FICTION

Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals,
events, or places that are imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional
portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditional
narrow sense, "fiction" refers to written narratives in prose often referring specifically
to novels, novellas, and short stories. More broadly, however, fiction encompasses
imaginary narratives expressed in any medium, including not just writings but
also live theatrical performances, films, television programs, radio
dramas, comics, role-playing games, and video games.

Overview
Typically, the fictionality of a work is publicly expressed, so the audience
expects the work to deviate to a greater or lesser degree from the real world rather
than presenting, for instance, only factually accurate portrayals or characters who
are actual people. Because fiction is generally understood as not adhering to the real
world, the themes and context of a work, such as if and how it relates to real-world
issues or events, are open to interpretation. Since fiction is most long-established in
the realm of literature (written narrative fiction), the broad study of the nature,
function, and meaning of fiction is called literary theory, and the narrower
interpretation of specific fictional texts is called literary criticism (with subsets like film
criticism and theatre criticism also now long-established). Aside from real-world
connections, some fictional works may depict characters and events within their own
context, entirely separate from the known physical universe: an independent fictional
universe. The creative art of constructing such an imaginary world is known
as worldbuilding.

History
Storytelling has existed in all human cultures, and each culture incorporates
different elements of truth and fiction into storytelling. Early fiction was closely
associated with history and myth. Greek poets such as Homer, Hesiod,
and Aesop developed fictional stories that were told first through oral storytelling and
then in writing. Prose fiction was developed in Ancient Greece, influenced by the
storytelling traditions of Asia and Egypt. Distinctly fictional work was not recognized
as separate from historical or mythological stories until the imperial period. Plasmatic
narrative, following entirely invented characters and events, was developed through
ancient drama and New Comedy. One common structure among early fiction is a
series of strange and fantastic adventures as early writers test the limits of fiction
writing. Milesian tales were an early example of fiction writing in Ancient Greece and
Italy. As fiction writing developed in Ancient Greece, relatable characters and
plausible scenarios were emphasized to better connect with the audience, including
elements such as romance, piracy, and religious ceremonies. Heroic romance was
developed in medieval Europe, incorporating elements associated with fantasy,
including supernatural elements and chivalry.

Different types of fiction

Here is a list of types of fiction based on unique characteristics.

1. Science fiction
Science fiction stories often take place in the future and involve fictional
aspects of science and technology
2. Mystery
Mystery is a genre of fiction that focuses on solving crimes and mysterious
events. Ordinarily, the protagonist is a detective, and the remaining characters are
suspects until proven otherwise
3. Historical fiction
Historical fiction is a story that takes readers to a particular time and place in
the past, typically at least 50 years or more in order for it to be considered historical
fiction. Although the story takes place in the past, the plot itself is one that didn't
actually happen in history.
4. Thriller
The thriller genre generally has a fast-paced storyline and tension and
suspense from beginning to end. There are many sub-genres within the thriller genre
such as the psychological, political and spy variety to name a few.
5. Young adult
Writers create and market young adult fiction to readers between the ages of
12 and 18. The plotline can be realistic or can contain magical elements, but in most
young adult fiction the protagonist faces challenges and changes that are relatable to
an adolescent
6. Realistic fiction
Realistic fiction is a type of fiction in which a story is told that could easily
happen in today's society. It contains believable characters and events and takes
place in an actual setting, but the storyline itself is one that has never actually
happenedCharacters that seem like actual people you might encounter
7. Romance
The romance genre can take place during any time period and may contain a
realistic plot line or have magical elements, but the primary element of a romance
novel is that there is a central love story throughout the novel
8. Horror
The horror genre's purpose is to create feelings of terror and excitement in the
reader
9. Fantasy
Fantasy is a type of fiction that focuses on magical and supernatural elements
that do not exist in the actual world. There can be elements of romance, action and
mystery in fantasy.
Notable Authors and Works

