This chapter introduces the reader to the world of fiction and disinformation in early modern Europe. It starts by placing fiction and disinformation in the context of wider trends and developments, while also drawing a parallel between present practices and concerns and those of the early modern period (Section I). The chapter then surveys existing scholarship on these themes, highlighting the novelty of recent research and the transformative potential of interdisciplinary work (Section II). Finally, it sets out the approach and methodology which underpin the rest of volume (Section III). It is argued that fiction and disinformation need to be studied in tandem, and that their study should be guided by a combination of literary and historical approaches. This method is exemplified by the volume’s nine chapters. They all conduct close readings of falsehoods and fictional writings, examining their rhetorical and linguistic qualities, including matters such as style, narrative and genre; and they also uncover how fiction and disinformation brought about change in society and in the lives of the people who wrote them as much as those who read them. This makes the Supplement as a whole a methodological intervention, further bridging the gap between historical analysis and cultural criticism, and a contribution to the social and cultural history of early modernity.

中文翻译：

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现代早期欧洲的小说和虚假信息：简介

本章向读者介绍近代早期欧洲的虚构和虚假信息世界。它首先将虚构和虚假信息置于更广泛的趋势和发展的背景下，同时还将当前的实践和关注点与现代早期的实践和关注点相提并论（第一节）。本章随后调查了关于这些主题的现有学术研究，强调了近期研究的新颖性和跨学科工作的变革潜力（第二部分）。最后，它列出了支撑其余卷（第 III 节）的方法和方法。有人认为，小说和虚假信息需要同时进行研究，并且它们的研究应该以文学和历史方法的结合为指导。该方法以全卷九章为例。他们都对谎言和虚构作品进行仔细阅读，检查其修辞和语言品质，包括风格、叙事和体裁等问题；他们还揭示了虚构和虚假信息如何为社会和写作者和阅读者的生活带来变化。这使得补编作为一个整体的方法论干预，进一步弥合了历史分析和文化批评之间的差距，并为早期现代性的社会和文化史做出了贡献。他们还揭示了虚构和虚假信息如何为社会和写作者和阅读者的生活带来变化。这使得补编作为一个整体的方法论干预，进一步弥合了历史分析和文化批评之间的差距，并为早期现代性的社会和文化史做出了贡献。他们还揭示了虚构和虚假信息如何为社会和写作者和阅读者的生活带来变化。这使得补编作为一个整体的方法论干预，进一步弥合了历史分析和文化批评之间的差距，并为早期现代性的社会和文化史做出了贡献。