 Strangely enough, there is also a problem with the claim that fictional objects are non-actual objects. That is, there is some plausible consideration in support of the claim that fictional objects are actual objects. We make various assertions about fictional objects outside the stories in which they occur and some of them are true: for example, that Sherlock Holmes is admired by many readers of the Holmes stories. The simplest and most systematic explanation appears to be to postulate Holmes as an actual object possessing the properties such true assertions ascribe to him. Fictional objects may then be said to be theoretical objects of literary criticism as much as electrons are theoretical objects of physics. This type of view enjoys surprisingly wide acceptance. (Searle 1974, van Inwagen 1977, 1983, Fine 1982, Salmon 1998, Thomasson 1999). The theorists in this camp, except van Inwagen (van Inwagen 2003: 153–55), also think that fictional objects are brought into existence by their authors as actual objects. Even if this type of view is to be followed, it must still be denied that Holmes is actually a detective, for if we enumerate all individuals who are actually detectives, Holmes will not be among them. By the same token, Holmes is not actually a resident of Baker Street or even a human being. Though actual, Holmes is actually hardly any of those things Conan Doyle’s stories describe him as being. Holmes must not be a concrete object at all but instead an abstract object which has the property of being a detective according to Doyle’s stories, the property of being a resident of Baker Street according to Doyle’s stories, and so on.