History Literature / TheFamiliar

* {{Postmodernism}}: Dives right into this with full force, filled with fourth-wall breaking, weird typography and use of language, and an air of [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible incomprehensibility]] about the whole thing.

** ''Series/TheOffice'': The Ibrahim family spend an afternoon during Memorial weekend watching this show.

* {{Doorstopper}}: Each book is 880 pages, and weights a hefty 3.6 pounds / 1.65 kg (because it's also printed on remarkably thick paper). This Trope is taken UpToEleven, or even [[IncrediblyLamePun Up to Twenty-Seven]], considering that it is a series of ''twenty-seven'' of these books. However, Downplayed by the fact that many pages only contain a few words and many pages have very broad margins - the book has been likened to contain the amount of text of a book of 200-300 pages instead of almost 900 (that is, purely considering how much text it contains; due to the complexity of the story and all the MindScrew, reading it might then again take as much time as for almost 900 pages).

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: With nine protagonists each telling their story, a scope around the globe, and 27 books planned, there are many characters. A summary listing most of them can be found [[http://forums.markzdanielewski.com/forum/the-familiar/the-familiar-aa/159327-list-of-characters here]].

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Considering how BIG the book is, the fact that all of it takes place in just one day (hence the title; and to be precise it even is only 15 hours) is remarkable. Probably Justified because there are [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters so many characters]] to introduce.

Not to be confused with ''Literature/TheFamiliars'', an unrelated children's fantasy book series, ''{{Literature/Familiar}}'', an unrelated fantasy novella, or with [[{{Familiar}} the trope of the same name]], which is featured in this work.

''Not to be confused with ''Literature/TheFamiliars'', an unrelated children's fantasy book series.'' Or with ''Literature/{{Familiar}}'', a fantasy novella.

''Or with [[{{Familiar}} the trope of the same name]]; though this work more or less features that.''

''Now has a [[Characters/TheFamiliar Character sheet]] that is still under construction and needs some [[NeedsWikiMagicLove Wiki magic love]].''

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: The book is essentially a segment of reality rendered through a Narrative Construct ([=NarCon=]), an omniscient artificial intelligence whose sole purpose is to render [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm an entire universe]] into something [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith the reader could at least attempt to comprehend]]. It's spelled out approximately 2/3rd into the first book.
** In the second book other [=NarCons=] appear. And they seem to have an agenda [[spoiler: and an ongoing revolution]].
** In the third book [[spoiler:the [=NarCons=] accidentally interact with Jingjing's vision, and there are parts of the reality they can't see.]]

** ''Series/BattlestarGalactica'': Xanther is a big fan of this series, and it is often referenced in her narrative, such as when she thinks something strikes "like Boomer stroke the cylon fighter".

Danielewski has likened this book project to serialized television, and has said the amount of books in this series will be 27 novels in total and that two new Volumes of the series will be released per year. Considering Volume 1 was released May 2015 and supposing the author keeps up with what he promises (two Volumes/year) this would mean the final Volume will be released end 2028. The "series" is split into "seasons" of about 5 books, with Volume 5 the "first season finale".

[[https://www.instagram.com/p/BetDoHnhp9y/ Danielewski announced]] in February 2018 (after 5 Volumes/1 Series had been published) that the series wil be "paused" for now. As such it is uncertain if the envisioned Volumes 6-27 will be published.