Fiction
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Basic Information

Fiction describes any media of which the content is not entirely factual1 but which is not presented with the intention to deceive. Thus, the hallmarks of fiction are deliberate presentation of things known to be untrue and a lack of intent to deceive.

Some works - notably those making heavy use of allusion, allegory and metaphor - tread rather lightly along the dividing line between fact and fiction, presenting truth with a mask of fiction. Works which take a step further and mix fact and fiction can be particularly perilous unless clearly presented as a fiction overall.

Fiction is often used to entertain - although it is unclear how long this has been done knowingly - and just as often to instruct: as above, the use of fictional examples to illustrate teaching has been around a long time.

Sources

Bibliography

Game and Story Use

  • In game the use of fact presented as fiction may be a suitable way of delivering a message that could not be spoken as a bold truth (historically, this was very common).
  • Teaching by parables - using fiction to illustrate a teaching point - is also a good tool in game characterisation. One or two historical examples should be accessible to almost all readers.
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