People Who Read Fantasy Fiction Usually Have Brains That Can Do Some Intellectually Fascinating Things
MediaProdaction / Shutterstock Fantasy fiction is about so much more than magical kingdoms and imaginary worlds. People who love reading these stories are constantly coming up with new possibilities and making sense of worlds that don't play by the same rules as our own. And as it turns out, all that mental activity can reveal some surprising things about how their brains work.
Someone who reads fantasy novels may have some intellectual strengths that extend far beyond the pages of a book. Their love of the impossible might actually help them see the world a little differently than everyone else.
People who read fantasy fiction can do these intellectually fascinating things in their minds:
1. Worldbuilding
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People who read and write fantasy-based fiction are often really good at mentally creating entire worlds from scratch. They can keep track of fictional histories, magic systems, politics, and entire cultures, all the way down to the most minor details. Their brains are always working to connect dots and figure out how all the imaginary pieces fit together, and those abilities can translate to real life.
This kind of reading also encourages people to practice making sense of different environments. They become exceptionally good at navigating unfamiliar places, all while getting lost in a good story.
2. Consider possibilities beyond what we know of in our reality
Fantasy fiction invites readers to question what they think is possible. When a book introduces things like time travel and alternate dimensions, readers have to set aside their usual assumptions and stay open to new explanations. Really, they're learning to entertain ideas that initially seem impossible.
People who enjoy fantasy may be more comfortable entertaining opinions that challenge their own. Instead of immediately dismissing an idea, they're willing to sit with it and see where it leads.
3. Hold more than one complex understanding at a time
Fantasy stories rarely offer simple answers. A character might be brave but selfish. A villain may have understandable motives. A hero could make decisions that hurt the people they love. Readers have to take in these contradictions without reducing everyone to stereotypes.
That takes a surprising amount of mental effort, especially when a story has dozens of characters with competing goals. It's pretty much necessary to be able to sit with uncertainty and accept that two things can be true at once.
4. Explore a wide variety of perspectives beyond their own
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Fantasy fiction has a way of putting readers inside the minds of characters whose lives look nothing like their own. To understand their choices, the reader has to consider their personal motivations and what exactly they stand to lose. Even when they disagree, they still get a chance to understand where the behavior is coming from.
That mental exercise is valuable for thinking about other people's viewpoints in everyday life. Reading doesn't automatically make someone more empathetic, of course, but spending time with different perspectives can encourage them to look beyond their own experiences and strengthen their relationships.
5. Imagine new things no one has thought of
Fantasy readers get used to picturing things that don't exist in the real world. Stories about enchanted places and entirely new species of creatures give their imaginations plenty of new material to work with. Their brains have to turn written descriptions into vivid mental images without seeing any of it on a screen, which isn't easy.
Making a habit of dreaming up unfamiliar things can encourage creative thinking that extends beyond what they're reading. It's easier for readers to play around with different possibilities and come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Being able to think beyond what's directly in front of them in this way can be pretty useful.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
