Formula fiction
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In popular culture, formula fiction is literature in which the storylines and plots have been reused to the extent that the narratives are predictable. It is similar to genre fiction, which identifies a number of specific settings that are frequently reused. The label of formula fiction is used in literary criticism as a mild pejorative to imply lack of originality.
Varieties
The formula is defined specifically by predictable
Formula fiction is often stereotypically associated with early pulp magazine markets, though some works published in that medium, such as "The Cold Equations", subvert the supposed expectations of the common narrative formula of that time.
Distinct from genre conventions
The formula is limited to structure of the plot itself. It does not include conventional, stereotypical elements of the genre used for the story background. Genres like
For any given genre, certain assumed background information covers the nature and purpose of predictable elements of the story, such as the appearance of
Note however that stereotypical elements can also easily be treated subversively, to contradict some of the expectations inherent in the genre's formula.
Distinct from pastiche fiction
Formula fiction should not be confused with pastiche: Fiction mimicking another work or author's style.
Though pastiche may naturally include formulaic elements, the same holds true of parody and satire. All may well include formulaic elements such as common stereotypes or caricatures, or which may use formulaic elements in order to mock them or point out their supposedly cliché or unrealistic natures.
See also
External links
- ""Basic" plots in literature". IPL essay repository. Frequently asked reference questions. Archived from the original on 2015-08-21. Retrieved 2022-09-07.