Nearfictional

Nearfictional is a term used to describe narratives that present fictional events in a manner that closely mimics factual reporting or documentary style. In nearfiction, the line between fiction and reality is intentionally blurred, often through the use of credible voice, realistic settings, and authentic seeming documents or data. The approach sits at the intersection of narrative fiction, documentary fiction, and faction, and it is distinguished from traditional historical fiction by its inclusion of invented elements and from pure reportage by its fictional core.

Techniques commonly associated with nearfictional works include a newsroom or journalistic voice, detailed descriptions of settings, and the use of fictional archives, footnotes, mock interviews, or sources. Authors may integrate plausible timelines, real places and institutions, and seemingly empirical data to create the impression that events could have occurred in the real world. The narrative often foregrounds its own construction, inviting readers to question what counts as truth within a story.

Purpose and reception vary, but nearfictional writing frequently aims to explore how information is assembled and consumed, to critique media culture, or to probe the boundaries of memory and belief. It raises ethical questions about deception, authorial intent, and potential defamation, asking readers to assess claims to truth alongside narrative experience. In criticism, nearfictional is discussed as a strategy for complicating the reader’s relationship with facts and fiction. The term is not yet standardized, but it describes a recognizable mode in contemporary storytelling.