Seductive Knowledge and Fiction or Non-Fiction

Which definition of fiction do you think is more convincing?

Fiction is often described in positive terms, such as storytelling or make-believe. It can however be a synonym for lying, pretending, or faking it. Are you more likely to put your faith in the journalistic work that uncovers deception? Or are you more likely to affirm the significance of fiction for instilling new beliefs, for creating new ways of understanding and making sense of the world? Reflect both on the importance and the dangers of fiction (stories) in terms of our overall capacity for knowledge and understanding (epistemology); in what ways is fiction important epistemologically?