Finding Truth in Fiction: What Fan Culture Gets Right - and why It's Good to Get Lost in a Story

ISBN-10
0190643633
ISBN-13
9780190643638
Category
Fans (Persons)
Language
English
Published
2020
Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Authors
Karen Dill-Shackleford, Cynthia Vinney

Description

"Being a fan of a popular film, television or book franchise is something most of us enjoy. But, we may not be familiar with the scientific study of fictional narrative or of fandom. In this book, two media psychologists reveal the sometimes-paradoxical idea that fiction helps us find truth in our real lives. Whether you consider yourself a fan or whether you find yourself thinking of a particular fictional scene for inspiration, you are not alone. Perfectly sane people regularly admit that their favourite stories are important to them. Though journalists sometimes assume that the interest in the fictional world is a sign of trouble, we enthusiastically disagree. Because story worlds are social simulations, people use them to work out their values, decide how to handle similar situations, and even decide what kind of person they want to be. Though films and shows are widely spoken of as diversions or as escapism, there are many ways that they aren't trivial at all to us. In this book, the authors explore how we understand the identity of a favourite character and the actor who plays the character. Are they the same person? We also delve into the nitty gritty of mental models for story worlds and timeless story arcs such as the hero's journey. The moments that strike us as important can change as we age and move through different life stages. Our conclusion: fans are not crazy. What fans are is human"--

Get the book

Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Search the book
eBay.com
eBay.com
Search the book

Other editions

Similar books

  • CBD Oil Fact Vs Fiction: Finding Truth Among All the Lies
    CBD Oil Fact Vs Fiction: Finding Truth Among All the Lies
    By Terry Mercer

    The Science, Safe Use, the Difference between the Real Stuff vs Fake Stuff, Spotting the Difference in Marketing Hype and Truth, Some Reality in the Legalities, and a Brief Interesting History of the topic- how it got here, and where things ...

  • Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God: 51 Women Reveal the Power of Positive Female Connection
    Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God: 51 Women Reveal the Power of Positive Female Connection
    By A Band of Wives

    Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God: 51 Women Reveal the Power of Positive Female Connection

  • The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction
    The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction
    By John Dufresne

    "This is the most practical, hard-nosed, generous, direct, and useful guide to writing fiction." —Brad Watson Finally, a truly creative—and hilarious—guide to creative writing, full of encouragement and sound advice.

  • Truth Stranger Than Fiction: Race, Realism, and the U.S. Literary Market Place
    Truth Stranger Than Fiction: Race, Realism, and the U.S. Literary Market Place
    By Augusta Rohrbach

    Beginning with the question, 'How might slave narratives - heralded as the first indigenous literature by Theodore Parker - have influenced the development of American Literature?' the book develops connections between an emerging literary ...

  • Half of a Yellow Sun
    Half of a Yellow Sun
    By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    With her award-winning debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was heralded by the Washington Post Book World as the “21st century daughter” of Chinua Achebe.

  • Truth and Fiction in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"
    Truth and Fiction in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"
    By Larissa Pöltl

    I think this is very interesting, because, in my opinion, this is the main aspect of the whole book. Someone who reads it will not be able to stop themselves from asking questions in their head. The main process while reading

  • The Master's Muse: A Novel
    The Master's Muse: A Novel
    By Varley O'Connor

    A fictional account of the marriage of ballet master George Balanchine and ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq describes how polio ended Tanny's dancing career and how Balanchine's return to ballet tested their marriage.

  • Holding Back The Tears
    Holding Back The Tears
    By Annie Mitchell

    This is true story about real people is set in Edinburgh City and Dundee, where a petite Scottish Lassie called Rosie Gilmour, mother to Finlay Sinclair, receives news of the death of her son - who tragically has taken his own life by ...

  • Stardust
    Stardust
    By Neil Gaiman

    New York Times Bestselling Author Give the gift of STARDUST!

  • The Truth About Forever
    The Truth About Forever
    By Sarah Dessen

    Books by Sarah Dessen: That Summer Someone Like You Keeping the Moon Dreamland This Lullaby The Truth About Forever Just Listen Lock and Key Along for the Ride What Happened to Goodbye The Moon and More Saint Anything Once and for All