Library

Fiction

Literature that is comprised of prose narratives created from the author’s imagination, and are not presented as fact, although works may be based on a true story or situation. Formats in the fiction genre include the novel, the novella, the short story, and the graphic novel.

Benefits of Reading Fiction

Reading for knowledge is vital for navigating the ebbs and flows of life, but research suggests that reading fiction may provide far more important benefits:

• Improves brain connectivity and function: Reading develops the ability to imagine and comprehend concepts without having to rely on visual representations.
• Improves memory: Reading increases the ability to organize and retain information, especially long-form information (e.g., the content of a novel). A life-long habit of reading will slow mental decline in later years.
• Improves vocabulary and language skills: Reading enriches the understanding of languages, each with its own vocabulary and nuances of dialect and speech pattern.
• Strengthens problem-solving skills: Reading is an immersive experience, and readers develop more flexible and imaginative minds by thinking critically of the plot’s problems and filling in gaps in knowledge with potential solutions.
• Fortifies decision-making skills: Research suggests that reading is an effective way to enhance one’s ability to maintain an open mind while processing information.
• Improves creativity: By imagining and visualizing a story, readers “stretch” and “exercise” parts of the brain that drive inspiration and productivity.
• Offers perspective: Reading fiction provides an opportunity to go beyond standard binary tropes (e.g., tradition vs. innovation) and examine competing and, sometimes, equally valid viewpoints.
• Reduces stress: Reading fiction allows one to disengage and rest cognitive capabilities. One thirty minute period of silent reading can significantly ease tension, slow the heart rate, and reduce the overall amount of cortisol (the “stress hormone”) in the brain.
• Improves sleep: Reading immediately before bed reduces screen time, betters bedtime routines, and builds a consistent sleep pattern.
• Improves empathy: Reading develops theory of mind, which allows one to recognize other perspectives, create understanding, and become more compassionate and kinder to others.
• Improves interpersonal relationships: Studies have shown that readers, especially readers of fiction, have sharper social cognition and healthier social behaviors, and are more astute in comprehending other people’s motivations.
• Improves emotional health: Studies have shown that reading enriches readers’ lives and helps them to be happier and more satisfied, and reduces bouts of depression, feelings of isolation, and low self-confidence.

Fiction can be divided into literary fiction and popular (or genre) fiction, although the two delineations are not mutually exclusive.

Works of literary fiction exhibit one or more of these characteristics:

Audience

• Intended for smaller, more highly educated audience
• Reading is more active; readers are asked to search for meaning and produce their own perspectives

Setting

• The setting is familiar, but considered in a different way

Plots

• The author structures the plot in an unconventional way that challenges accepted conventions and reader expectations, such as non-linear narratives and ambiguous endings

Focus

• The protagonist is the center of the story and drives the narrative forward
• The protagonist is complex, with a full inner life and multifaceted motivations

Themes

• Literary novels have a wide range of content; themes are drawn from the whole of human life
• There may be commentary on society, nature, or human behavior

Scope

• Scope is extremely broad

Language

• The author uses literary devices to enrich the story, such as allegories, allusions, imagery, metaphors, similes, and symbolism
• The prose is sophisticated
• Language is chosen with care; each word packs a punch
• Relies more on description; dialogue is more written language than spoken

Style and Tone

• The author meditates profoundly on the human condition and universal life experiences
• The author is philosophical about human nature and the meaning of life, offering a higher emotional impact
• Writers draw on variety of styles and can transcend genre (e.g., Cormac McCarthy)
• Writing is generally of a higher quality

Other Considerations:

• Written for artistic endeavor and creative expression as much as for money
• Work is considered more prestigious
• The work and/or the author has received awards reserved for more literary works (e.g., Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, Booker Prize, National Book Award, etc.)
• Work has been widely deemed a “classic”:
  • It sets the standard for popular genres (e.g., James Joyce, Dashiell Hammett, or J. R. R. Tolkien).
  • It has stood the test of time, and
  • It is read by successive generations; the individual influence is greater and more lasting.
• Literary fiction might have been elevated from popular fiction by the common agreement of other writers, literary scholars and critics, and readers

Examples:

• Isaac Asimov
• Michael Chabon
• Raymond Chandler
• Philip K. Dick
• C. S. Lewis
• Salman Rushdie
• William Shakespeare
• Zadie Smith
• Robert E. Howard

Works of popular fiction exhibit one or more of these characteristics:

Audience

• Intended for larger, more mainstream audience
• Reading is passive; the plot provides the meaning and the perspective

Setting

• The setting offers the reader the chance to escape

Plots

• The plot follows a standard genre formula that readers expect
• Plots follow a similar trajectory
• Characters possess certain shared traits and motivations

