Found fiction is like the movie genre “found footage”, but for books.
I typically like reading it.
It’s often called simply epistolary, e.g. letters or diary entries, but other examples include chat messages, emails, other documents.
For example “Exegesis” is a series of email messages between a women and an AI.
And “The Illuminae Files Series” is chat messages between teenagers and an AI and each other.
But “found document” rolls of the tongue (only slightly) better than epistolary.
Via DeepSeek:
“Found Document” is a genre of fiction where the narrative is presented as a collection of discovered documents, such as letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings, emails, transcripts, or other forms of written or recorded material. The story is pieced together by the reader through these fragments, creating a sense of realism and immediacy. This technique often blurs the line between fiction and reality, as the documents are presented as authentic artifacts, even though they are fictional.
Some of the most popular examples include (also via DS):
Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) A classic Gothic horror novel told through letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) While not entirely a found document novel, it uses epistolary framing (letters) to tell the story.
World War Z by Max Brooks (2006) A post-apocalyptic oral history of a global zombie outbreak, presented as a series of interviews.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (2000) A complex, multilayered narrative that includes academic footnotes, letters, and transcripts.
The Martian by Andy Weir (2011) A science fiction novel told through log entries, mission reports, and communications.
Carrie by Stephen King (1974) A horror novel that uses newspaper clippings, book excerpts, and interviews to tell the story.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (2005) A historical thriller that weaves together letters, diaries, and historical documents.
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (2016) A science fiction novel told through interviews, journal entries, and mission logs.
The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall (2007) A surreal novel that incorporates letters, notes, and other fragmented documents.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (2015) A young adult science fiction novel told through emails, chat logs, and surveillance footage.
The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero (2014) A mystery novel that uses letters, diary entries, and other documents to unravel its story.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl (2013) A psychological thriller that incorporates magazine articles, photographs, and web pages.
I think I’ve read (almost) all of these, and tons more.
I’ve talked about this before from another angle in the even broader Ergodic Literature and meta-fiction and such where the reader has to “do work” to get to the narrative.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about how do authors present the work.
What exactly do they say at the beginning, e.g. “I didn’t write this” as a conceit and “I found it and it was written by someone else”.
Let’s take a look at some that have introductions, most don’t. They either dive into the first document (e.g. Frankenstein, The Martian, Carrie, Bats of the Republic, Night Film, …) or they dive into the first person narrative (World War Z, The Historian, The Raw Shark Texts, …).
Dracula (journal entries).
How these papers have been placed in sequence will be made manifest in the reading of them. All needless matters have been eliminated, so that a history almost at variance with the possibilities of later-day belief may stand forth as simple fact. There is throughout no statement of past things wherein memory may err, for all the records chosen are exactly contemporary, given from the standpoints and within the range of knowledge of those who made them.
House of Leaves (manuscript with footnotes)
The first edition of House of Leaves was privately distributed and did not contain Chapter 21, Appendix II, Appendix III, or the index. Every effort has been made to provide appropriate translations and accurately credit all sources. If we have failed in this endeavor, we apologize in advance and will gladly correct in subsequent printings all errors or omissions brought to our attention. - The Editors
Very nice!
A classic.
The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas (manuscript, footnotes):
The following biography was completed without the authorisation of the Maas Foundation. Enquiries about Ezra Maas should be directed to: www.ezramaas.com. All persons, living and dead, are purely coincidental.
This was the “disclaimer” written by “The Maas Foundation”.
And:
This book is dangerous. You need to know that before you begin. Once you have turned the page, you will understand why. You could walk away now and leave the story unread, but having come this far, I suspect you will not. Only those willing to risk everything can hope to discover the truth.
The manuscript you hold in your hands is the only biography of the artist Ezra Maas. It was written by my friend Daniel James, and it is a true story. This is the last surviving copy of a book that was originally more than 800 pages long. I have done my best to put these pages in order, but I fear I have failed both you and Daniel. I am not the writer he was…
This was the beginning of the “forward” written by “Anonymous.
I love this. Great job.
The Supernatural Enhancements (letters and journal):
The following collection of documents details the events that occurred at Axton House, 1 Axton Road, Point Bless, Virginia, during the months of November and December of 1995. The footnotes are the editor’s only contribution. The first page is missing.
Exegesis (emails).
Opens with a letter from the main character:
Dear reader,
I’m releasing this text with some trepidation.
I’m not worried that it will be overlooked or poorly received. It may, but as you will perhaps understand better at the end, this is of little interest to me now.
I’m not worried that it will be taken too seriously. I now know from experience of the most painful variety that the public is ready to embrace the boldest lies and yet shuns them most obvious, basic truths. How then could you react correctly to the following pages?
I’m not worried that these pages are being published as fiction. No publisher accepts the truth that these events did occur, but I will be protected just the same, whatever they believe. This compromise is a price I am, at this point, willing to pay.
The following pages weigh on me as though each one was a lifetime of mistakes. This publication is my mea culpa. As I’ve already said, the chances are one in a million that you will see this book for what it is. By distributing this, I hope to lighten the load these pages put on me. What worries me is that my load will only lessen as it is shouldered by readers who see through this veil of fiction. Because this story implicates everyone, albeit largely through me as your representative, it is for you that I worry.
Alice Lu. October 9, 2000.
This is followed by an affidavit. Very cool.
The Last Days of Jack Sparks (letters and such):
A letter from his brother.
…I am only too aware that Jack’s final book, which he originally intended to be called Jack Sparks on the Supernatural, has been controversial from the moment its release was announced.
[…]
While co-editing this book, Eleanor and I have corrected only small, inconsequential typos and errors, while vitally retaining the format and feel of Jack’s writing, especially in the book’s second half, when it becomes very different. Dividing the book into two sections was our decision. To her eternal credit, Eleanor supported my push to retain Jack’s written notes directed at her, which are peppered throughout his text…
Very nice.
And on.