Fiction vs. Not

I eschew fiction.

I figure there's enough weird and extremely interesting stuff in the world today without ever reading a word of fiction. My reading list is packed with how-tos, biographies, histories, technical tomes, study guides, and religious reading. How boring, you say.

Okay. Although I habitually read non-fiction, I realize there is a realm that cannot be entered, or made interesting, for sure, by non-fiction. The realm of "what could be." New social or scientific paradigms are especially suited for fiction. To get to a different plane of thought, it's much easier to take the reader with you via fiction, as they sympathize with your character and come along for the ride.

A couple of the mind benders:

Stranger In a Strange Land
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Both by Heinlein, of course.