--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a problem,’ said Nikolai…" description: "\"“I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov, getting to his feet. ‘I have a problem, that I wish to share with this, our science fiction wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg" --- # I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov… ![“I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov, getting to his feet. ‘I have a problem, that I wish to share with this, our science fiction writers’ collective. We are to concoct a race of aliens against which humanity can unite. Spacefaring aliens, no?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘Then this is my…” quote by Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg) > ““I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov, getting to his feet. ‘I have a problem, that I wish to share with this, our science fiction writers’ collective. We are to concoct a race of aliens against which humanity can unite. Spacefaring aliens, no?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘Then this is my problem. We know the party line. The philosophy of the party has always been that capitalistic Western fantasies of launching rockets to other planets will always be doomed by the internal contradictions of the competitive inefficiency of capitalism itself. Only the combined and unified effort of a whole people would be able to achieve so monumental an achievement as interstellar flight. No capitalist race could ever achieve something as sophisticated as interstellar flight; only communists could do this. Now, how can it be that these evil aliens are able to build spaceships and fly across the void? Surely they are not communists?”” [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote satirizes the Cold War trope that only collectivist societies can achieve grand technological feats, exposing the absurdity of attributing alien advancement to political ideology. **In simple terms:** It mocks the idea that only communists could build spacefaring aliens. Key Takeaway Question political narratives behind sci‑fi tropes. Themes politics science fiction ideology satire technology Mood ironic critical thought‑provoking Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - writing sci‑fi - political analysis - education - debate - media criticism Key Concepts Cold War collectivism capitalism alien otherness Questions to Reflect On - How do political biases shape our sci‑fi world‑building? - Can cooperation exist across ideologies? A Different Perspective The satire may overlook genuine collaborative achievements in capitalist contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism Combined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-combined-1139635/) [Capitalist Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalist-race-1139634/) [Flight Communists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flight-communists-1139633/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Spacefaring Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spacefaring-aliens-1139632/) [Spaceships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaceships/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of science fiction is very accessible and very readable, but a lot of people are justifiably put off by the covers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/a-lot-of-science-fiction-is-very-accessible-and-very-readable-but-a/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I was always into science fiction and I always liked sci-fi. Aliens! Spaceships! And all that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/i-was-always-into-science-fiction-and-i-always-liked-sci-fi-aliens/) [Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/) > [“The progeny will be lost and adrift. Without the integrals reinforcing their focus and purpose, they will begin to question both.” “Sator, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-s-jennsen/the-progeny-will-be-lost-and-adrift-without-the-integrals-reinforcing/) [G.S. Jennsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-s-jennsen/) > [“Solum invoked a sensation akin to lingering déjà vu in the wake of a dream. It was not Earth. Its city-planet architectural stylings hid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-s-jennsen/solum-invoked-a-sensation-akin-to-lingering-d-j-vu-in-the-wake-of-a/) [G.S. Jennsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-s-jennsen/) > [On Spaceship Earth there are no passengers; everybody is a member of the crew. We have moved into an age in which everybody's activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/on-spaceship-earth-there-are-no-passengers-everybody-is-a-member-of/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [ When I'm the speaker, I know that special moment \[just before speaking\] is the only time I will have the entire audience's full attention.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/when-i-m-the-speaker-i-know-that-special-moment-just-before-speaking/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [Basically you can do anything in a film. I could have place a spaceship in the middle of a street. You can do anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kleber-mendonca-filho/basically-you-can-do-anything-in-a-film-i-could-have-place-a/) [Kleber Mendonca Filho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kleber-mendonca-filho/) > [Coping with the totality of Spaceship Earth and universe is ahead for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/coping-with-the-totality-of-spaceship-earth-and-universe-is-ahead-for/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Well, the coolest thing I have seen so far, in terms of, like, me being an astronaut and seeing something unusual, was the rendezvous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-a-ford/well-the-coolest-thing-i-have-seen-so-far-in-terms-of-like-me-being/) [Kevin A. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-a-ford/) > [“Do you think Area X builds spaceships, too? Do you think Area X traverses interstellar space? Wormholes? Think of something more subtle, something peering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/do-you-think-area-x-builds-spaceships-too-do-you-think-area-x/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [I was fortunate enough, after many visits to many wonderful, weird people to come across Burt Rutan, who is a genius in the Mojave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-was-fortunate-enough-after-many-visits-to-many-wonderful-weird/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [We are at the moment looking at space as something to be entered by the tremendous thrust of a rocket because that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/we-are-at-the-moment-looking-at-space-as-something-to-be-entered-by/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [You are sitting on this little planet, spaceship earth. The universe is very accessible to you. You don't need a spaceship to travel there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-are-sitting-on-this-little-planet-spaceship-earth-the-universe-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It's