Why do we make fiction

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Ok, Obviously almost everyone likes fiction but when you think about it it is a pretty weird concept. Like say if an alien race that didn't have any fiction discovered us they would be pretty baffled. So what could be the evolutionary/socialogical/etc reason for fiction

yes i don't like fiction. science fiction is ok.
isn't it a common trait of aspergers that they prefer to read factual books rather than fiction?

im not sure why it is that people are so keen on following linear stories, what is it about stories? i'm not sure. fiction sometimes allows you to imagine another existence outside of your own self and experience it fully, its also very relaxing to read?

I write fiction, I like to lose myself in another world.

I agree, zghost.

Fiction is an escapism that we sometimes depend on when the morale of our real lives isn't fulfilling enough.

Sometimes I think people that don't like fiction have never read a really good novel with complex characters. I can't tell you how much I've learned about human nature from reading novels. I know some can't get caught up in the narrative of a novel and I on the other hand have to be very interested in the subject with non fiction or else I can't hold focus.
I love reading fiction.love it.love it.love it.
Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole(funniest book ever)
Water Music-T.C. Boyle
The Little Friend-Donna Tartt
Oryx and Crake- Margaret Atwood
I Know This Much Is True- Wally Lamb
I could go on...I'm currently reading something told from the perspective of a monkey in India with the reawakened consciousness of a reincarnated 18th century warrior poet.

Like those aliens in Galaxy Quest who thought all our TV was "real," and used the show as a model for their entire civilization?

Exactly

I guess I like things out of the norm, and maybe a place I might like to be. Though my favirout non fiction perse are books about mythology and stuff.

humans sit around and tell stories. some true, some fiction. but it's one of the things we've done since caveman times.

Reminds me about a scene from Enterprise when the doctor they had on board was watching a movie being shown to the crew and his "date" asked if his people has similar things on his world.

His reply was that they did for a time but abandoned it when they realized that real life was much more fascinating.

Until wizards and/or lightsabers are real life items, fiction will always be more interesting.

Is it like beneficial somehow though? Thought maybe it makes you have more empathy since your mirror neurons (the brain cells that enable you to feel empathy) are activated by fiction just as much as real life. Also maybe to provide inspiration since most of us probably have a fictional character we really like and think " I want to be like them and/or have a friend like them"

Of course it's beneficial!! If we didn't have fiction there would be no place for us to escape from this reality. Lets face it the world sucks and there is a lot of crap going on that I know I don't ever wanna think about. Fiction is a way to ignore it. I know what's going on, but for the most part I don't have to have it freaking me out and worrying about things that I will never be able to help with anyways. Fiction is my escape from the crappy world we live in, I think that makes it very beneficial to my health at least and I'm sure to others too.

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Am I making my self quite clear yet?

I think fictions are a malfunction of the human brain. The capacity to anticipate outcomes and envision alternative courses of action - both of them an evolutionary advantage - also entails the capacity to make up scenarios out of whole cloth. And when these scenarios concern invisible omnipotent beings, we call them religion.

Fiction that lacks ANY imaginative appeal annoys the hell out of me. Then again some standard crime and medical dramas can be surprisingly unrealistic. I can't imagine that it would be that thrilling and adventerous to solve crimes and catch criminals in real life.

I HATE standard sitcoms where the basic plot is "best friends get into comical real-life situations". Boring. If Urkel hadn't turned Family Matters into a sci-fi comedy with all those inventions he made, it would've been a REALLY boring show to watch.