--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's a story I absolutely cannot…" description: "\"If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to accept it - even though I don't personally be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg" --- # If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without… ![“If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to accept it - even though I don't personally believe it is possible.” quote by Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg) > “If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to accept it - even though I don't personally believe it is possible.” [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author accepts a story requiring faster‑than‑light travel despite personal disbelief, prioritizing narrative needs. **In simple terms:** Story may need impossible tech. Key Takeaway Prioritize story over personal belief. Themes fiction science imagination Mood creative analytical Type literary speculative When to use this quote - science fiction writing - creative brainstorming - genre expectations Key Concepts world‑building narrative logic Questions to Reflect On - When is speculative tech justified? - How does disbelief affect storytelling? A Different Perspective Relying on speculative tech can strain plausibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [This is the amazing thing about you. 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It's quite dramatic and the kind of story I absolutely wouldn't draw if it were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/i-really-like-the-story-of-bardock-goku-s-father-it-s-quite-dramatic/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [I had never doubted my own abilities, but I was quite prepared to believe that "the world" would decline to recognize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-wilson/i-had-never-doubted-my-own-abilities-but-i-was-quite-prepared-to/) [Colin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-wilson/) > [ I am quite prepared to die here \[in NY\]. It doesn't matter at all. I don't know better places, or perhaps if I do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/i-am-quite-prepared-to-die-here-in-ny-it-doesn-t-matter-at-all-i-don/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [You're never quite prepared for the inundation of stardom, or whatever you want to call it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/you-re-never-quite-prepared-for-the-inundation-of-stardom-or-whatever/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [“I was very pink and young and English; and quite prepared for a Continent complete with poisonous drains, roast frogs, bedbugs and vice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/i-was-very-pink-and-young-and-english-and-quite-prepared-for-a/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [I am quite prepared, if we can do it without any disrespect to the Crown of England, to bring our titles to the marketplace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-laurier/i-am-quite-prepared-if-we-can-do-it-without-any-disrespect-to-the/) [Wilfrid Laurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-laurier/) > [“Not so. 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Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-foner/) > [It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one’s hat keeps blowing off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/it-is-impossible-to-travel-faster-than-light-and-certainly-not/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [So we have progressed to the point where we can move politicians around faster than light. I'm not sure I see the advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/so-we-have-progressed-to-the-point-where-we-can-move-politicians/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I look forward to the invention of faster-than-light travel. What I'm not looking forward to is the long wait in the dark once I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-beland/i-look-forward-to-the-invention-of-faster-than-light-travel-what-i-m/) Marc Beland > [“Love Travels Faster Than Light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manjot-randhawa/love-travels-faster-than-light/) Manjot Randhawa > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## More by Alastair Reynolds > [“We have made some collective mistakes as a species, it’s true – invested too much power in things we can’t see, let alone control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/we-have-made-some-collective-mistakes-as-a-species-it-s-true-invested/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“So much for the tolerant acceptance of the other. We’re forging out into deep space – who knows what we’ll meet out there? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/so-much-for-the-tolerant-acceptance-of-the-other-we-re-forging-out/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“Believe me, when you're dealing with infectious alien mind parasites, I always find primitive is best." Then, calmly, almost as if it were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/believe-me-when-you-re-dealing-with-infectious-alien-mind-parasites-i/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“There's a vorg loose," Meroka explained. "In case that escaped your attention. Ricasso's doing his bit for Swarm, trying to kill the thing before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/there-s-a-vorg-loose-meroka-explained-in-case-that-escaped-your/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“The two men -- Fray and Malkin -- were standing near each other. They were not unarmed. They were quite seriously not unarmed. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/the-two-men-fray-and-malkin-were-standing-near-each-other-they-were/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I couldn't think of anything more pointless than reading a piece of fiction written by a robot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-couldn-t-think-of-anything-more-pointless-than-reading-a-piece-of/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [When I'm working on one book, part of my imagination is thinking ahead to the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/when-i-m-working-on-one-book-part-of-my-imagination-is-thinking-ahead/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [There is enough material in the Kuiper Belt to build anything out there. 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They say one thing, do another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/autocratic-governments-are-masters-of-self-contradiction-they-say-one/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Speaking for myself, I really struggle to pinpoint whether I became a scientist because I like science fiction, or did I gravitate to science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/speaking-for-myself-i-really-struggle-to-pinpoint-whether-i-became-a/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“It’s not the span of time that counts, but what you do with it. While you humans have been grubbing around the galaxy, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/it-s-not-the-span-of-time-that-counts-but-what-you-do-with-it-while/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [Dreams of warp drives and hyperspace are just that - dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/dreams-of-warp-drives-and-hyperspace-are-just-that-dreams/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [I had - and continued to have - great fun exploring the Revelation Space universe, but it was always clear to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-had-and-continued-to-have-great-fun-exploring-the-revelation-space/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) [Explore all 176 Alastair Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to accept it - even though I don't personally believe it is possible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alastair Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-tell-without-faster-than-light/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-tell-without-faster-than-light/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/alastair-reynolds-2186_believe_if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-t_2513976.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to…” — Alastair Reynolds", "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": "Alastair Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there's a story I absolutely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-tell-without-faster-than-light/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-tell-without-faster-than-light/#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 } } ] } ```