like when we get the transformer movies. It was all a bunch of smaller robot pieces and then you're on set, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-nicotero/it-s-like-when-we-get-the-transformer-movies-it-was-all-a-bunch-of/) [Gregory Nicotero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-nicotero/) > [“Imagine what I could have done in ten years. I could have learned to speak Japanese. I could have played every RPG video game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imagine-what-i-could-have-done-in-ten-years-i-could-have-learned-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Adam Roberts > [“and I said it is the nature of love to be infinite and in such an ocean any fear and jealousy is washed away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/and-i-said-it-is-the-nature-of-love-to-be-infinite-and-in-such-an/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“Let us say that science fiction is a kind of conceptual disorientation of the familiar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/let-us-say-that-science-fiction-is-a-kind-of-conceptual/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“Reality, in truth is … what is the word? Reality is ironic .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/reality-in-truth-is-what-is-the-word-reality-is-ironic/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“I never liked the news; it pretends to be all different, every day, when in fact it is all the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/i-never-liked-the-news-it-pretends-to-be-all-different-every-day-when/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“And after night comes day, or more night, depending on the particular time-frame you choose to apply to your perspective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/and-after-night-comes-day-or-more-night-depending-on-the-particular/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“A realist writer might break his protagonist's leg, or kill his fiancee; but a science fiction writer will immolate whole planets, and whilst doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/a-realist-writer-might-break-his-protagonist-s-leg-or-kill-his/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“The madness of faith is a very different thing from the madness of Enlightenment Reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/the-madness-of-faith-is-a-very-different-thing-from-the-madness-of/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“for fear is all the blind future harrying us and when the scales drop away the fear goes too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/for-fear-is-all-the-blind-future-harrying-us-and-when-the-scales-drop/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“ 'A fine story', said Asterinov … 'Six months in prison, that tale,' said Sergei. 'Was it the witch?', I asked 'I never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/a-fine-story-said-asterinov-six-months-in-prison-that-tale-said/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“Do you know where the past and the present intersect?" Jac asked him. "Where?" "In your mind, only. It's the only point. Otherwise, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/do-you-know-where-the-past-and-the-present-intersect-jac-asked-him/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“We used to think God made us in His image, and that meant we were special, until science told us we just evolved that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/we-used-to-think-god-made-us-in-his-image-and-that-meant-we-were/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) > [“Not where he eats, but where he is eaten’?” He laughed again. “Racine has his moments, sure, but you can’t beat Shakespeare for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/not-where-he-eats-but-where-he-is-eaten-he-laughed-again-racine-has/) [Adam Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) [Explore all 13 Adam Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/) ## More Science quotes > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) > [“Galton’s gospel of eugenics found fertile soil in Britain, in the intellectual salons of Europe, and in the United States. Beginning in the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-loconte/galton-s-gospel-of-eugenics-found-fertile-soil-in-britain-in-the/) [Joseph Loconte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-loconte/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) [Kenan Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-malik/) > [“Love. Such a sweet, simple word. A word I've been searching for my entire life - but especially since I met Eio - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/love-such-a-sweet-simple-word-a-word-i-ve-been-searching-for-my/) [Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/) > [The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/the-thing-about-science-fiction-is-that-it-s-totally-wide-open-but-it/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/a-vacuum-can-only-exist-i-imagine-by-the-things-which-enclose-it/) [Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) [Browse all 27,477 Science quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov, getting to his feet. ‘I have a problem, that I wish to share with this, our science fiction writers’ collective. We are to concoct a race of aliens against which humanity can unite. Spacefaring aliens, no?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘Then this is my problem. We know the party line. The philosophy of the party has always been that capitalistic Western fantasies of launching rockets to other planets will always be doomed by the internal contradictions of the competitive inefficiency of capitalism itself. Only the combined and unified effort of a whole people would be able to achieve so monumental an achievement as interstellar flight. No capitalist race could ever achieve something as sophisticated as interstellar flight; only communists could do this. Now, how can it be that these evil aliens are able to build spaceships and fly across the void? Surely they are not communists?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Roberts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivitch-asterinov-getting-to-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Science" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivitch-asterinov-getting-to-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/adam-roberts-35099_science_i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivit_890104.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a problem,’ said Nikolai Nikolaivitch Asterinov, getting to his feet. ‘I have a problem, that I wish…” — Adam Roberts", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Roberts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-roberts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I have a problem,’ said Nikolai...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivitch-asterinov-getting-to-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-roberts/i-have-a-problem-said-nikolai-nikolaivitch-asterinov-getting-to-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```