fictionalthe
Fictionalthe is a term used in literary and narrative theory to describe a proposed framework for analyzing the status and function of fictitious entities and events within a text. It treats fiction not merely as storytelling but as a structured environment in which characters, places, and events are governed by internal rules and by reader interpretation. The term is a neologism that blends fiction with theory, and it has appeared in discussions as a provisional label rather than a fixed doctrine.
Core idea: Fictionalthe posits that readers attribute varying degrees of ontological status to elements within fiction
Applications: The framework is used in analyses of character plausibility, world-building, and diegetic coherence, as well
Relation to other theories: Fictionalthe intersects with discussions of fictional realism, ontology of fiction, and diegetic
See also: Fictional realism, Ontology of fiction, Diegesis, Narratology.