Science fiction is no more written for scientists than ghost stories are written for ghosts.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Science fiction targets general audiences, not just scientists, just as ghost stories target general readers, not ghosts.
- In plain terms
- Sci-fi is for readers, not scientists.
- What can you take from it?
- Write for your audience, not an idealized one.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who is your intended reader?
- Does genre dictate audience?
Another view
Some sci-fi is written specifically for technical or scientific accuracy.
More from Brian Aldiss
The day of the android has dawned.
Permalink to quote #1 Obeying an inalienable law, things grew, spreading riotous and strange in their instinct for growth.
Permalink to quote #3 One afternoon in early January, the weather showed a lack of character. There was no frost nor wind: the trees in the garden did not stir.
Permalink to quote #4
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