Contemporary Literature: Origin, Characteristics, Genres

Contemporary literature includes all the literary displays that have taken place since post-modernity. It is defined by a period but also by its very particular style. Most academics call contemporary literature all literary production after the Second World War, in the 1940s. This period extends to the present. Contemporary literature is characterized by fragmentation, unreliable narrators, pastiche (imitation of styles and authors), changing narration, non-linear presentation and play, and uncertainty in language.Contemporary Literature: Origin, Characteristics, Genres

In the same way, this literature is recognized by the historically postmodern content. This is related to the era of computers, robotics, mobile phones, and globalization, among others. Now, some work or some writer could be considered contemporary if it shares stylistic, artistic, or thematic qualities of the present.

Origin

From 1940 to 1990

In this half-century, mankind witnessed numerous changes. The end of World War II, the fall of communism in Europe, and the end of the Cold War marked the beginning of a new society. In addition, technological innovations emerged, such as cell phones and the Internet, color televisions, and digital discs (DVDs), among others. It was also the era of new music, like hip hop, and the acceptance of new cultures. Within this whole wave of changes, literature was enriched with new genres. Many of these were a response to technological changes and the new social reality. A feature of contemporary literature of this time was that many stories were based on reality and had a credible plot. During the first two decades, contemporary literature shared spaces with Modernism, retaining certain features such as, for example, focusing on the characters rather than the plot. In its later development until the 1990s, the contemporary changed to the description of hard realities. Likewise, he focused his attention on the exposure to psychological problems such as exclusion and loneliness.

From 1990 to the present

The period from the 1990s to the year 2000 was characterized by globalization, growing concern about global warming, and the war against Islamic terrorism. In addition, it is a decade marked by wars, natural disasters, and a growing population. The biggest economic crisis also occurred since the Great Depression, the 2008 recession, and many people lost their jobs. Thus, contemporary literature received all these influences and was nourished by all these new contexts. In response to the communicational needs of society, new genres appeared. The new fantasy novels and the return to the metric and the rhyme in poetry are indicative of the new time.

 

Characteristics          These are as follows:-

Personal point of view

The works of contemporary literature reflect the social and political views of their authors. These are shown through the characters, the connections with the events, and the socio-economic messages of their works.

Innovative narrative resources

There is a break with previous narrative techniques. Contemporary literature uses avant-garde narrative resources, such as the modification of time and the presentation of the inner world of the characters.

Magical realism

The development of magical realism as a narrative technique represents a breakthrough in 20th-century contemporary literature. This revolutionary technique is marked by a deep social and political character.

The pressing issues

Most of the themes of contemporary literature are related to the overwhelming problems of the world now, such as globalization, race and gender, inequality, climate and environment, wars, and terrorism. Likewise, in this extensive list, you can find other topics, such as politics and economics, ethics and morals, mass culture and media, international crime, and others.

Influence of World War II

The works of contemporary literature tend to be influenced by the prosperous lifestyle that followed World War II. This literary style has its roots in the devastation that war brought to the world.

Fiction and non-fiction superimposed

In contemporary literature the distinction between fiction and nonfiction can be blurred; this is known as crosses. Fiction writers base stories on real-life events and may even include authentic material. On the other hand, nonfiction writers make historical figures come alive by incorporating dialogues and imaginary scenes.

Genres 

Classic fiction genre

This genre is made up of stories, novels, plays, poems, and films. Everything is imaginary and invented, but it is presented as a mirror that reflects life and human experience, concretely or abstractly. Now, the first way to distinguish contemporary fiction is that it will have universal truths and emotions that every human being can experience. In some way, it gives expression to emotions. Similarly, fiction in contemporary literature is realistic, which means that it has the following characteristics:

• Contains characters that behave in the way that most readers would. The characters must be credible.
• The story is set in the present.
• An environment is a real place, or at least it seems a real place.
• Events are events that could happen in real life.
• Dialogue is informal and conversational and often includes regional dialects.

Literature of ghostwriters

A surprising number of successful books are written by ghostwriters. But there are also ghost novels. By definition, these authors have no names, and only their peers and the publishers who depend on them know them.

Graphic novels

The graphic novel is usually interpreted as a cartoon with a long narrative for a mature audience, published in hardcover or rustic and sold in bookstores, with serious literary themes and sophisticated works of art.

Literature for children

The last 20 years have seen a flowering of writing for children. Among the top representatives of this literature are C. S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) and J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter).

Science fiction

Science fiction is a very popular branch of contemporary literature. This is intertwined with the technological progress of the world. However, literary works of science fiction do not necessarily imply a solid scientific basis. A writer can create a science fiction literary work to express an alternative point of view or concept.

Blog literature

Blogs (online magazines of individual or joint authorship) have become a new means to create literary works. There are even cases in which these creations have become books.