Atwood's Murder in the Dark (1983), where "Happy Endings" was first published, features brief pieces that creatively engage with language, perception, and storytelling.

French-Canadian author Marie Claire Blais has released her journal, American Notebooks: A Writer’s Journey (1996).

John Barth's Lost in the Funhouse (1968) is a compilation of short, experimental works where the author delves into the creative process.

Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar's Hopscotch (1963) challenges conventional narrative progression and conclusions with its open-ended story set in the expatriate circles of Paris.

Carol Anshaw's Aquamarine (1992) begins at the 1968 Summer Olympics, following a young swimmer experiencing her first romance. The narrative then transitions to 1990, presenting the three different life paths the heroine might have taken.

Pale Fire (1962) by Vladimir Nabokov includes a lengthy poem and a commentary on it by a deranged intellectual, parodying literary scholarship.