Lies constitute one of several variants of non-factual communication. Based on the Interdisciplinary Graduate School on Factual and Fictional Narration, the contributions in this volume are both theoretical and historical and span a wide range of different approaches. While the essays from literary studies focus on the traditional accusation of fiction as lying and analyse the modern and postmodern play with mimesis and illusion in novels and plays, the psychological, philosophical, legal and historical contributions offer a variety of insights into the ubiquity of lying and its functions in various historical and pragmatic contexts.