Faction (literature)
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In literature, faction is a neologism used to describe a works based on real historical figures and actual events, woven together with fictional writing. The word "faction" is a portmanteau of "fact" and "fiction". An example of faction is Tom Stoppard's Travesties (1974), which includes Tristan Tzara, Lenin, and James Joyce as characters; and most of Borges's factitious tales.
Faction is often disliked as confusing to people who are trying to find facts. For example, schoolchildren told to look for historical information are liable to be confused by faction.
Faction is not a new phenomenon. Geoffrey of Monmouth was an all too successful faction writer in the 12th century, and later the historian Holinshed was led into error by treating Geoffrey of Monmouth's writings as truth.
"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote is a good example of faction and is considered to be the first piece in the genre of nonfiction novels.
Another famous example is the story of author Alex Haley and his entire family history for 9 generations in the book Roots: The Saga of an American Family.
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