Date Time Reading fiction can change your life The power of reading fiction has been scientifically proven. Art can change your perception of yourself and others. Reading fiction can have an impact on creativity, language awareness and empathy. Photo: Callum Shaw/Unsplash. Have you ever experienced that reading a book can change your perception of someone you know? Or that it leads you to see your own experiences in a different light? Whether this sounds familiar or not, the potential is there. “We have empirical evidence to support the claim that reading fiction can really change your life,” says Olivia Da Costa Fialho.