I finally understand the power of fiction
Have you ever read a book so thrilling, you can’t put it down? And has such a book ever changed the way you look at the world?
I only recently began to understand the power of fiction. I didn’t learn this in high school—assigned reading actually pushed me away from fiction (and reading altogether) for a number of years.
And when I began reading again 6 years ago, fiction books felt like a guilty pleasure. Reading isn’t supposed to be fun, right? You’re supposed to download as much information into your brain as efficiently as possible, right?
Both of these assumptions were challenged as I read the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy (Three Body Problem series). These books fundamentally changed how I view fiction.
Here’s what I learned.
Fiction as a framework
Fiction transports us to alternate worlds or lets us live the life of another person in our current world.
While these worlds or characters are fictional and used to communicate a story, they also tell us about our current world and ourselves.
Thinking about the dynamics of fictional worlds helps us understand our own world and the challenges faced by fictional characters can teach us lessons applicable to our own lives.
Fictional stories serve as a framework which we can use to think about our own world and our own experiences.
Wired for stories
Our monkey brains have adapted to learn through stories.
For millennia, stories have helped humans persevere information—to convey information about survival, to teach morals, and to preserve culture.
In the 'influencer' age, we say we crave authenticity. I believe this stems from a longing for genuine stories—whether rooted in real experiences or fictional worlds.
Humans are wired to remember stories far more effectively than isolated facts.
Fiction is a powerful tool, and this realization is why I’ve started writing my own short stories, which you can read here.