What is proxy fiction?

"Proxy fiction" is my attempt to define and categorize a group of fictional works that all affect me in a similar way. The core defining element is the work being largely about a fictional or non-fictional work within itself that in reality does not exist, and that we as the reader/viewer do not have access to. The works range from horror novels about a purported documentary to archives from a forum that never existed, from a dying OS with scarce memories of its owner to someone musically grasping at the fleeting memories of a dream. These works inspire a longing for the false to be real, a desire to see for yourself this thing that has never existed, and a craving to experience that which is unavailable to you.

-Tragedy, in collaboration with the Archivist

	House of Leaves
	House of Leaves is the prototypical version of proxy fiction in our opinion. The book not only has a constant flow of information about the fascinating documentary "The Navidson Record", it also teases you with information from Zampanò's paper that is beyond recovery. HoL also goes a step farther through the TV pilot scripts. MZD wrote a pilot script for a straight TV adaptation of HoL, and later wrote scripts for 3 episodes of a theoretical HoL show that would function as both an adaptation and a sequel. Much of the scripts seems objectively impossible to film, and neither to our knowledge have ever been picked up for an attempt at filming. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: Buy Initial TV pilot script: Download Later pilot/adaptation scripts: Buy
	The Northern Caves
	The Northern Caves is a work published on Archive of Our Own by nostalgebraist. The Northern Caves by nostalgebraist: Read
	2YR, 40:28.649
	2YR, 40:28.649 2YR, 40:28.649 by Halley Labs Associates: Listen/Buy
	əəə
	əəə əəə by tumblr user eoskara: Read
	body of bind
	body of bind body of bind by tumblr users mammon-machine and porpentine: Read
	skeleton flower
	skeleton flower skeleton flower by loren schmidt: Download

	Goncharov
While not quite proxy fiction, Goncharov is close enough to the definition to be worth noting. Goncharov was a film by Martin Scorsese in 1973. A mafia film set in Venice, it follows the titular Goncharov [INCOMPLETE] Goncharov was a memetic misinformation campaign that spread across the social media site "tumblr" starting the night of 11/19/22. It began with a poster of the film (seen on the left), which users spread as they began to pretend the film was real. They made their own posts talking about major plot points, character relationships, visual symbolism, and more. These posts spread to more users who would then become aware of the meme and spread it themselves. Over a few days, the collective userbase of tumblr invented a 70s mafia film from whole cloth, with the general flow of the story being silently agreed upon by most users while the more specific details would vary from post to post. It's important to note that this film does not and has never existed. Goncharov was the name of a nonexistant Martin Scorsese film that baffingly appeared on a pair of shoes, likely as a misspelling of the film Gomorrah.

Goncharov

While not quite proxy fiction, Goncharov is close enough to the definition to be worth noting.

Goncharov was a film by Martin Scorsese in 1973. A mafia film set in Venice, it follows the titular Goncharov [INCOMPLETE]

Goncharov was a memetic misinformation campaign that spread across the social media site "tumblr" starting the night of 11/19/22. It began with a poster of the film (seen on the left), which users spread as they began to pretend the film was real. They made their own posts talking about major plot points, character relationships, visual symbolism, and more. These posts spread to more users who would then become aware of the meme and spread it themselves. Over a few days, the collective userbase of tumblr invented a 70s mafia film from whole cloth, with the general flow of the story being silently agreed upon by most users while the more specific details would vary from post to post. It's important to note that this film does not and has never existed.

Goncharov was the name of a nonexistant Martin Scorsese film that baffingly appeared on a pair of shoes, likely as a misspelling of the film Gomorrah.

What is proxy fiction?

House of Leaves

The Northern Caves

2YR, 40:28.649

əəə

body of bind

skeleton flower

Goncharov