ennusti

Ennusti is a fictional concept used in speculative fiction and literary theory to describe a method by which potential future outcomes are embedded within a narrative so that readers’ engagement can influence how events in the story unfold. The term is a neologism created by contemporary writers and scholars; there is no single canonical definition, and interpretations vary across works.

The coinage is designed to evoke forecasting and is not tied to any real language or tradition. In most discussions, ennusti functions as a conceptual tool for examining how narrative structure can carry signals about possible futures.

Mechanisms associated with ennusti include signal motifs, parallel or branching plotlines, and temporal layering that track multiple futures across a single text. Authors may encode recurring motifs that correlate with particular outcomes, inviting readers to anticipate or imagine how choices, chance events, or world states might unfold.

Origins and usage: Since the 2010s, ennusti has appeared in critical essays, experimental fiction, and narrative-driven games as a device for exploring causality, prophecy, and the relationship between reader interpretation and story development.

Reception and critique: Some scholars view ennusti as a productive thought experiment about narrative causality and audience engagement, while others raise concerns that it can imply determinism or reduce authorial control and reader agency.

See also: Prophecy in fiction; self-fulfilling prophecy; narratology; time in literature.