Fiction and Fictionalism

Mark Sainsbury, University fo Texas, Austin, USA

'This is a great book. In it Mark Sainsbury provides a lucid and interesting discussion of the nature of fiction, the status of fictional objects, and fictionalism in general, offering an excellent overview of these subjects and giving a barrage of interesting arguments for his own views along the way. The book is also timely. There has been a recent surge of interest in all three of these issues and I know of no other book that comes close to providing such a good introduction to, and discussion of, these topics.' - Analysis'…an impressive book. In a clear, concise and engaging style, Sainsbury manages to explain fairly difficult issues in an accessible way. Throughout the arguments are of high quality. Sainsbury manages both to provide good overviews of the relevant literature, and to present interesting arguments on pretty much every page. The book will be useful for students both at the advanced undergraduate level and at the graduate level, and for researchers in metaphysics and philosophy of language.' - Matti Eklund, Cornell University'This is a great book. In it, Mark Sainsbury provides a lucid and interesting discussion of the nature of fiction, the status of fictional objects, and fictionalism in general, offering an excellent overview of these subjects and giving a barrage of interesting arguments for his own views along the way. The book is also timely. There has been a recent surge of interest in all three of these issues and I know of no other book that comes close to providing such a good introduction to, and discussion of, these topics.' - Anthony Everett, University of Bristol, UK

• Introduction 1. What is fiction? 2. Realism about fictional objects 3. Fictional objects are nonexistents 4. Worlds and truth: fictional worlds, possible worlds 5. Fictional entities are abstract artifacts 6. Irrealism: fiction and intentionality 7. Some fictionalists 8. Fictionalism about possible worlds 9. Moral fictionalism 10. Retrospect Glossary Notes Bibliography Index