Matters of fact and fiction / Stacie Friend.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Friend, Stacie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fiction--History and criticism--Theory, etc.

Fiction.

Facts (Philosophy).

fiction (general genre).

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2026]

Summary:

A popular way to draw the line between fiction and nonfiction is in terms of facts: while works of nonfiction purport to tell the truth about the real world, works of fiction trade in the invented and imagined. This contrast between fiction and fact is familiar in popular culture and literary studies, and it also explains the philosophical focus on certain puzzles. What are we thinking about when we think about fictional characters? How can we make true claims about them? Why do we become emotionally involved with people who never existed? What can we learn from fictions if they are false? These questions are motivated by the assumption that fiction constitutes a domain essentially opposed to reality. In opposition to this familiar landscape, tis book argues that the contrast between fiction and fact is fundamentally misguided. Instead, works of fiction are about reality, even if they invite us to imagine it differently from how it actually is.

Contents:

Theories of fiction

Fiction as a genre

The world of the story

The reality assumption

Reference and representation

Fictional characters

Emotional engagement

Learning from fiction.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (Oxford Academic, viewed on September 3, 2026).

Other Format:

Print version : Friend, Stacie. Matters of fact and fiction.

ISBN:

9780191789038

0191789038

OCLC:

1599574426

Publisher Number:

CIPO000408920

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license