Villainy,incompetence, and foolishness: Correspondence study in fiction

Like other professions and vocations, correspondence study has provided the inspiration and setting for works of fiction. Novelists and short story writers have used correspondence study to convey broad humour, satire, and tragedy. They have also used it for such genre writings as murder mysteries and science fiction. For the most part, fictional portrayals are negative and exaggerated, with many characters drawn from stereotypes. In spite of this, correspondence study and distance education instructors and administrators should find these portrayals of themselves and their work enjoyable, and perhaps even useful.