This was a great read that got me thinking about a couple of my favourite ficiton novels that I've read; 15 Dogs by Andre Alexis, and Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

Your article posed a question; why do I turn to books like these for "fiction induced self-help"? And I think it's because they present a bigger picture that as an individual I would be unable to grasp.

I cannot understand the universe, what it means to be human, the reaches of our society on my day to day existence - and on some level are a source of exstitential dread. If I cannot grasp these concepts in their entirety, what else am I missing from my own life? What else do I not understand, potentially, about myself?

While I never will encounter the answers to these themes, exploring them in fictional format brings a sense of excitement, understanding, and wonder that is missing far too often in our lives.