Reality beckons: metamodernist depthiness beyond panfictionality. (4th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gibbons, Alison; Vermeulen, Timotheus; van den Akker, Robin
• Is Part Of: European journal of English studies. Volume 23:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 172
• Page End: 189
• Publication Date: 2019-05-04
• Subjects: A Tale for the Time Being -- autofiction -- metamodernism -- panfictionality -- reality -- Ruth Ozeki -- The Keepers -- true crime; English literature -- Europe -- Periodicals; English literature -- Study and teaching -- Europe -- Periodicals; English language -- Europe -- Periodicals; English language -- Study and teaching -- Europe -- Periodicals; 420.71
• DOI: 10.1080/13825577.2019.1640426
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1382-5577

Abstract

ABSTRACT: It is often argued that postmodernism has been succeeded by a new dominant cultural logic. We conceive of this new logic as metamodernism. Whilst some twenty-first century texts still engage with and utilise postmodernist practices, they put these practices to new use. In this article, we investigate the metamodern usage of the typically postmodernist devices of metatextuality and ontological slippage in two genres: autofiction and true crime documentary. Specifically, we analyse Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being and the Netflix mini-series The Keepers, demonstrating that forms of fictionalisation, metafictionality and ontological blurring between fiction and reality have been repurposed. We argue that, rather than expand the scope of fiction, overriding reality, the metamodernist repurposing of postmodernist textual strategies generates a kind of 'reality-effect'.