Kes: From Inside Higher Ed comes this article by a psychologist on why fiction is so appealing. I was hoping he would use more precise terms and concepts, but I will also note that he dismisses horror and S&M as operating by some principle other than that which he proposes in his article, so I'm a little dubious about how his biases shape his argument.
Still, this is definitely Readercon territory.
The Pleasures of Imagination
By Paul Bloom
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Pleasures-of-Imagination/65678