#fictional encyclopedia

[ghost-bxrd]

Some days I wake up, and I think I’m drowning. And just before I wake up, looking up at the distant surface while there’s something (someone?) dragging me down I find myself thinking… it’s rather peaceful, down here.

Obviously, I know that drowning isn’t nearly as relaxing, but it’s not like I can help what I dream about. And I think I’d prefer that over the impersonal way [REDACTED] would handle… well, anyway.

It’s been a week without any sightings of the pod. A week since I destroyed most of the logs.… and shamefully hid the rest.

Sometimes I want to burn this whole facility to the ground. But then I remember— that I can’t.

[REDACTED] still hasn’t told [REDACTED] about what I’ve done. I wonder what he’s waiting for.

File Notes:

Personal file, recovered from the sunken remains of the [REDACTED] research facility. Researcher: [REDACTED], status: deceased

[aetherictree]

Diegetic Worldbuilding

Or, something like that, anyway.

I really like worldbuilding. More than I like writing stories; what interests me is the story of the world as a whole, the broad sweeps, how everything fits together. I can spend hours reading Wikis of fictional worlds, hundreds of hours dreaming up worlds of my own. I've decided to start writing them down, creating fictional guides, textbooks etc.

And... as far as I can tell, there isn't really a name for non-narrative fiction.

Narrative non-fiction, sure, that's a recognised thing. Epistolary fiction is also recognised, and sometimes has this character e.g. World War Z. But fictional encyclopedias, like the SCP Foundation or the Orions Arm project? Guides like The Zombie Survival Guide? History books written in universe? There doesn't seem to be much academic attention paid to this kind of writing. Or non academic either. It's a disappointingly ignored niche.

Maybe there is a term and I just haven't been able to find it yet. Whatever the case, for now I'm calling it diegetic worldbuilding, and will keep writing my Guide To The British Wilds (Enchanted Forest) and Introduction To Thaumaturgy (3rd Ed.). I like it, even if publishers don't.