LIBRARY BLOG

Obscure Genres Spotlight

Unique Memoirs and Not-Quite-True History

Animal Memoirs

Perhaps not the rarest, but would you ever think of this first when asked for a book genre? You can probably guess what it entails. Animal memoirs are nonfiction stories about real-life animals (most often pets) that are highly beloved or extraordinary in some way. Clearly the books can’t be an autobiography or memoir because the animal in question can’t write the book themselves, so “animal memoir” is a bit of a misnomer. The real author is usually the owner/caretaker of the animal or a ghost writer who has conducted in-depth research and interviews with… ahem… sources close to the animal. 

Yes, the Warrior Cats and Otis are beloved and iconic, but they aren’t real creatures. Ralph S. Mouse and Stewart Little aren’t considered animal memoirs, just famous books about animal characters. 

A Street Cat Named Bob by
James Bowen

Fake Memoirs

A fake memoir is a memoir, biography, autobiography or other written life story that is partially or fully false in terms of events, people, and sometimes even the purported author that is presented as fact with the intention of making the reader believe it is real. Sometimes the book is based on real life concepts, but the character does not exist and is not based on any one real-life individual. Other times the author themselves is not a real person writing about events that did not happen (not to be confused with an author using a pen name). (Auto)Biographical books by real people are only somewhat true in their personal recounts or are attributed to public figures who did not write them are also fake memoirs. No matter which bit is untruthful, they are marketed as purely nonfiction material. Fake memoirs also fall into the literary forgery category. It isn’t uncommon for fake memoirs to be pulled by publishing companies and republished as fiction once the secret’s out. 

Fake memoirs are often confused with fictional biographies, which we will spotlight next.

Satan’s Underground by Lauren Stratford
Lauren Stratford published this memoir telling the story of her life growing up in a Satanic cult, but it was later revealed to be a fabrication. She then published a memoir under a different name falsely claiming to be a Holocost survivor that was exposed as well.

Fictional Biographies

A fictional biography, as opposed to a fake memoir, is a book presented as the biography, memoir, journal, or otherwise written life story of a fictional person or group as if they were real people, but the author never intends to make you believe they are, in fact, real people. In most cases “a novel” is clearly slapped on the cover just under the title so the reader does not go in believing it’s a true story. Fictional biographies are often based on real life people or stories, calling inspiration from reality. Sometimes the author or narrator might expressly say “this is true,” but never with the claim that the book’s events are true in a meaningful way, more so to be self-aware and meta, often for comedic effect. The reader is never under any illusions, and that is the hallmark difference between a fictional biography and a fake memoir.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Alternate History Fiction

A subset of speculative fiction, alternate history fiction takes place in our world, but with one major historical event changed and the subsequent consequences of that change. America if we had a royal family instead of a presidency, England if Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had a male heir, America if vampires were real and Abraham Lincoln did something about it. The genre stays true to fact to varying degrees while exploring the results of changes in one event, hence alternate history. 

Disclaimer: alternate history fiction novels aren’t marketed or catagorized as nonfiction.

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen
If Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had a healthy son

-Lil LeCompte, Reference Department