A parallel novel is an in-

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

(but often non- canonical)

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

(or sometimes

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

) piece of

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

written within, derived from, or taking place during the framework of another work of fiction by the same or another

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

with respect to continuity. Parallel novels or "reimagined

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

" are works of fiction that "borrow a character and fill in his story, mirror an 'old' plot, or blend the characters of one book with those of another". These stories further the works of already well-known novels by focusing on a minor character and making them the major character. The revised stories may have the same setting and time frame and even the same characters.

Goodreads Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and readi ...

maintains a list of its readers' ratings of the most popular parallel novels; as of 2022, these included '' Wide Sargasso Sea'', '' Wicked'', '' The Penelopiad'', and ''Telemachus and Homer''. Creating parallel novels can have significant legal implications when the

copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...

of the original author's work has not expired, and a later author makes a parallel novel derived from the original author's work.

Examples

*''Wild Wood'' (1981) by Jan Needle parallels '' The Wind in the Willows'' from the perspective of the stoats and weasels. * '' The Last Ringbearer'' (1999) by Kirill Eskov parallels ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

'' with the Mordorians as the heroes. * '' The Wind Done Gone'' (2001) by Alice Randall parallels ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

''. * ''

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

'' (2005) by Geraldine Brooks parallels '' Little Women'' (1868). * '' Longbourn'' (2013) by Jo Baker parallels '' Pride and Prejudice''. * ''Julia'' (2023) by Sandra Newman parallels ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...

'' by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

from the perspective of Julia. * '' James'' (2024) by Percival Everett parallels '' Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' by

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...

from the perspective of Jim.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Perspective Flip - TV Tropes

Lower Deck Episode - TV Tropes

Elsewhere Fic - TV Tropes
Literary genres Metafiction Literature about literature Settings Narratology Unofficial adaptations Postmodern literature

Examples

See also

References

External links