Is the truth really better than fiction?

With his not-exactly-true memoir, "Angel at the Fence," Herman Rosenblat joins a growing list of authors who have successfully pulled a publishing fast one: Remember James "A Million Little Lies" Frey, anyone? What about Margaret "I Was a White Girl Gang Member" Seltzer. Misha "I was Raised by Wolves" Defonseca, anyone?

AFP is reporting that Rosenblat's now-debunked Holocaust memoir may end up being published as a work of fiction:

"We believe Mr. Rosenblat's motivations were very human, understandable and forgivable," York House Press said in a statement, adding that the book, tentatively titled "Flower at the Fence," would be 'grounded in fact.

This latest in a series of faked memoirs prompts us to wonder: Why is a great story that's labeled "true" more interesting than a great story that's not true? A note to book editors everywhere: Many of the greatest, best-selling books in the world are NOT TRUE. Fiction. Made-up. Magical, life-changing stories that are not "grounded in fact."

So far, Oprah Winfrey, who grandly proclaimed Rosenblat's story "the single greatest love story," has remained silent on the scandal. Her only concession to the latest fake memoir to make her Book Club list is an "update" on her website:

"UPDATE: On December 27, 2008, Herman Rosenblat admitted to fictionalizing portions of his life story, including how he met his wife. Based on this admission, the publisher of his forthcoming memoir — 'Angel at the Fence' — cancelled plans to print his book."

Is that what kids are calling "lying" these days?

Rosenblat first appeared on "Oprah" in 1996, well before she gotten taken, again, by the most famous of fake memoirists, Frey.

In the hoopla following Frey's downfall, his supporters declared that even though "A Million Little Pieces" wasn't true, it was still a fascinating, compelling read. Which begs the question: Why didn't he just publish it as fiction in the first place? Frey and the other "memoirists" obviously have great story ideas and the writing chops; why fake it?

That may be a question only their book editors can answer; after all, they are the gatekeepers - the ones who decide to publish the books and how to market them. But considering all the "memoirs" garnered gushing reviews and high sales, the publishers could very well say that they're just giving the people what they want.

So, people -- what do you want? The truth or something like it?