Prose Fiction
There are different types of fiction texts, the main types are:
- proseUnrhymed - like everyday talk.
- poetry
- drama
Fiction texts have a creative element to them and tend to use literary deviceAny method an author uses to add meaning or interest to a text, such as metaphors, similes or alliteration.. Within each type of fiction, there are different genreA category or type of something. Fiction and non-fiction are two examples of different genres.. For example, there are different genres of prose fiction:
- science fiction (or sci-fi)
- historical fiction
- romance fiction
- BildungsromanA type of novel that tells about the early moral, psychological, and intellectual development of the main character. The Harry Potter books are a modern-day example.
Science fiction is a genre of prose fiction that mostly relies upon the writerâs imagination. For example, a science fiction text could be about scientific changes in a future world that the writer has made up. Science fiction writers like Aldous Huxley and Philip K Dick, created dystopianAn imagined society that is negative in some way, for example an oppressive society. futures in their prose fiction.
Some prose fiction is based on real events - an example of this would be a historical fictionFiction based on real historical events, for example Hilary Mantelâs Wolf Hall. novel. The writer uses historical research to create a story rather than using their own life experiences, but they also use their imagination to make the story come alive.
Hilary Mantelâs novel Wolf Hall (2009) is an example of historical fiction. This novel is based on real people and historical events in the court of Henry VIII, but Hilary Mantel also uses her imagination to decide how these characters would feel and behave.
Many modern writers experiment with genre and often write prose fiction that breaks many conventions.
Here are some celebrated fiction writers from the 20th and 21st century:
- George Orwell - best known for his dystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm. His prose fiction could also be defined by its focus on the themes of politics and power.
- Ian McEwan - known for his prose fiction in the realist genreFiction that has a realistic setting and âreal lifeâ feel..
- Zadie Smith - a writer that resists writing in a particular genre. Her novel NW is set in multi-cultural, modern day London and could be seen to have elements of realist and thriller fictionFiction that has exciting and surprising plot twists..
- Margaret Attwood - likes to experiment with genre and has written both science fiction and crime fictionFiction that usually follows the solving of a crime. prose.
- Andrea Levy - writes literary fictionWriting of higher quality compared to popular fiction. This type of fiction tends to focus more on the themes rather than the plot., with narratives that are often told by a range of different characters and frequently deal with the theme of migration. Her novel Small Island explores the link between place and identity.