inheritance - Can I construct a JavaScript object without using the new keyword?

Question

Here is what I'd like to do:

function a() {
  // ...
}
function b() {
  //  Some magic, return a new object.
}
var c = b();

c instanceof b // -> true
c instanceof a // -> true
b instanceof a // -> true

Is it possible? I can make b be an instance of a easily by hooking a into its prototype chain but then I have to do new b(), which is what I'm trying to avoid. Is what I want possible?

Update: I feel that it might be possible with judicious use of b.__proto__ = a.prototype. I'm going to experiment more after work.

Update 2: Below is what seems to be the closest you can get, which is good enough for me. Thanks all for the interesting answers.

function a() {
  // ...
}
function b() {
  if (!(this instanceof arguments.callee)) {
    return new arguments.callee();
  }
}
b.__proto__ = a.prototype

var c = b();
c instanceof b // -> true
c instanceof a // -> false
b instanceof a // -> true

Update 3: I found exactly what I wanted in a blog post on 'power constructors', once I added the essential b.__proto__ = a.prototype line:

var object = (function() {
     function F() {}
     return function(o) {
         F.prototype = o;
         return new F();
     };
})();

function a(proto) {
  var p = object(proto || a.prototype);
  return p;
}

function b(proto) {
  var g = object(a(proto || b.prototype));
  return g;
}
b.prototype = object(a.prototype);
b.__proto__ = a.prototype;

var c = b();
c instanceof b // -> true
c instanceof a // -> true
b instanceof a // -> true
a() instanceof a // -> true

Answer 1

You can use this pattern:

function SomeConstructor(){
   if (!(this instanceof SomeConstructor)){
        return new SomeConstructor();
   }
   //the constructor properties and methods here
}

after which you can do:

var myObj = SomeConstructor();

In addition to this (rather old) answer: you can use a module pattern to create an object:

function Person(name, age, male) {
  name = name || 'unknown';
  age = age || 0;
  function get() {
    return ['This person is called ', name,
            (!male ? ', her' : ', his'),' age is ',
            age].join('');
  }
  function setAge(nwage) {
     age = nwage;
  }
  return Object.freeze({get: get, setAge: setAge});
}
// usage
var jane =  Person('Jane', 23)
   ,charles = Person('Charles', 32, 1)
   ,mary = Person('Mary', 16);

console.log(jane.get()); //=> This person is called Jane, her age is 23
mary.setAge(17);
console.log(mary.get()); //=> This person is called Mary, her age is 17

Here's a jsFiddle for some Date functionallity I created using that pattern.