ontological status of fiction

The ontological status of fiction concerns its existence and what kind of thing it is. Fictional works—stories, characters, worlds—don't exist in the physical sense like objects or people; instead, they exist as mental constructs or cultural artifacts. While fictional characters aren’t real people, they have a kind of "truth" within their stories and influence our thoughts and feelings. Philosophers debate whether fictional entities have any real existence or are simply useful fictions. Essentially, fiction exists as a meaningful part of human experience and language, shaping understanding without having an independent physical existence.