For the Love of Fiction

As a child, I was fortunate to become hooked on books. In particular, I loved—and still love—fantasy and science-fiction novels the mostest.

I have many fond memories (and still do this from time to time, if the book is good enough) of staying up into the wee hours of the morning, sacrificing sleep for the enjoyment and peace of immersing myself in a captivating story.

In exchange for the countless pages I’ve turned, reading has given me many gifts in return—all of which are available to you too.

On the technical side, I credit the majority of my writing ability to having read constantly as a kid, often well beyond my so-called reading level. You gain so much information and understanding via osmosis, or the ‘diffuse learning’ experience that reading offers. My vocabulary, feel for sentence structure, understanding of grammar and punctuation all developed in this way.

Which I think is rather neat… But my real love for fiction, and why I believe everyone should regularly read fiction, comes from these special gifts:

Gift #1. Exposing yourself to fictional worlds broadens your worldview.

We can only meet so many people in our life, and only have the energy and capacity to invest in so many relationships. While this limitation comes from a practical place, one does lose out on the benefits of interacting with and learning from a broad variety of people. In this, fiction is a shortcut.

While the characters you ‘meet’ may not exist in the physical realm, a well-crafted character is no less real—full of personality and emotion, quirks and preferences, and a history that’s shaped them into who they are.

In meeting new characters, your exposure to different life perspectives expands, increasing empathy, often having ingrained beliefs and ideas challenged in a non-confrontational way that can encourage growth.

Gift #2. Reading fiction is one of the healthiest forms of escape.

Since the beginning of time, we humans have craved a sense of escape—which our brains are wired, as we’re always trying to avoid discomfort. So we fantasize about what could be, or what we wish to be true.

However, not all forms of escape are equal. Many are destructive, and the ones that aren’t require effort. Fortunately, our brains are also wired for stories.

Despite the effort involved, I believe that the healthiest forms of escape are ones that you have to actively engage with, and ‘trick’ you into learning, doing, or accomplishing something. After all, if you’re seeking a sense of escape, why not escape somewhere that benefits you in the long-run?

Escape can be expansive, and for all the reasons I’ve shared inside this Whimsie, reading a well-crafted story does exactly that.

Gift #3. Fiction nurtures your imagination and encourages creativity.

You simply cannot read a story without using your imagination or creative thinking to process, understand, and visualize what the author is saying.

In exposing yourself to imaginative, creative ideas, you gain the ability to better utilize these skills and ways of thinking for yourself. Boundless inspiration waits for you, tucked away in the nooks and crannies of stories.

Gift #4. Fiction is a fun vehicle for learning important life lessons.

Let’s be real: For most, reading, say, a philosophy book is dull as watching grass grow. Thankfully, we have stories in which philosophical lessons and ideas can be gently nestled, in ways that are more interesting to absorb.

No matter the subject, if you want to learn something, there has to be a level of interest—otherwise your brain will shift gears and tune out. Stories, fiction, whatever, help keep you interested, so the lessons can be absorbed.

I’ve lost track of how many ‘ah-ha’ moments I’ve had while reading novels, or instances where an idea I heard elsewhere finally clicks due to that same (or similar) idea being taught in the guise of a story.

Now I’d be remiss to not share some of my favourite reads with you:

• The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss
  

• The Night Angel Trilogy & Lightbringer Series - Brent Weeks
  

• The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
  

• Babel & The Poppy War Trilogy - R. F. Kuang
  

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V. E. Schwab
  

• Dune & Dune Messiah & Children of Dune - Frank Herbert

(I didn’t intend for the off-the-top-of-my-head recommendations to amount to 22 hefty books, but that lovely list should keep you occupied for a while.)

On the subject of recommendations: If you’ve read any excellent books lately, I’d love to hear what you’ve found—for I’m always on the hunt for new, well-regarded stories. I’m open to nonfiction suggestions too.

Happy reading!

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander ‘Wiz’ Mullan