Subtitle (titling)
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In books and other works, the subtitle is an explanatory title added by the author to the title proper of a work.[1] Another kind of subtitle, often used in the past, is the alternative title, also called alternate title, traditionally denoted and added to the title with the alternative conjunction "or", hence its appellation.[2]
As an example,
A more modern usage is to simply separate the subtitle by punctuation, making the subtitle more of a continuation or sub-element of the title proper.
In library cataloging and in bibliography, the subtitle does not include an alternative title, which is defined as part of the title proper: e.g.,
Literature
Subtitles and alternative titles for plays were fashionable in the Elizabethan era. William Shakespeare parodied this vogue by giving the comedy Twelfth Night his only subtitle, the deliberately uninformative or What You Will, implying that the subtitle can be whatever the audience wants it to be.[4]
In printing, subtitles often appear below the title in a less prominent typeface or following the title after a colon.
Some modern publishers choose to forget subtitles when republishing historical works, such as Shelley's famous story, which is often now sold simply as Frankenstein.
Non-fiction
In political philosophy, for example, the 16th-century theorist
Film and other media
In film, examples of subtitles using "or" include
Subtitles are also used to distinguish different installments in a series, instead of or in addition to a number, such as: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the second in the Pirates of the Caribbean series; Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the third in the Mario Kart series; and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the second in the Star Trek series.
References
- ^ A.L.A. Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries. Chicago: American Library Association. 1941. p. xxx:
Subtitle. The explanatory part of the title following the main title
. - ^ A.L.A. Catalog Rules: Author and Title Entries. Chicago: American Library Association. 1941. p. xv:
Alternative title. A subtitle introduced by "or" or its equivalent
. - ISBN 9780521313629.
- ISBN 9780975274309.