"Of course, there’s nothing wrong with those things, and ephemeral delight might be good enough for some people, but I’m usually looking for something more out

"Of course, there’s nothing wrong with those things, and ephemeral delight might be good enough for some people, but I’m usually looking for something more out of my reading (in fact, I don’t read fiction at all any more)." I find this comment slightly arrogant and condescending. By choosing not to read fiction the author deprives himself of experiencing not only "ephemeral delight", but also removes the possibility of deriving insight from many inspiring and thought-provoking works. Not all raw 'brain food' needs come from non-fiction. This is one reason I like science-fiction - the better works combine fantasy with reality, and bridge the dream / conscious worlds in a way that very readily lends itself to new thoughts and ideas. In addition, the mental escape provided by fiction can be soothing and healing to the pattern and structure-obsessed mind I - and likely number of HN people - have. Sci-fi and fantasy books are, for me, as alcohol or drugs are for others.