In this book, Mary Talbot shows how fiction works in the constitution and reproduction of social life. She discusses both `high' and `low' fiction, combining discussion of social context with language analysis. Examples are taken from children's tales, romance, horror and science in her language analysis.

Acknowledgements
Part I: Fiction as social practice
1. What is Fiction?
2. Discourses, readers, genres
3. Intertextuality and text population
Part II: Fiction and social reproduction
4. Escaping into romance
5. Confronting horror
Part III: Fiction and social change
6. Fiction and empowerment
7. Feminist science fiction
Notes
Bibliography
Index