Prequel is a term indrama andliterature: it is a fusion of the words 'precursor' and 'sequel'.
When a story is told in several stages, it is natural to tell it in order of time. For example, a series of books on theSecond World War started with the 1930s and ended up in 1946.[1]
For various reasons, this does not always happen. In the movie seriesStar Wars, the first movie wasStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). It was followed by three prequels, which wereStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999);Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) andStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).
For correct use, the term 'prequel' is only applied when work is part of a series, and when the later publication refers to an earlier time. It is an old idea, but one which is often used today for drama onmovie andtelevision. TheCypria, a work ofAncient Greek literature, is a prequel toHomer'sIliad. A related idea is theback-story, which is the background story of a main story or character.
