We talk about fiction in moral terms all the time, from saying certain movies are inappropriate for kids, to claiming that video games aren't political. But when you think about it, how does fiction function morally if it's just made up? To answer that question, we have to ask a couple others: What is fiction? And what is moral?

In this first episode in a series about the moral function of fiction: Harry Potter, evangelical Christianity, literary theory, and fake news, and other sundry characters.

Get in touch and find a transcript of this episode at insidethetext.wordpress.com.

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References:

- Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged (2001, Jeremiah Films)

- Alun Munslow, "Where Does History Come From?" (March 2002, History Today)

- Terry Eagleton, How to Read a Poem (2007)

- Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction (2008)

- William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)

- John Fiske, Television Culture, 2010

- 2016 Donald Trump press conference, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZs75jlAlw

- Whitney Phillips, "Putting the Folklore in Fake News," http://culturedigitally.org/2017/01/putting-the-folklore-in-fake-news/

- Abbot & Costello, "Who's On First?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg

- Leo Tolstoy, What Is Art? (1897)

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Music:

- Intro and outro music by Jedd Cole

- Stefan Kartenberg, Oryk Taiko Rhap, CC BY, http://ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/57432

- CARL iCON, Quasi una fantasia, CC BY, http://ccmixter.org/files/KarLos/58249

- Kimiko Ishizaka, Aria (BWV 988), https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kimiko_Ishizaka/The_Open_Goldberg_Variations/KIMIKO_ISHIZAKA_-_Goldberg_Variations_BWV_988_-_01_-_Aria__44k-24b

- Soft and Furious, You're Magic, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soft_and_Furious/Bae/Soft_and_Furious_-_Bae_-_01_Youre_Magic