Orcs, elves, and Hobbits trudging through Middle-earth; a nuclear monster raining hellfire from above; a dream-hopping killer terrorizing teenagers in their sleep. Whether it's The Lord of the Rings, Godzilla, or Nightmare on Elm Street, compelling stories have a way of sticking with us. They strike a nerve, make our hearts pound, and burrow into our psyches. Long after we've experienced them, we find ourselves still thinking about the tall tales. But why?
Perhaps it's because, despite how fantastical some of these stories may seem, their seeds are sown in our world. Perhaps it's because the line between fantasy and reality is much blurrier than most realize...
True Fiction is a new series devoted to exploring just that. Each week we'll take you beyond what you've seen on screens to explore what inspired the fiction we love. Hosted by Kurt Indovina, each episode investigates the origins of pop culture's most compelling stories. We speak to experts to find the truths within them and analyze how and why these tales have been imprinted on us and our culture.
But this isn't just about monsters and made-up universes. Even pop culture's more grounded touchstones have fascinating histories, like the very real murder that served as the foundation for Twin Peaks, for example, or the tumultuous history that makes Jackie Chan punish himself for our entertainment.
You can watch True Fiction on the GameSpot Universe YouTube channel. The show begins on September 22 and new episodes will be released every Sunday. You'll also be able to find True Fiction here on GameSpot within this very article, which we'll be updating weekly as new episodes are released. Check out the teaser below.
