Fictionissa

Fictionissa is a term used in literary and media studies to describe a mode in which fiction and non-fiction elements are deliberately intermixed within a single work, often to invite readers to question assumptions about truth, credibility, or authorship.

Common characteristics include documentary aesthetics, metafictional framing, and the use of fabricated archives, annotated footnotes, invented experts, or transcripts presented as authentic records; works may present as complete narratives or as episodic fragments that draw on real-world formats such as reportage, diaries, or manuals.

Origin and use: The term has appeared in scholarly discourse since the early 2010s and is applied across literary fiction, game studies, and media theory. It is not a fixed genre but a spectrum of practice that emphasizes genre boundaries' permeability.

In practice, fictionissa can take many forms, including novels that present themselves as case studies, films mixing documentary footage with staged scenes, or interactive narratives that blend diary, reportage, and fiction.

Reception: Critics discuss its potential to enhance critical media literacy while raising concerns about reader deception and ethical issues around misrepresentation; supporters argue that it foregrounds questions of knowledge and provenance in the digital age.

See also: metafiction; autofiction; documentary fiction; speculative documentary.