Leo Tolstoy
His fiction includes dozens of short stories such as "After the Ball" (1911)
and novellas such as Family Happiness (1859), The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886)
and Hadji Murad (1912).
His fiction consistently attempts to convey realistically the Russian society in
which he lived. The Cossacks (1863) describes the Cossack life and people through
a story of a Russian aristocrat in love with a Cossack girl. Anna Karenina (1877) tells
parallel stories of an adulterous woman trapped by the conventions and falsities of
society and of a philosophical landowner (much like Tolstoy), who works alongside
the peasants in the fields and seeks to reform their lives. Tolstoy not only drew from
his own life experiences but also created characters in his own image, such as
Pierre Bezukhov and Prince Andrei in War and Peace, Levin in Anna Karenina and
to some extent, Prince Nekhlyudov in Resurrection. Richard Pevear, who translated
many of Tolstoy's works, said of Tolstoy's signature style, "His works are full of
provocation and irony, and written with broad and elaborately developed rhetorical
devices."
Charles Dickens
His 1843 novella A Christmas Carol remains especially popular and continues
to inspire adaptations in every creative medium. Oliver Twist and Great
Expectations are also frequently adapted and, like many of his novels, evoke images
of early Victorian London. His 1853 novel Bleak House, a satire on the judicial
system, helped support a reformist movement that culminated in the 1870s legal
reform in England. A Tale of Two Cities (set in London and Paris) is regarded as his
best-known work of historical fiction.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky was introduced to literature at an early age. From the age of
three, he had read heroic sagas, fairy tales and legends by his nanny, Alena
Frolovna, an especially influential figure in his upbringing and his love for fictional
stories.
Dostoevsky's works of fiction include 16 novels and novellas, 16 short stories,
and 5 translations. Many of his longer novels were first published in serialised form in
literary magazines and journals. His major work includes Poor Folk novel, Notes
from Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, The Brothers
Karamazov.
Toni Morrison
Despite the international stature of Toni Morrison, she has yet to receive the
national recognition that her five major works of fiction entirely deserve", they wrote.
Two months later, Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It also won an Anisfield-
Wolf Book Award.
Beloved is the first of three novels about love and African-American history,
sometimes called the Beloved Trilogy. The second novel in the trilogy, Jazz, came
out in 1992. Told in language that imitates the rhythms of jazz music, the novel is
about a love triangle during the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. According
to Lyn Innes, "Morrison sought to change not just the content and audience for her
fiction; her desire was to create stories which could be lingered over and relished,
not 'consumed and gobbled as fast food', and at the same time to ensure that these
stories and their characters had a strong historical and cultural base."
Haruki Murakami
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has
sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading
to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary
world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of
Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary
writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the
world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.
Murakami was also awarded the 2007 Kiriyama Prize for Fiction for his
collection of short stories Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, but according to the prize's
official website, Murakami "declined to accept the award for reasons of personal
principle"
Salman Rushdie
Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie is an Indian-born British and American novelist.
His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with
connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Western civilizations,
typically set on the Indian subcontinent.
Rushdie's debut, the science fiction tale Grimus (1975), was generally ignored
by the public and literary critics. His next novel, Midnight's Children (1981), put him
on the map. The new series, to be called The Next People, will be, according to
Rushdie, "a sort of paranoid science-fiction series, people disappearing and being
replaced by other people."
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
While studying in the US, Adichie started researching and writing her first
novel, Purple Hibiscus. Her book, Purple Hibiscus was well received with positive
reviews from book critics. The book sold well and was awarded the Commonwealth
Writers' Prize for the Best Book (2005), Hurston-Wright Legacy Award, and
shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction (2004). Half of a Yellow Sun garnered
acclaim including winning the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007, the International
Nonino Prize (2009), and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
Adichie draws on figures from Igbo oral tradition to present facts in the style
of historical fiction. Adichie's work has garnered significant critical acclaim and
numerous awards. The book sold well and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers'
Prize for the Best Book (2005), Hurston-Wright Legacy Award, and shortlisted for
the Orange Prize for Fiction (2004). Half of a Yellow Sun garnered acclaim including
winning the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007, the International Nonino Prize (2009),
and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
Some examples of literature in Fiction

1. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Alcott’s 1868 novel is a classic work of literary fiction that follows the lives
and loves of the four March sisters: Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. It is a coming-of-age
story focusing on the sisters’ evolution from girlhood to young womanhood as
they try to find their respective places in the world. Little Women is a fictionalized
version of Alcott’s own life and her relationship with her sisters.
2. Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
This work is a beloved, award-winning science fiction novel. It tells the
story of high schooler Meg Murry, who embarks on an epic adventure through
time and space. Her younger brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin
O’Keefe accompany her on a quest to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace’s
scientist father from an evil being holding him captive on another planet. And, in
the process, they end up saving the world.
3. Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
Morrison’s 1977 work of literary fiction recounts the life and death of Macon
“Milkman” Dead III. Milkman is a Black man living in Michigan, estranged from his
family, his history, and himself. Over the course of 30-plus years, his best friend
Guitar and his aunt Pilate help him understand and embrace his identity and his
worth. Morrison infuses Milkman’s story with magical realism and African
American folklore.
4. Stephen King, Carrie
A horror novel for the ages, King’s work centers on 16-year-old Carrie
White, whose story unfolds through fictional letters, newspaper articles, and
magazine stories. Raised by a religious-authoritarian mother, Carrie is a misfit at
school and the target of merciless bullies. Carrie is also telekinetic, possessing
the power to move anything with her mind. She ultimately uses this power to
exact a bloody revenge at the school prom, getting back at those who bullied her,
the community that forsook her, and, finally, the mother who despised her.
5. Tommy Orange, There There
Orange’s 2018 work of literary fiction chronicles a community of Oakland,
California, Native Americans as they prepare and gather for an urban powwow.
The narrative illuminates the experiences of Native Americans living in large
metropolitan cities and how these environments shape their lives, relationships,
and identities. The characters confront a number of challenges stemming from
their painful and complex history―including alcoholism and drug addiction, fetal
alcohol syndrome, mental illness, and unemployment―yet they are also unique
inheritors of a profound and beautiful spirituality and purpose. Eventually, the
characters assemble at the powwow, where a shocking crime occurs that alters
their lives forever.
6. J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter series
Harry Potter is a film series based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K.
Rowling. The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and
consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's
Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part
2 (2011).[2][3] A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media
franchise.