(1) Post-World War II

It's tricky to single out a year or event as "the start of postmodernism," and plenty of folks have suggested different points throughout the 20th century. Still, if we're going to list one event to mark the end of modernism/start of postmodernism, we're gonna have to go with the end of World War II (1945).

(2) Late Capitalism

As dudes like Fredric Jameson have shown, postmodernism didn't just come out of the blue—and it's not just about trippy art and literature, either: it developed around the time that consumer culture and the mass media were becoming a major part of our daily lives. Coincidence? They think not.

(3) Hyperreality

Jean Baudrillard highlighted this concept, and his view of postmodernism was pretty bleak. Focusing on the 20th-century background in which postmodernism developed, Baudrillard argued that reality had become buried by a constant stream of consumerism and mass media images.

(4) Paranoia

With the rise of mass communication and technology during the mid-late 20th century, writers were drawn to the theme of technology—namely, that it was getting out of hand and being used to keep tabs on people. Since postmodernists are into breaking down order and boundaries, the idea of being controlled = major paranoia.

(5) Fragmentation

Whereas people had once believed in order and unity, the modernists came to realize that this was a pipe dream. But while modernists were down in the dumps about it and tried to fight against it, postmodernists ran with it and reflected it in the texts that they produced.

(6) Metafiction

Metafiction virtually screams "postmodern text!" It's when a writer draws attention to the fact that what they're writing is a text. Yep…it's so meta.

(7) Intertextuality

Here's a fancy word to describe when texts interact with each other: basically, when a text references another text. There are heaps of ways in which authors can do this (e.g., adding quotes, reworking material, or using parody/pastiche), but in general, it's about the connections that a text shares with other texts and literary styles.

(8) Pastiche

This popular technique involves copying the style of other texts or types of literature. It may seem similar to parody, but here's the difference: parody makes fun of the original material while pastiche celebrates and imitates it.

(9) Maximalism

You know when you watch interior design shows and the designers are all about keeping things simple, neutral, uncluttered, blah, blah, blah? Well, forget about that minimalist strategy: maximalism is about taking things to excess, with maximalist texts including an overkill of references, description, detours…and anything else they can get their hands on.

(10) Irony

Postmodernism basically embodies the concept of being "tongue-in-cheek." That's not to say that it can't make serious points, but it often has a playful, mischievous vibe and a love of satirical humor (think The Daily Show).