Is there a name for "pre chapter one" blurb?

[fjtorres]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigraph_(literature)

Some authors use fictional quotations that purport to be related to the fiction of the work itself. For example, Stephen King's The Dark Half has epigraphs taken from the fictitious novels written by the protagonist; Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair has quotations from supposedly future works about the action of the story; John Green's The Fault in Our Stars has a quotation from a fictitious novel, An Imperial Affliction, which features prominently as a part of the story. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby opens with a poem entitled "Then Wear the Gold Hat," purportedly written by Thomas Parke D'Invilliers. D'Invilliers is a character in Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise and it should also be noted that, aside from its role as a tie-in to the Fitzgerald canon, the poem elucidates one of the major themes of the work.

Some science fiction works (Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy and Frank Herbert's Dune series are examples) use quotations from an imagined future history of the period of their story. This can be seen as a way of constructing authenticity for a work of the imagination.

The film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby opens with a fictional quotation from the real historical figure Eleanor Roosevelt, using the epigraph to comedic effect.

[1611mac]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

The short piece that you're talking about, is it written by the author or someone else? To me, it's only an epigraph if it's a quote by someone else. (am I right or wrong about that?)

eP

This is non-fiction and it's by another well know author (in the field). This "blurb" appears after TOC and before Chapter One. It relates to the overall theme of the book.. not any specific chapter.