Contemporary Literature Overview

Contemporary Literature

• Contemporary literature refers to works of prose, poetry, and drama published since 1945.
• It reflects society's social and/or political viewpoints, shown through realistic characters, connections to current events, and socioeconomic messages.
• It includes the horrors of war, corruption, and genocide, and writers use these themes to illuminate social strengths and weaknesses.
• As society changes, the content and messages of contemporary literature change to reflect the present values and beliefs of society.
• Examples of contemporary literature include: Red Russia, Kite Runner, Life of Pi, The Road, Beloved, and The Da Vinci Code.

Post-Modernist Era

• This era began after World War II, as artists struggled with basic realities concerning human nature, knowability of reality, and absurdist notions of any all-encompassing accounting of the facts.
• It raises questions about whether human life has meaning at all.
• Examples of post-modernist literature include: Kafka on the Shore, Half of a Yellow Sun, Midnight's Children, Never Let Me Go, and God of Small Things.

Popular Literature

• Popular literature is liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people, but is ephemeral and loses its appeal and significance with time.
• It includes writing intended for the masses and those that find favor with large audiences, and is generally easy to read and understand.
• The writer utilizes accessible language and concepts, and the plot and characters are constructed for maximum entertainment and reader engagement.
• Popular literature is designed primarily to entertain and does not seek a high degree of formal beauty or subtlety.
• Examples of popular literature include: Fifty Shades of Grey, Harry Potter, Twilight Saga, and The Hunger Games.

Emergent Literature

• Emergent literature refers to writing forms that are new or novel, and integrates technology, from the 1940s to the present.
• It includes creative fiction, graphic novels, blogs, manga, and digi fiction, and uses unconventional techniques such as pictures, images, and comic book formats.
• Digital fiction is read from a computer and can be web-based or app-based, and contains hyperlinks, moving images, mini-games, or sound effects.
• Examples of emergent literature include doodle fiction, flash fiction, chick lit, manga, and science fiction.
• Doodle fiction incorporates doodle drawings and hand-written graphics in place of a traditional font, and drawing enhances the story, often adding humorous elements.
• Flash fiction is a very short story that has no set word count, and can be as short as just a few words.
• Chick lit consists of heroine-centered narratives that focus on the trials and tribulations of the protagonist, and often addresses issues of modern womanhood.
• Manga is a pop-culture phenomenon that has spun off from simply art and comic stories to Anime affairs, merchandise, and movies.
• Science fiction deals with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals.