Category: Literature > Metafiction
One unique and interesting fact about literature is the use of "metafiction," a narrative technique that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction. This method has been employed by authors throughout history, including the iconic William Shakespeare. In plays like "Hamlet," Shakespeare often blurred the lines between reality and performance, prompting audiences to reflect on the nature of storytelling itself. Fast forward to modern literature, and metafiction continues to thrive in works such as "If on a winter's night a traveler" by Italo Calvino and "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut. These contemporary authors use metafiction to invite readers to question the boundaries of fiction, making them aware of their role in the narrative and the artifice of storytelling, creating a rich dialogue across centuries about the nature of reality and fiction.