Fictional stories have been central to human life for thousands of years. Yet, when it comes to fiction, you often hear phrases like “but it’s only fiction,” or “it ain’t real.” The implicit meaning behind such phrases is that fiction is somehow less valuable than non-fiction; that it’s far removed from the real world and its only purpose is to entertain people. Which is partly true. Yes, fictional literature is made from the imagination and it’s often written to entertain people. Still, one doesn’t exclude the other. Fictional stories are imaginary, but they’re just as well rooted in the real world. Likewise, they can be entertaining while at the same time pointing to social issues that are very much present in society.
For anyone not convinced yet, here’re some of the reasons why reading fiction is important.
Fiction Shapes Our Point of View
Fiction has a huge cultural impact on what we think or believe in. What distinguishes literature most from other, non-literary texts, like factual articles or reports, is its ‘literariness,’ its ability to make ordinary language, and thus the ordinary world, seem strange. Stories invite us to see the world through different lenses, to question what we’ve yet taken for granted, and to imagine alternatives. They are a powerful tool in raising awareness about social, cultural or environmental issues.

Fiction Allows Us to Step into Someone Else’s Shoes
Fiction enhances our ability to empathize with other people. That’s because fictional stories allow us to see and experience the world through the eyes of someone else. Sometimes the characters you meet are similar to you, but other times they’re completely removed from you–be it because they have a different gender, age, nationality, attitude, culture, you name it. Fiction thus helps us better understand the people we meet in real life.
Fiction Tells Us What Non-Fiction Can’t
History books tell you why and how it happened. Historical fiction tells you how it felt like. Sometimes, the hard facts just ain’t enough. Being informed is not the same thing as feeling concerned. And this is precisely where fiction comes into play. Fiction has the unique capacity to emotionalize readers. And this is important to get people to change ways of thinking and behaviour.

Fiction Allows Us to Imagine Likely Futures
Fictional stories about the future, specifically science fiction, make us imagine what the future might look like if things carried on in the direction they were headed. While most of the stories set in the distant future seem to be far-fetched, there’s indeed a lot of fact behind the fiction. These visions aren’t scary only for the sake of entertainment, but they warn us about alarming trends in society. They invite us to draw connections between the fictional world–however strange it may appear–and the real one. As a result, they encourage us to question contemporary conditions and imagine future consequences.
Fiction Entertains Us
Reading fiction is a form of escapism for many people. Especially when we’re overwhelmed by what is happening in the real world, we turn to fiction for support. Fiction brings you to places which you never otherwise would have visited. And sometimes these stories don’t have to be loaded with meaning. They’re just supposed to distract and entertain us. And that’s totally fine.
I could probably go on here, but for now I’ll leave it at that. The point I’m trying to make is: only because a story is ‘not real’ doesn’t mean that it’s less valuable. If you have further ideas about why fiction is important, let me know in the comments!
Why do you think fiction is important? Let me know in the comment section below!
Thank you for this thought-provoking post! So many times I feel like I’m ploughing through my TBR list, sometimes without really paying attention as to what/why I’m reading something – although that’s definitely not the case with my current read The Hate U Give, such a powerful message behind it.
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You’re welcome 🙂 I’m convinced that there’s a deeper meaning to every book, however ‘simple’ it may appear. THUG is a great example of why fiction is so relevant. I’m currently reading Concrete Rose (the prequel to THUG) and am absolutely loving it. Definitely recommending it if you loved THUG. 🙂
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Ah great, thanks! I’ll definitely be checking it out – only halfway through THUG but there’s no way I cannot not love this book!
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I really enjoyed reading this — fiction is a wonderful way to explore things in our own time and safely. It’s a great way to walk in someone else’s shoes so I love how you’ve shared this!
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I totally agree! Thanks for commenting 🙂
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I totally agree that fiction has an important role to play in cultivating empathy, and I love what you’ve written here about imagining the future too! Great topic, lovely post.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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Fiction is something I could not do without. I love the escapism it provides, as well as how much I can learn. When I meet up with someone like me in writing or find heroes I admire, I love to learn from how they face their troubles and the world and carry some of their courage forth with me. 🙂
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I totally agree! There’s so much you can learn from fiction, especially on a personal level 🙂
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Totally agrer with all of this. I love a good fantasy book! Sometimes you have to get away from the real world, but there’s so many elements of the real world in fiction. Even in fantasy. Thr abstract reflections and interpretations is my favourite part of reading a fiction ✨
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Yes! There’s nothing better than immersing yourself in a book and forgetting everything around you for a moment. Definitely beneficial during a global pandemic 😉
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And… fiction lets us travel the world while we’re under lock down!
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So true!
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Great post! Fiction allows me to travel to different worlds and live through other characters!
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Thank you!
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I really love the Camus quote! I agree that fiction helps us to develop empathy – we can only live in one society at a time, but fiction lets us inhabit many other lives and societies. But like you mentioned, fiction can also shape our worldview, so learning how to think critically about fiction is important too (can you imagine if someone thought Humbert in Lolita was actually the good guy just because he does his best to persuade us so?)
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Good points! I really like your example because it illustrates so well how reading fiction isn’t just a passive action, but involves a lot of critical thinking too. 🙂
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