Niko LaamanenFounder, Publisher at Konsensus Network

The Difference Between Fiction and Fictional: Explained with a Funny Anecdote #podcast #fiction

29 Feb 2024 · 1 min

0:43

In this brief podcast excerpt, the hosts engage in a lighthearted discussion about subtle English word‑choice distinctions, comparing pairs such as fiction vs. fictional, historic vs. historical, and economic vs. economical. They note that while the "‑al" forms are often preferred, the nuances matter—for example, a "fiction anthology" refers to a curated collection of stories, not a generic "make‑believe book." The conversation is illustrated with a tangible example: one host presents an original first‑print manuscript of a fiction anthology, underscoring the practical relevance of the linguistic point. The tone is informal and playful, aiming to clarify the differences through a relatable anecdote.

TranscriptAuto-generated · 1 min

This is a little joke between Niko and I. The difference between fiction and fictional. It's a bit, it's difficult on that. It's a bit like, um, you know, historic and historical.
Right.
Or economic and economical. You know, they have different, different words, different meanings, but you often want to use the -al one. But in this case, it's a fiction anthology, not a make-believe book.
I also happen to have the original manuscript here. First print version.
Very cool.
So yeah, why don't, uh, why don't we let Phil tell, uh, fill us in how, how the project got started from your perspective? I think everybody's heard of, uh, my, my side of the project, so let's, uh, let's hear yours.