Facts in Fiction

Hogwarts

Hogwarts - an English school

In the fantasy world of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter we feel the factual reality of English school in the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The facts are there in the general organization of teachers and pupils and in the classes on mystic plants and potions, magical techniques in using the wizard's staff and those amazing sports hours. But even more true to our reality in this fantasy world are the description of personal growth and the eternal conflict of evil and good in humanity.

The totally fictional Harry Potter is actually a factual description of our world using the tools of fiction to describe reality and invoking deep symbolism to describe abstract concepts of good and bad. And, of course, it is also an enthralling love story based on facts of human nature as seen by J.K. Rowling.


Mos Eisley Cantina

Imaginary sky bar (from the official Star Wars blog)

George Lucas takes his fictional heroes Luke Skywalker and Obi-wan into a fabulous space bar somewhere out there in the universe. (Note the typical choice of pseudonyms: Lucas - Luke!)

The completely fictional Mos Eisley Cantina is filled with the strangest imaginary characters that are truly out of this world! Also the music, the setting and the colours of the drinks made by the resident mixologist Ackmena are something else.

And yet, this totally fictional bar completely reflects our factual bars to the extent that the same drinking hole could as well be located in Texas - except for the pretty fancy costumes and choices of drink. We even expect a regular bar fight a la Hollywood because we instinctively associate the sky bar with the real life bars in the United States and their macho visitors on motorbikes instead of fancy space vehicles.

G. Lucas is talking about our factual world using fictional characters and imaginary sceneries - all based on real world things!


Hobbits and Gollum

Hobbits, small in size but so big in bravery!

The Hobbits of J.R.R. Tolkien are also completely recognisable by our brain systems because of the factual world that lies under the fabulous legends and myths. We feel with the characters that have the psychology and personal features of real humans, even that Gollum in Lord of the Rings!

Gollum, powerful symbol of an obsessed human 

Facts in Fiction
In fact (sic!), it is extremely difficult to write fiction that is not factual and has nothing that links its contents to the reality of our world.

Fiction that is so imaginary that there are no images that our our brain can recognize from the reality around us or in our souls is nonsensical.

No human can create or understand fiction created without facts!