Postmodern literature emerged in the mid-20th century as a reaction against the conventions of modernism. It often features a playful, self-referential style, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Authors frequently employ techniques such as fragmentation, paradox, and unreliable narrators, challenging readers to question the nature of truth and meaning. Key characteristics of postmodern literature include intertextuality, where texts reference or incorporate other works, and metafiction, which draws attention to its own fictional status. Notable postmodern authors include Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, and Kurt Vonnegut, whose works exemplify these innovative approaches to storytelling.