Load-Bearing Elements – Metafiction
Pictured: a selection of metafictional texts. Whoa! You can't just jump into the deep end like that! What'd'ya mean "the deep end?" Metafiction as a concept is neither new nor esoteric. Well, no, but the name is crazy pretentious. As is any word that begins with "meta-." What about "metamorphosis?" Fine! Any jargon from any humanities discipline that uses the "meta-" prefix is crazy pretentious. Just call it a "conceit" or a "framing device." No, we're sticking with "metafiction." So let's jump in, shall we? If you insist. What's the deal with metafiction? Well, while the term "metafiction" may have arisen from Post-Modernism ( Wikipedia says it did, anyway ), the idea predates the term by centuries. As you pointed out, any work of fiction with a framing narrative is metafiction. Let's look at a few examples. Yes, let's . So, let's start with Mary...