Literary Hoaxes...

[Starscream_UK]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes...

I'm looking for some pointers for research into literary hoaxes for the next part of "How I Met Your Mother", something along the lines of truth being stranger than fiction (if that makes sense). I've looked into all the "big" ones - The Hitler Diaries, Michelle Remembers, etc - but if anyone has any details in relation to other ones I'd be extremely grateful...

Cheers.

 

[Verdad]

Do you mean like that dude on Oprah who was lauded for an oh-so realistic portrayal of an addict's life, which he'd made up from whole cloth?

Or historical stuff only, like Shakespeare forgeries?

That's about all that comes to mind right now, and I don't know what you really need, but maybe it can start the ball rolling…

 

[bronzeage]

I like reverse hoaxes.

A.A. Hoehling, author of the book Who Destroyed The Hindenburg, tried to sue the makers of the movie "The Hindenburg", for copyright infringement. His case was thrown out because he claimed his book was factual history, and you can't copyright history.

 

[Starscream_UK]

Thanks for that - yes, those are both good starting points! Now, I just need some Russian names and I'm good to go! Thanks for that!

 

[oggbashan]

There is Washington Irving who created Diedrich Knickerbocker for "A History of New York from the beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty", and invented a Spanish monk as writer of "The Conquest of Granada" etc.

Or James Macpherson who "translated" the Gaelic poems of Ossian that he had written himself, and then had to invent the original Gaelic poetry that he was supposed to have translated.

Og

 

[bronzeage]

There is Washington Irving who created Diedrich Knickerbocker for "A History of New York from the beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty", and invented a Spanish monk as writer of "The Conquest of Granada" etc.

Or James Macpherson who "translated" the Gaelic poems of Ossian that he had written himself, and then had to invent the original Gaelic poetry that he was supposed to have translated.

Og

This is my favorite.

The Songs of Bilitis, by Pierre Louÿs

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/sob/index.htm

 

[oggbashan]

A parody rather than a hoax: An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews

Who wrote it? Did Fielding? Richardson, author of Pamela, thought so.

Og