ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Absurdist fiction

Imagine you and your friends are playing a make-believe game. One friend says, "I'm a giraffe!" and another says, "I'm a dragon!" Then you say, "I'm a pickle!" That's silly and unexpected, right? Well, that's what absurdist fiction is - it's like a game where the author makes up strange and funny things that don't really make sense in the real world.

In absurdist fiction, the story doesn't follow the rules of normal storytelling. Characters might act in weird ways or the plot might be really strange. Sometimes, things that seem important in a story don't matter at all, and things that seem unimportant turn out to be very important. This is done on purpose to show that chaos and confusion are a natural part of life.

Absurdist fiction often makes fun of serious topics like religion, politics, and society. It's like a joke that's meant to make you think about how we view the world and what's really important. It can be funny, but also thought-provoking.

So, if you ever read a story where a giraffe, a dragon, and a pickle are all hanging out together and doing weird things, or where a character suddenly turns into a chair for no reason, you might be reading absurdist fiction. Just remember, it's all just for fun and to make you think!