Self-insertion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Self-insertion is a literary device in which the real author of a work of fiction appears as a character within that fiction, either overtly or in disguise.
Some characters have been described as unintentional self-inserts, implying that their author is unconsciously using them as an author surrogate. This is particularly common in Mary Sue fanfiction.
[edit] Examples of self-insertion
- Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy
- Agatha Christie's Ariadne Oliver
- Martin Amis as Mark Asprey in London Fields.
- One of two Philip José Farmer characters named Peter Jairus Frigate
- In the anime Excel Saga, Rikudo Koshi and Watanabe Shinichi appear as characters
- Watanabe also appears as the rental store owner in Nerima Daikon Brothers. Although the complete face is never seen, the silouhette and clothing makes it clear that it is Watanabe himself.
- In many webcomics (e.g. the sprite comic Bob and George, Irregular Webcomic!, and many others), the author appears as a character.
- Stephen King inserts himself into his Dark Tower series, starting at book five.
- Osamu Tezuka is seen in a few of his mangas as a secondary character.
- Dave Sim inserts himself into his graphic novel Cerebus on several occasions.
- Anthony Burgess appears as the author P. Alexander in his novel A Clockwork Orange.
- William Goldman appears in and is the narrator of The Princess Bride, and even injects freely during the story about edits he made to S.Morgenstern's "novel". "S. Morgenstern" even is his pseudonym.
- In the Inheritance Trilogy, novelist Christopher Paolini has often mentioned that his protagonist Eragon is based on him.
- Isaac Asimov appears as himself in Murder at the A.B.A.. He also appears to be the unnamed writer to whom the Azazel stories are narrated.
- Charlie Kaufman inserted himself as the protagonist of his screenplay Adaptation.
- Kurt Vonnegut in his novel Breakfast of Champions.
- Somerset Maugham in his novel The Razor's Edge.
