--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If God is an author and the universe is…" description: "\"If God is an author and the universe is the biggest novel ever written, I may feel as if I'm the lead character in the story, but like every man and wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6b/dean-koontz-118_billions_if-god-is-an-author-and-the-universe-is_1920311.jpg" --- # If God is an author and the universe is the biggest novel… ![“If God is an author and the universe is the biggest novel ever written, I may feel as if I'm the lead character in the story, but like every man and woman on Earth, I am a suporting player in one of billions of subplots. You know what happens to supporting players. Too often they are killed off in…” quote by Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6b/dean-koontz-118_billions_if-god-is-an-author-and-the-universe-is_1920311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6b/dean-koontz-118_billions_if-god-is-an-author-and-the-universe-is_1920311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6b/dean-koontz-118_billions_if-god-is-an-author-and-the-universe-is_1920311.jpg) > “If God is an author and the universe is the biggest novel ever written, I may feel as if I'm the lead character in the story, but like every man and woman on Earth, I am a suporting player in one of billions of subplots. You know what happens to supporting players. Too often they are killed off in chapter 3, or in chapter 10, or in chapter 35. A supporting player always has to be looking over his shoulder.” [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## 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 likens life to a massive novel where most people are supporting characters, constantly aware of their precarious roles and limited agency. **In simple terms:** Life is a huge story where most are side characters watching their fate. Key Takeaway Recognize your role, but act with purpose despite uncertainty. Themes existentialism fate identity vulnerability Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - creative projects - risk assessment Key Concepts narrative metaphor self-awareness mortality Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing yourself as a supporting character affect your choices? - Can you find agency within a perceived limited role? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex lives into a deterministic script, ignoring agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Man and woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-woman/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Subplots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subplots/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [ God \[is\] the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyle/god-is-the-author-of-the-universe-and-the-free-establisher-of-the/) [Robert Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boyle/) > [I think, in the grand epic, Jesus is the hero of our stories. And our stories, as they were, are subplots in a grand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-in-the-grand-epic-jesus-is-the-hero-of-our-stories-and-our/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I lost the plot for a while then. And I lost the subplot, the script, the soundtrack, the intermission, my popcorn, the credits, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-lost-the-plot-for-a-while-then-and-i-lost-the-subplot-the-script/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [The DNA of the novel - which, if I begin to write nonfiction, I will write about this - is that: the title of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-zuravleff/the-dna-of-the-novel-which-if-i-begin-to-write-nonfiction-i-will/) [Mary Kay Zuravleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-zuravleff/) > [People don't come to Marvel movies for personal life subplots, no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-mackie/people-don-t-come-to-marvel-movies-for-personal-life-subplots-no/) [Anthony Mackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-mackie/) > [The romance is the primary plot in a story that has two plots. The second plot is not a subplot, but one that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-hunter/the-romance-is-the-primary-plot-in-a-story-that-has-two-plots-the/) [Madeline Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-hunter/) > [Characters are story. And any great plot or subplot is driven by the characters' wants and desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gregory-browne/characters-are-story-and-any-great-plot-or-subplot-is-driven-by-the/) Robert Gregory Browne > [Most short stories have but one plot. The very best, however, have what I call a plot-and-a-half – that is, a main plot and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-sims/most-short-stories-have-but-one-plot-the-very-best-however-have-what/) [Elizabeth Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-sims/) > [Life doesn't have plots and subplots and denouements. It's just a big collection of loose ends and dangling threads that never get explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/life-doesn-t-have-plots-and-subplots-and-denouements-it-s-just-a-big/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Subplots bring realism to your main plot simply by existing – by interrupting the flow. Why is this? Because life doesn’t move forward all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-sims/subplots-bring-realism-to-your-main-plot-simply-by-existing-by/) [Elizabeth Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-sims/) > [One intriguing subplot of the economic crisis is the failure of most economists to predict it. Here we have the most spectacular economic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-samuelson/one-intriguing-subplot-of-the-economic-crisis-is-the-failure-of-most/) [Robert J. Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-samuelson/) > [In suspense novels even subplots about relationships have to have conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/in-suspense-novels-even-subplots-about-relationships-have-to-have/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [It is scary for an actor when you get hired as a lead. No matter what the plot is, it is your job to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-selleck/it-is-scary-for-an-actor-when-you-get-hired-as-a-lead-no-matter-what/) [Tom Selleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-selleck/) > [“So if your Story doesn’t change your lead character irrevocably from beginning to end, no one will deeply care about it. It may entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-coyne/so-if-your-story-doesn-t-change-your-lead-character-irrevocably-from/) [Shawn Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-coyne/) > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) ## More by Dean Koontz > [“This kind of derangement is emblematic of humankind. Grave faults are said to be only eccentricities, and imperfections are routinely celebrated as mere differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/this-kind-of-derangement-is-emblematic-of-humankind-grave-faults-are/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“He often remembered his dad's admonition that envy was mental theft. If you coveted another man's possessions, Dad said, then you should be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-often-remembered-his-dad-s-admonition-that-envy-was-mental-theft/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [What really holds their marriage together are mutual respect of an awesome depth, a shared sense of humor, faith that they were brought together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/what-really-holds-their-marriage-together-are-mutual-respect-of-an/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Her mother said that three great powers kept the universe going. The first and the strongest was God. 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You wreck a kid's life, I have no pity for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/some-will-accuse-me-of-being-judgmental-thank-you-and-proud-of-it-you/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Waiting is one of the things that humans beings cannot do well, though it is one of the essential things we must do successfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/waiting-is-one-of-the-things-that-humans-beings-cannot-do-well-though/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Dogs know we need to give affection as much as they need to receive it. They were the first therapists; they've been in practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/dogs-know-we-need-to-give-affection-as-much-as-they-need-to-receive/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Explore all 1,233 Dean Koontz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. 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Everyone thinks they more or less have a handle on things, that they, as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/everyone-thinks-they-ve-won-the-magical-belief-lottery-everyone/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. 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