Is there any single word in English for flashbacks within flashbacks?
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4Perhaps meta-flashback.– Brett ReynoldsMar 11, 2012 at 11:31
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4If you were talking about dreams within dreams, I'd say, "Inception."– J.R.Mar 11, 2012 at 11:36
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1@J.R.,Not really,perhaps Inception was a good movie.– Vijin PaulrajMar 11, 2012 at 11:42
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@VijinPaulraj: Yes, not really. I guess I should have added the ;^) emoticon.– J.R.Mar 11, 2012 at 11:51
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seems inceptionmania to all?– Vijin PaulrajMar 13, 2012 at 17:10
4 Answers
I've heard the term "nested flashback" before (as in "nested stories"). A non-authoritative example:
http://literarylab.blogspot.com/2011/08/nesting-flashbacks-or-not.html
That's not a single word, though...
I'm joining Brett's comment. Metaflashback.
(Don't think there would be an hyphen.)
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1@Vijin: Yes, and only certain technically-minded readers would understand it.– GEdgarMar 11, 2012 at 19:07
According to tvtropes.org, a flashback within a flashback is called an "Inception Flashback."
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FlashbackWithinAFlashback
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Welcome to ELU.SE, Tom. Very nice first answer. Take the tour or have a look at the help center to find out more about ELU.SE when you stick around :)– HelmarOct 9, 2016 at 10:28
In computer programming that would be called
Recursive flashback.
Or
Recursion of flashbacks.
Or more descriptively, having a flashback within a flashback within a flashback would be
Third level of flashback recursion.
Perhaps, in a less technical situation, the lyrics of the song "The windmills your mind" could offer some guidance.
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Not quite, because in programming a recursive function is specifically a function that calls itself - so it would only be a recursive flashback if it was a flashback about itself.– BenubirdMar 14, 2012 at 0:31
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A recursive dream - the dream is the function. But at every level of recursion the function or the dream need not be dreaming of the same. Mar 14, 2012 at 4:09