third+person

The author does not enter a single mind, but instead records what can be seen and heard. This type of person is like a camera or a fly on the wall. This is used by [|journalists] in articles—it only gives the facts, from one fixed perspective. The third person objective perspective mimics real life: we cannot know what another person is thinking, but we can make inferences based on that person's words, behaviour and body language. An omniscient narrator, as in more limited third-person forms, is also disembodied; it takes no actions and has no physical form in or out of the story. But, being omniscient, it witnesses all events, even some that no characters witness. The omniscient narrator is privy to all things past, present and future - as well as the thoughts of all characters. As such, an omniscient narrator offers the reader a bird's-eye view about the story. The story can focus on any character at any time and on events where there is no character. The third-person omniscient narrator is usually the most reliable narrator; however, the omniscient narrator may offer judgments and express opinions on the behavior of the characters. This was common in the 19th century, as seen in the works of [|Jane Austen], [|Leo Tolstoy] or [|George Eliot]. Some more modern examples are [|Lemony Snicket] and [|Philip Pullman]. In some unusual cases, the reliability and impartiality of the narrator may in fact be [|as suspect] as in the third person limited.
 * Third person, objective/dramatic**
 * Third person, omniscient (means god-like)**