Lilliputins? What on earth are they!?!

Lilliputins? What on earth are they!?!

Lilliputins are my new, groundbreaking style of postmodern storytelling—a blend of mockery, sarcasm, paradox, and scorn. I coined this term as a fusion of the adjective "Lilliputian" (meaning "very small") and the phrase "putting words into someone’s mouth."

Inspired by Soeren Kierkegaard’s idea that life can only be understood backwards, I deliberately and literally put snarky, invented quotes and twisted sayings into the mouths of great historical figures and famous fictional characters. These are words they never uttered but perhaps could have.

I am like a cuckoo laying its eggs in another’s nest by—to put it bluntly—foisting my words (Lilliputins) upon other people (Lilliputinists).

In short, Lilliputins are my own brand of anachronistic and revisionist creations—deliberately written in the form of fake quotes, forged one-sentence aphorisms, maxims, flash fiction, anecdotes, parables, jokes, and as many witty remarks as possible. Each of these works contains a measure of truth that I attribute to others to drive the point home. It is up to the reader's knowledge, intelligence, life experience, and convictions to distinguish truth from fiction.

Like other aphorisms, Lilliputins are, by definition, short, pithy statements about a general truth or observation. Paradoxes are particularly vital in crafting Lilliputins, as they make the statement impactful and thought-provoking.

In other words: A Lilliputin is a naked truth, wrapped in a beautifully woven lie.

Enjoy the striptease—or should I say, the unveiling!

Yury Lobo,

Author