More Than An Escape: Fiction Helps Shape Our View of Reality

Fantasy has often been called an escape. I’ve heard people say escapism is the purpose of the genre. But what if fantasy means a little bit more? 

There are so many genres out there, and each is unique. From horror to sci-fi to romance, each book has its place in the literary world. Fantasy is no different, but what about this genre makes people think of an escape more than other books do? 

I think it’s because fantasy has a different feel to it. Unlike many genres that are set in the real world, fantasy is often a secondary world all its own. It has its own rules, logic, and system of existing outside of normal life. 

Fantasy is the only place where we can ride dragons, fight wizards, and explore castles alongside elves. In that way, it is an escape from reality. But so are other books. 

For instance, sci-fi can be very similar to fantasy. While fantasy has creatures like dragons and elves, sci-fi has aliens (and really, aren’t Romulans sort of like space elves?). Fantasy is usually set in the past. Sci-fi tends to show us a future world. 

Or horror/thrillers? Monsters, ghosts, killers. They exist in fantasy, too. For instance, my portal fantasy series, The Door of Exterrah, involves monstrous shifters. Rise of the Warriors has ghosts. Both series have assassins and mysterious villains lurking in the shadows. 

Genres bend. They blend and merge. There is almost always a little overlap if you look for it. With that being the case, don’t all books carry an air of escapism to some degree? We can go into the pages and become pirates, monster slayers, or join Victorian high society. Things reality doesn’t give us. Reading, no matter what genre we prefer, is an escape from everyday reality. 

But books are so much more than this. 

Like any media we consume, books have an effect on how we see the world around us. That’s why what we read is so important. Books aren’t reality, but they do mirror it. 

Fiction of any kind sets our minds on a journey. In fact, studies have shown that when we read, our minds process the story as though we have lived it ourselves. That’s why stories have such a profound effect on us. We become a part of them and vice versa. 

Books give us a chance to look through someone else’s eyes. The themes a book explores are there to teach us, but not in a classroom or pulpit way. 

When we open a book and step into the shoes of a character, we get a glimpse into those themes as the character lives through them. It can give us a fresh perspective and understanding of others and their experiences. 

Of course, there are no dragon riders in real life. But there are people dealing with loss. 

There are no human-hating elves. But there are people of different cultures and backgrounds learning to work together. 

We may never stand beside warriors, or grieve the loss of a child, or struggle through depression. But there are people who have and are doing those exact things. 

Reading about fictional characters is not the same as talking with someone who has actually been through these things, but it can open our minds to a tiny sliver of what they are going through. Sometimes, that sliver is actually quite large. 

It isn’t unusual for authors to give characters the same trauma and pain they themselves have experienced in real life. The lessons the characters learn are the same ones the author has gained throughout their life. 

I’m guilty of this myself. My characters often experience narcissistic abuse and bullying from their family. They struggle with their self-worth, keeping faith when everything is falling apart, depression, and suicidal ideation. All things I’ve gone through in my life. 

But authors don’t trauma dump on their characters for no reason. For one, writing from our own experiences can help us to externalize what happened and process it in a healthy manner. It also makes for a more realistic story as we write from what we know. The themes become more solid, and the characters’ struggles more realistic. 

Everything we read in books, all the pain and joy, the failures and triumphs, is influenced by someone’s real-life experiences to some degree. No matter if it is veiled with elves, lords and ladies, or an alien or two, this truth remains: fiction mirrors reality. 

Reading is so much more than a mere escape from reality. It paints reality in more vivid colors. It allows us to understand things we’ve never experienced, makes us aware of others’ struggles, and can foster a more compassionate view of people who face things we never have. 

Books, be they fantasy, sci-fi, or any other genre, have value beyond entertainment. They are windows to worlds unknown, both fictional and real.