", stuff)
+def test_metadata_overlay(md: comicapi.genericmetadata.GenericMetadata, replaced, expected):
+    md_overlay = comicapi.genericmetadata.GenericMetadata(**replaced)
+    md.overlay(md_overlay)
+
+    assert md == expected
+
+
+def test_add_credit():
+    md = comicapi.genericmetadata.GenericMetadata()
+
+    md.add_credit(person="test", role="writer", primary=False)
+    md.credits == [{"person": "test", "role": "writer", "primary": False}]
+
+
+def test_add_credit_primary():
+    md = comicapi.genericmetadata.GenericMetadata()
+
+    md.add_credit(person="test", role="writer", primary=False)
+    md.add_credit(person="test", role="writer", primary=True)
+    md.credits == [{"person": "test", "role": "writer", "primary": True}]
+
+
+credits = [
+    ("writer", "Dara Naraghi"),
+    ("writeR", "Dara Naraghi"),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("role, expected", credits)
+def test_get_primary_credit(md, role, expected):
+    assert md.get_primary_credit(role) == expected
diff --git a/tests/issuestring_test.py b/tests/issuestring_test.py
index 49b671e..3597686 100644
--- a/tests/issuestring_test.py
+++ b/tests/issuestring_test.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ issues = [
     ("22.BEY", 22.0, "022.BEY"),
     ("22A", 22.0, "022A"),
     ("22-A", 22.0, "022-A"),
+    ("", None, ""),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/tests/utils_test.py b/tests/utils_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b767e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+
+import comicapi.utils
+
+
+def test_recursive_list_with_file(tmp_path) -> None:
+    foo_png = tmp_path / "foo.png"
+    foo_png.write_text("not a png")
+
+    temp_folder = tmp_path / "bar"
+    temp_folder.mkdir()
+    temp_file = temp_folder / "test.cbz"
+    temp_file.write_text("not a zip")
+
+    temp_folder2 = tmp_path / "bar" / "baz" / "something else"
+    temp_folder2.mkdir(parents=True)
+    temp_cbr = temp_folder2 / "bar.cbr"
+    temp_cbr.write_text("not a rar")
+
+    temp_txt = tmp_path / "info.txt"
+    temp_txt.write_text("this is here")
+
+    expected_result = {str(foo_png), str(temp_cbr), str(temp_file), str(temp_txt)}
+    result = set(comicapi.utils.get_recursive_filelist([tmp_path]))
+
+    assert result == expected_result
+
+
+values = [
+    ({"data": "", "is_int": False, "is_float": False}, None),
+    ({"data": None, "is_int": False, "is_float": False}, None),
+    ({"data": None, "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, None),
+    ({"data": " ", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, None),
+    ({"data": "", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, None),
+    ({"data": "9", "is_int": False, "is_float": False}, "9"),
+    ({"data": 9, "is_int": False, "is_float": False}, "9"),
+    ({"data": 9, "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": "9", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": 9.3, "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": "9.3", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": "9.", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": " 9 . 3 l", "is_int": True, "is_float": False}, 9),
+    ({"data": 9, "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.0),
+    ({"data": "9", "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.0),
+    ({"data": 9.3, "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.3),
+    ({"data": "9.3", "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.3),
+    ({"data": "9.", "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.0),
+    ({"data": " 9 . 3 l", "is_int": False, "is_float": True}, 9.3),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value, result", values)
+def test_xlate(value, result):
+    assert comicapi.utils.xlate(**value) == result