Nautical fiction, also called naval, sea or maritime fiction, is a literary genre set on or near the sea that examines humanity's relationship with maritime environments and nautical culture, spanning merchant ships, naval vessels, fishing boats, lifeboats and coastal communities. Told chiefly through novels, novellas and short stories sometimes called sea novels or sea stories, the tradition developed alongside the English-language novel and, while predominantly British and North American, also includes significant Japanese, French, Scandinavian and other Western contributions.
Facts
Place of OriginPioneered as a distinct genre in the early nineteenth century by the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper and the British novelist Frederick Marryat. 1 Notable ExampleHerman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851) and Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim (1899-1900) are among the genre's most notable literary works. 1 Defining TraitThe genre typically emphasizes masculinity and heroism, investigations of social hierarchies aboard ship, and the psychological struggles of individuals in the hostile environment of the sea. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Nautical Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)lede, third paragraph
Nautical fiction usually includes distinctive themes, such as a focus on masculinity and heroism, investigations of social hierarchies, and the psychological struggles of the individual in the hostile environment of the sea.
lede, second paragraph
The genre has evolved to include notable literary works like Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim (1899-1900), popular fiction like C.S. Forester's Hornblower series (1937-67), and works by authors that straddle the divide between popular and literary fiction, like Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series (1970-2004).
lede
Nautical fiction, frequently also naval fiction, sea fiction, naval adventure fiction or maritime fiction, is a genre of literature with a setting on or near the sea, that focuses on the human relationship to the sea and sea voyages and highlights nautical culture in these environments.
lede, second paragraph, Cooper-Marryat sentence
Nautical fiction, as a distinct genre, was first pioneered by James Fenimore Cooper (The Pilot, 1824) and Frederick Marryat (Frank Mildmay, 1829 and Mr Midshipman Easy 1836) in the early 19th century.
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