Has this been done before?

Jenken · May 16, 2005

I'm sure it has, but I am unaware of any recent examples:

A mock non-fiction book based on a fiction novel. For example, what if Michael Crichton decided to chroncle the events of Jurrasic Park in a format commonly associated with non-fiction? Or Nelson Demille retold Plum Island or Lion's Game in a true crime format?

I've started a non-fiction piece based on a novel I wrote. It's designed to look exactly like a true crime novel, with character interviews, confession transcripts and even crime scene photos (which would obviously be mocked up). The biggest difference from the novel is that my non-fiction piece would be told from the view of the investigating detective who only made a few cameos in the novel, but was also working on it all the way through (he just didn't put all the pieces together before the protagonist did.)

When you boil it down, it's really Blair Witch or Spinal Tap, but in literary form. I think about some of the books I've read, like the two above, and think it would be fascinating to read more from other angles. I know McCaffrey and Tolkein trotted out all the companion volumes, but what about contemporary works?
Is anyone aware of another author that has done this? This question was also posted in the Non-fiction forum.

katiemac · May 16, 2005

I can't think of any specific examples, but there are plenty of fiction novels made to look like nonfiction case studies. I've never seen it done as a companion to another novel, but rather as the novel itself. I guess Flowers for Algernon could be an example, where Charlie is essentially writing a scientific journal, and this is how we (the readers) get the story.

Right now I have mixed thoughts on the idea, I might have to think about it a little longer in order to make a solid decision on how I see it. In my opinion, right now, the case in your novel would probably have to be pretty complex and detailed for readers to want the companion to read along. If it stands alone, someone who reads the novel rather than the companion first may not want to buy companion if they already know how the case ends.

But a reader who really enjoyed your novel would probably interested to see how the case fits together. Your book will still be fiction, however, not non-fiction as you've mentioned. It could be neat if you manage to include fake crime scene photos, etc.

Hmmm... I'm interested to see what others have to say on your topic, and I'm also interested to see how your piece turns out.

rich · May 16, 2005

I'm still confused about writing mock nonfiction.

Richard · May 16, 2005

I'm still confused about writing mock nonfiction.

Pfft. Look in any bookstore under 'New Age'. You'll get into the swing of it...

rich · May 16, 2005

Can you explain it to me? Just a short piece.

trumancoyote · May 16, 2005

Take a look at Capote's In Cold Blood. It's not exactly what you're asking about, but he was pretty much the pioneer of the 'nonfiction novel.'

Marcusthefish · May 16, 2005

I don't know if it's ever been done, but I'm not sure that it should be. It seems to me that such a treatment (at least as you describe it) would take the flow and immersive storytelling out of a good novel, yet fail to be the window into extraordinary reality that makes good nonfiction successful.

MTF

Jenken · May 17, 2005

rich said:
Can you explain it to me? Just a short piece.

In brief:

Novel - First person narrative about a character named Rick who is used as a pawn by a white supremacist intent on bringing about a RAHOWA (racial holy war) for the new millennium. The novel is set in 1999 and also has a pretty strong literary sub plot of Rick trying to get his life back to a place where he doesn't feel like such a failure.

Mock nonfiction - True crime novelization in third person told from the viewpoint of Detective Warren, the man assigned to solve the racial murders from the novel. He crossed paths regularly with Rick but didn't solve the puzzle first. He was there however for the climax scene so I can bring it all full circle. This one will delve less deeply into the character issues than the novel, but it will flesh them out in another way. There are interview segments all the way through from the Detective, police officers, Rick, Rick's wife, etc. I'm trying to provide another look into the plot of the novel, including some events that were not featured in the novel because the main character wasn't present for them.

OK, maybe not so brief. Does that help?

rich · May 17, 2005

Thank you. I've read such nonfiction, but I've never heard the term "mock" nonfiction.

maestrowork · May 17, 2005

The thing is, what do you mean by fiction/non-fiction? It's too broad. Perhaps you mean writing fiction in a journalistic style? I mean, there's creative non-fiction that are written like novels.

Or do you mean by writing a fiction, but making it sound like real events (can someone say "Amityville Horror"?) That has been done before, of course. As long as you don't market it as non-fiction, I think it has potentials...

