There's a huge variety of fiction - some books have cultures, individuals, politics, economics, warfare, etc. based entirely on what's most interesting for the

There's a huge variety of fiction - some books have cultures, individuals, politics, economics, warfare, etc. based entirely on what's most interesting for the plot and communicates the message the author wants to tell. Others have more rational, cohesive structures that make sense and communicate lessons that are useful in the real world. There's also significant variability in history texts, too - historians are humans with biases and preconceptions, just like authors, their source text (if there is text) was written by humans with their own opinions and their own cultural viewpoints. For example, we have detailed memoirs of the battles fought by conquistador noblemen, but an accurate understanding of the events they wrote about includes the many natives they 'conquered' dying of dysentery. Regardless of your source, you need to apply your own critical thinking.