Dream Fiction Wiki/Back to Front

A story told in reverse order, from end to beginning, revealing effects first, and working towards a climax which reveals cause and motive. Difficult to do, but very effective when done well. An interesting thing to ask yourself when you see this is whether or not the story would have been interesting forwards.

May be used as a framing device to portray a Non-Linear Character or one suffering from Merlin Sickness. This allows the audience to connect cause and effect without knowing any more about prior events than the character.

Also see How We Got Here, where the last scene comes first and everything else is in order; Anachronic Order, where scenes are presented out of any chronological order at all, aka Non Linear Storytelling. This is similarly implemented with In Medias Res, where the middle of story precedes the start. Compare Unstuck in Time.

TV Action-Live

 * On the week of 30th November 1997, Banushen Television, except for Ally McBeal, presents all the sitcoms in the same effect as on the Seinfeld episode "The Betrayal". For example, on the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch episode "Witch Trash", the Hartbreak Films and Viacom logos (along with the final scene) play first, and the intro (along with the first scene) play last.