why fiction?

So I'm in a bookshop, browsing the music, philosophy & religion, and sci-fi & RPG sections, as usual. It suddenly hits me, the sheer number of books there are in here, most fictional. How many stories, lives, battles, romances, victories, defeats, worlds, cities, towns, seas and forests, heroes and villains. So many tales and sagas, all contained in one hub of thriving fiction.
It's like a portal to hundreds of different places. Similar to the magical forest of pools found by Digory and Polly in C.S. Lewis' 'The Magician's Nephew', a whole host of different adventures are available. But what do you do once you've found this little gateway to a thousand worlds? And what did Digory and Polly do once they were comfortable and settled in their enchanted wood?
Well I suppose the next step is to read a book, or for the children in the wood, to jump into a pool. And if it's a good book, or the right pool, you can get sucked in, compelled to move on, deeper into the unknown. And this is exciting; adventure is something most delight in. A good book can suck up so much of our time, that we spend more time in the story than in our real world. Digory and Polly could become so preoccupied with whichever world they were exploring that they almost forget the one they've come from, their home, their life. And then, when there's nothing more to do in this world, we go back to the enchanted wood/bookshop, and jump into another one. And so it continues.
It's so easy to spend enormous amounts of time in fictional places, whether that means the fallen city of 'Charn' for Digory and Polly, a novel, a tv show or soap, a computer game, or a movie. This can be interesting, entertaining, relaxing, and exciting. But what of our real world? Are our lives SO mundane that we are constantly seeking to escape it, by whatever means possible, in search of another place? It's commonly said that 'the grass is always greener on the other side', but maybe we need to spend more time appreciating how green the grass is on OUR side of the river than longing to leave and find greener grass? Fiction can be fantastic. Seeing other stories and worlds can give us a different perspective. A hero's tale can inspire and uplift us. A comedy can help us relax and have fun. Many fictional books are metaphorical and good for thinking about real-life situations. Sometimes it's good just to be entertained. But if we're constantly wishing life could be more like the stories we read, perhaps we need to rethink. This life can be an amazing adventure, an inspiring and exciting tale. It can also be ordinary and simple at times.

There is ONE pool which leads somewhere incredible. After tumbling out the other end Digory and Polly find a vibrant, thriving, bountiful world full of beauty and new life. In this world they find true meaning, and their purpose. Thanks to finding this place, they and several of their fellow adventurers take part in the beginning of a new world, the most special ever.
There is ONE book which leads somewhere incredible. After reading it, we know about an incredible story, full of adventure, battle, love, faithfulness, justice, and mercy. In this book, we find true meaning, and our purpose. Thanks to reading and realising that it is actually NOT fiction, I and whoever else does the same, find our intended destiny and take part in the most epic love story ever.
I'll leave you to figure out which book it is.