Jenken · May 17, 2005

rich said:
Thank you. I've read such nonfiction, but I've never heard the term "mock" nonfiction.

Can you list some of the books you've read that you think are that way? I want to take a look and compare them to what I'm trying. I don't believe I'm breaking some new ground here, or anything like that, but I haven't seen anything exactly like it either.

Thanks in advance...

Jenken · May 17, 2005

maestrowork said:
The thing is, what do you mean by fiction/non-fiction? It's too broad. Perhaps you mean writing fiction in a journalistic style? I mean, there's creative non-fiction that are written like novels.

Or do you mean by writing a fiction, but making it sound like real events (can someone say "Amityville Horror"?) That has been done before, of course. As long as you don't market it as non-fiction, I think it has potentials...

Maybe my terminology is off. I used "mock non-fiction" because that seemed to be the most appropriate term. Even creative non-fiction implies that the book is based on real events with the author taking liberty on certain facts, conversations, actions, etc. My book would seem to be that same way, only I've taken the ultimate liberty in that everything comes completely from my head. My intent is to blur that line between fiction/non fiction so that only the readers of the novel, or those who read the disclaimer at the back, realize it's truly fiction.

black winged fighter · May 17, 2005

In the first Artemis Fowl book, the story opens aqnd ends with a 'psychiatrist's analysis' of Artemis, the MC.

I suppose your idea is viable; if it's a companion to the other novel, then it's bound to find readers.

LightShadow · May 17, 2005

If it's an original idea, or at least original compared to the other books from a similar POV, it might do well. That's what the market is looking for - - something outside the same old doldrums.

NicoleJLeBoeuf · May 17, 2005

In Jane Yolen's Sister Light, Sister Dark books, the main story is bracketted by fictitious archeological and anthropological texts about the culture in which the story takes place. There is, in fact, a sort of framing plot going on in which two anthropologists disagree about how to interpret the findings, and one of them finds the other's "outrageous" theories being taken more and more seriously. Meanwhile the plot of the novel proper makes that all clear.

Also, Danielewski's House of Leaves uses a sort of fake documentary style in its multiple nested plots. You have the diary of the person in whose hands falls the manuscript of a critique/documentary of a photo-documentary taken by the main character of the events that happen to him in the weird house.

(I totally dug it, especially the way the manuscript documentary interacts with the plot of the spooky house story--the chapter that begins as a treatise on echoes gave me absolute goosebumps--but some people find it too pretentious, too "look at me! I'm doing metafiction!")

Anyway--is this the sort of thing we're talking about? Fiction taking the form of non-fiction?

katiemac · May 17, 2005

I just thought of something that might be close to what you're attempting.

Rowling's expanded the Harry Potter series slightly by writing a couple of "nonfiction" textbooks that Harry uses in his classes. They're written to give more insight about Harry's world, and are for the real fanatics. In her case, however, all proceeds go to charity.

Jenken · May 18, 2005

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:
In Jane Yolen's Sister Light, Sister Dark books, <snip>
Anyway--is this the sort of thing we're talking about? Fiction taking the form of non-fiction?

From a conceptual standpoint, this does sound pretty close to what I'm attempting. I'll check this book out. Thanks for the lead...

Darkhaven80 · May 20, 2005

Is Carrie an example? It starts with a clip from a book, written 'after the events', and every other page or so has an article clipping, an excerpt from another made up nonfiction book, or an interview segment.

Thekherham · May 22, 2005

Fiction that's supposed to read like non-fiction?
Oh, yeah, I've done that.

I've written a book (o.k., a partial book, needs lots of editing) about an alien species and the planet on which they live. Thus we have chapters about the geography, history, appearance, reproduction etc. etc. etc.

James D. Macdonald · May 22, 2005

The Anderson Tapes

Has this been done before?

Jenken

katiemac

Five by Five

rich

Richard

13th Triskaidekaphobe

rich

trumancoyote

My Name is Sweet Thing

Marcusthefish

Jenken

rich

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Jenken

Jenken

black winged fighter

AW Addict

LightShadow

defender of the blahs!

NicoleJLeBoeuf

a work in progress

katiemac

Five by Five

Jenken

Darkhaven80

Thekherham

The Alien Writer

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle