In and Through

Question: why do we choose to incorporate elements of reality into fiction?

I think we choose to do so because we cannot really do anything else. We cannot actually escape the fact that we are humans limited to our own empirical observations and our imaginations. If one of us can imagine something, and properly communicate that idea, other humans will be able to understand it to. The fact that we are starting with a human mind, we cannot communicate anything in any medium, we can only communicate through mediums; nothing we every create will be outside of human nature of understanding.

In addition to all that, the purpose of these mediums is usually to convey a meaning. Incorporating reality into a work of fiction makes it easier for people to connect with. It is easier to understand the problems of someone/thing you understand compared to completely surreal ideas.