Focus

• Plots are based more in characters’ actions than in the characters themselves
• The plot drives everything, and the character serves the plot

Themes

• Themes are derived from the action
• Themes are basic (e.g., love, death, good vs. evil, coming of age, power, corruption, survival, courage, heroism)

Scope

• The scope is relatively narrow

Language

• Prose is accessible and written in everyday vernacular
• Generous in use of dialogue
• Writing and use of language is generally of a lower quality than literary fiction

Style and Tone

• The author wants to strictly entertain; stories are more adventurous or sensational
• The novel adheres to the theme, and the content is well defined and predictable
• Authors maintain a consistent style and observe standard genre conventions; they are unlikely to mix elements of multiple genres

Other Considerations:

• Needs to please the reading public in order to make money
• Forgotten within several generations unless they become “genre classics” that are read by fans of that specific genre

Examples:

• Tom Clancy
• Stephen King
• George R. R. Martin
• Mickey Spillane
• Scott Turow
• David Weber

Graphic Novels

Full-length fiction (especially science fiction or fantasy) or non-fiction stories published as books in comic-strip format.

A graphic novel is a format that presents a number of literary categories such as literary fiction, popular fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. The term was coined by artist Will Eisner in 1978. Graphic novels are similar to comic books, as they typically present a narrative through concise text and sequential art. However, some may not contain words. When they do, text is presented in the form of captions or speech bubbles. Other visual representations include icons, pictorial runes, panels, page layout, and sound effects. Unlike comic books, however, graphic novels are generally long-form works published in a stand-alone volume or a series of volumes, or within an omnibus. Two modes of communication—written text and visual images—work together in a graphic novel to impart a more complete message to the reader. They usually involve more complex characterization and plot development than a single comic book issue. These modes, often using two levels of narrative, can create conceptual themes that foreshadow events or frame the graphic novel’s focus.

The first graphic novels appeared in the United States in the late 1970s, but the format did not become mainstream until the rise of Japanese manga in the mid-1980s. American comic book publishers quickly entered the market, and the popularity of graphic novels has increased, along with their availability in bookstores and libraries.

Benefits of Reading

Develops visual literacy skills: Visual literacy, the ability to comprehend, create, and comment on images, is being recognized as a critical skill for 21st century learners. Readers are able to form a connection to images, derive meaning through language, which puts the image in context, and enhance writing and critical thinking skills. Visually literate readers can then communicate ideas and concepts found in a visual medium. Authors use the artistic images to further communicate concepts, perceptions, and emotions found in the printed text.

Advances and challenges reading skills: Rather than being dependent on images, readers of graphic novels must simultaneously exercise their visual and verbal literacy. Merely reading the text of a graphic novel, or looking only at the artwork, is not enough to create meaning and comprehend the story. Readers of graphic novels must be able to interpret the two modes of communication and integrate them. This visual-text interaction enhances the grasping of sequencing and inferencing, literary themes, mood, and tone, permits insight into character and plot development, and enriches the understanding of narrative, figurative language, dialogue, perspective, and appropriate punctuation and grammar rules.

Builds vocabulary: Although graphic novels may feature fewer words than a prose work, their limited space demands language that is richer and chosen for maximum impact. In turn, this allows readers to better create complex sentences and sophisticated word choices. Reading textual and visual mediums also simultaneously improves word recall.

Fosters imagination and creativity: Graphic novels often feature different presentation styles and inventive storytelling. This type of out-of-the-box approach encourages mental flexibility and non-linear thinking.

Increases art appreciation: A graphic novel features both textual content and expressive illustrations, each of which may be considered an art form. When combined, they offer readers an opportunity to appreciate a distinctly new piece of artwork. Additionally, readers may compare and contrast the style and design elements used by different artists working in the graphic novel medium. Artists support the narrative through the use of metaphoric images, lines, colors, forms, shapes, patterns, and detail.

Reinforces difficult texts: The language, style, and concepts of The Iliad, Hamlet, Moby Dick, or other classic works may be challenging for some learners. Reading the classic text alongside the graphic novel may result in a greater understanding of the story.

Engages unenthusiastic readers: Graphic novels provide a viable alternative for those who are reluctant to read prose novels or have trouble visualizing text. The fast pace of many graphic novels may hold their attention and keep them occupied. The visual content can inspire an interest in the story and provide a motivation to read more widely.

Develops and challenges social and emotional learning (SEL) skills: Authors and artists are able to convey characters’ feelings through printed dialogue, and illustrated facial expressions and body language, which allow readers to visually recognize emotional cues. Realizing these expressive subtleties promotes emotional intelligence and improves one’s sense of empathy.