# Any fiction told through documents? Example in OP. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057 "2007-09-30T19:55:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/21 "2007-10-01T00:23:01Z")
Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber by Adele Lang is a novel made up of a series of newspaper “articles”. Susan ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/22 "2007-10-01T00:45:40Z")
I found this… [story thing](http://www.dionaea-house.com) by using Stumble. It’s made of a number of different blog posts and journal entries. It’s not a book, but it’s a good read, especially with Halloween coming up soon. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/23 "2007-10-01T00:46:28Z")
**Report to the Commissioner** by James Mills is in the form of an official report. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/24 "2007-10-01T01:08:38Z")
84 Charing Cross Road Address Unknown Both in the form of letters. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/25 "2007-10-01T01:11:49Z")
The short story “He Walked Around the Horses”, by H. Beam Piper, is told in the form of a series of letters between German and British officials. The tale is based on the real life occurence of the disappearance of a British diplomat, Benjamin Bathurst. In 1809, in the courtyard of a German inn, he simply vanished. The letters purport to tell what happened to him, as he slipped into an alternate timeline. Read it, it’s online and very good. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/26 "2007-10-01T01:44:35Z")
Dangerous Liaisons is a series of letters. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/27 "2007-10-01T01:56:17Z")
I’ve read a number of science fiction stories which consist solely of letters or memos. Of course, with the exception of “He Walked Around the Horses” which **Baker** mentioned, I can’t remember any titles or authors at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/28 "2007-10-01T02:56:09Z")
If you really want to get into this style, check out [Space Mail](http://www.amazon.com/Space-Mail-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0449243125/ref=sr_1_4/103-4061001-7435838?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191206987&sr=1-4), a collection of SF short stories edited by Asimov, Greenberg and Waugh. The table of contents divides the stories into diaries, memos and letters. Included are some choice stories including “View From a Height,” by Joan D. Vinge. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/29 "2007-10-01T03:30:46Z")
“e” by Matthew Beaumont. The entire book is a series of emails flying around a UK ad house. A fast and very funny read. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/30 "2007-10-01T06:03:17Z")
One of my favorite Jane Austen books (and the one that often gets left out), _Lady Susan_. It’s entirely letters from the title character and the family members she interacts with. Sometimes wickedly amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/31 "2007-10-01T06:26:40Z")
[Freedom and Necessity](http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Necessity-Steven-Brust/dp/0812562615) is largely told through correspondence, with very little, if any, traditional narration. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/32 "2007-10-01T14:40:57Z")
_Love Letters_ is a 2-person play conducted entirely by reading the characters’ letters, mostly addressed to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/33 "2007-10-01T14:47:47Z")
Bob Randall’s “The Fan” is a series of letters and telegrams. Damn good too. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/34 "2007-10-01T15:14:56Z")
The Blair Witch Project was a video tape… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![nipplesup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@nipplesup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nipplesup)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/35 "2007-10-01T15:22:22Z")
A Woman of Independent Means[/U By Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey It is entirely written in letters or other forms of messaging and … it’s good too ! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/36 "2007-10-01T15:32:26Z")
You’d think I’d think to mention [The Color Purple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple) having reread it only yesterday. 😕\<–the color purple confused smilie ---
**Author:** ![jakeline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/37 "2007-10-01T16:05:28Z")
The Griffin and Sabine series by Nick Bantok takes this idea a bit further. Not only is it told in postcards and letters, the book actually includes envelopes to you open and pull out the letters. It’s really lovely to look at, and although the story is short, it’s very engaging. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/38 "2007-10-01T16:43:58Z")
[QUOTE=Purd Werfect] “e” by Matthew Beaumont. The entire book is a series of emails flying around a UK ad house. A fast and very funny read. [/QUOTE] As is the sequel, \*The e Before Christmas". It’s even shorter and features the actor Vinny Jones getting punched at the company’s Christmas party. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/39 "2007-10-01T16:48:40Z")
_Griffin and Sabine_ is a fantastical story following the realtionship between the two characters, one of whom may not be real. The story is told only through correspondance (letters and postcards) between the two. I’ve only read the first, but there are a total of three books in the series. I enjoyed the book very much. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057/40 "2007-10-01T16:49:13Z")
Stephen King was mentioned earlier; his short story “Jerusalem’s Lot” (not the novel “Salem’s Lot”) is written as a series of letters, most of them from the protagonist to his friend Bones, that detail the strange happenings when the protagonist moves into his ancestral home. It’s very “Rats in the Walls”-like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fiction-told-through-documents-example-in-op/421057.md?page=3)