--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wilkie Collins was a rival and competitor…" description: "\"Wilkie Collins was a rival and competitor of Dickens. His novel Moonstone sold more copies at the time than Dickens' last two books. But that meant not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/dan-simmons-968_being-honest_wilkie-collins-was-a-rival-and-competito_3017475.jpg" --- # Wilkie Collins was a rival and competitor of Dickens. His… ![“Wilkie Collins was a rival and competitor of Dickens. His novel Moonstone sold more copies at the time than Dickens' last two books. But that meant nothing in the long run. Right now, to be honest, Wilkie Collins is what he deserved to be back then: a footnote, an almost lost memory. And he knew…” quote by Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/dan-simmons-968_being-honest_wilkie-collins-was-a-rival-and-competito_3017475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/dan-simmons-968_being-honest_wilkie-collins-was-a-rival-and-competito_3017475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/dan-simmons-968_being-honest_wilkie-collins-was-a-rival-and-competito_3017475.jpg) > “Wilkie Collins was a rival and competitor of Dickens. His novel Moonstone sold more copies at the time than Dickens' last two books. But that meant nothing in the long run. Right now, to be honest, Wilkie Collins is what he deserved to be back then: a footnote, an almost lost memory. And he knew he would become that.” [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wilkie Collins, once popular, has been largely forgotten, illustrating how literary fame can fade over time. **In simple terms:** Famous authors can become footnotes. Key Takeaway Recognize the fleeting nature of fame. Themes literature legacy celebrity history Mood contemplative nostalgic Type reflective observational When to use this quote - book clubs - literary criticism - publishing - education Key Concepts cultural memory canon formation Questions to Reflect On - Why do some writers endure while others fade? - What factors shape the literary canon? A Different Perspective The claim may ignore Collins' influence on mystery genre. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“When I get tired of new clunky writing, I resort to old fashioned story tellers, like Wilkie Collins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/when-i-get-tired-of-new-clunky-writing-i-resort-to-old-fashioned/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [“We fought, Wilkie Collins and I. 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