--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you don't care about science enough to…" description: "\"If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction. You can write like Ray Bradb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/frederik-pohl-12573_bradbury_if-you-don-t-care-about-science-enough-t_1393652.jpg" --- # If you don't care about science enough to be interested in… ![“If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction. You can write like Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison as much as you want.” quote by Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/frederik-pohl-12573_bradbury_if-you-don-t-care-about-science-enough-t_1393652.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/frederik-pohl-12573_bradbury_if-you-don-t-care-about-science-enough-t_1393652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/frederik-pohl-12573_bradbury_if-you-don-t-care-about-science-enough-t_1393652.jpg) > “If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction. You can write like Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison as much as you want.” [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard sci‑fi should be grounded in genuine scientific interest. **In simple terms:** Science must inspire. Key Takeaway Write with authentic curiosity. Themes writing science genre Mood thoughtful inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - author workshops - research - science communication Key Concepts literature philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Do you enjoy science for its own sake? - How can you balance accuracy and story? A Different Perspective Hard sci‑fi can alienate casual readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“You’ve got to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-adams/you-ve-got-to-jump-off-cliffs-and-build-your-wings-on-the-way-down/) [Ellery Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-adams/) > [I don't go around thinking I'm Ray Bradbury all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-don-t-go-around-thinking-i-m-ray-bradbury-all-the-time/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The things you are looking for, Montag, are in the world but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine per cent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-things-you-are-looking-for-montag-are-in-the-world-but-the-only/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Ray Bradbury’s entire oeuvre exemplifies the crumbling of SCIENCE FICTION into the open interplay of science fiction, fantasy and horror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-duncan/ray-bradbury-s-entire-oeuvre-exemplifies-the-crumbling-of-science/) [Hal Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-duncan/) > [When I was growing up, other girls had New Kids on the Block and shit on their walls, and I had Ray Bradbury. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/when-i-was-growing-up-other-girls-had-new-kids-on-the-block-and-shit/) [Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/) > [Ray Bradbury is, for many reasons, the most influential writer in my life. Throughout our long friendship, Ray supplied not only his terrific stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/ray-bradbury-is-for-many-reasons-the-most-influential-writer-in-my/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [I've had the chance to work with Christopher Plummer, one of the great stage and film actors, a couple of times, including on 'Prototype,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-ve-had-the-chance-to-work-with-christopher-plummer-one-of-the-great/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [“Because of what I loved at 7, I still get jobs in my 60's. Guess who got the job? Crazy Ray. Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-rabinowitz/because-of-what-i-loved-at-7-i-still-get-jobs-in-my-60-s-guess-who/) Sherri Rabinowitz > [“This morning, Ray Bradbury is dead and there is only soy milk at my coffee shop. I do not know which to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mundt/this-morning-ray-bradbury-is-dead-and-there-is-only-soy-milk-at-my/) Lewis Mundt > [As far as fiction goes, as far as everything from Dr. Seuss to Oscar Wilde to Bret Easton Ellis. Ray Bradbury. There's just tons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/as-far-as-fiction-goes-as-far-as-everything-from-dr-seuss-to-oscar/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [I was warped early by Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe. I was very fond of Franz Kafka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-was-warped-early-by-ray-bradbury-and-edgar-allan-poe-i-was-very/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury raised cautions against mass media, especially the television, which dumb down human sensibilities and coerce everybody's thoughts into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/in-fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury-raised-cautions-against-mass-media/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [Ray Bradbury is one who is contributing to the understanding of the imagination and the curiosity of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/ray-bradbury-is-one-who-is-contributing-to-the-understanding-of-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Ray Bradbury was not ahead of his time. He was perfectly of his time, and more than that: he created his time and left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/ray-bradbury-was-not-ahead-of-his-time-he-was-perfectly-of-his-time/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Most people know that Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/most-people-know-that-ray-bradbury-is-one-of-my-favorite-authors/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## More by Frederik Pohl > [“There are people who never pass a certain point in their emotional development. They cannot live a normal free-and-easy, give-and-take life with a sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/there-are-people-who-never-pass-a-certain-point-in-their-emotional/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“Only you have to keep practicing and remembering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/only-you-have-to-keep-practicing-and-remembering/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“Anyway, that's what life is, just one learning experience after another, and when you're through with all the learning experiences you graduate and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/anyway-that-s-what-life-is-just-one-learning-experience-after-another/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [A lot of the cosmologists and astrophysicists clearly had been reading science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/a-lot-of-the-cosmologists-and-astrophysicists-clearly-had-been/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [Advertising reaches out to touch the fantasy part of people's lives. And you know, most people's fantasies are pretty sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/advertising-reaches-out-to-touch-the-fantasy-part-of-people-s-lives/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [A large fraction of the most interesting scientists have read a lot of SF at one time or another, either early enough that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/a-large-fraction-of-the-most-interesting-scientists-have-read-a-lot/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“If a picture on the wall can remember, you remember that this is not the first time. If a picture on the wall can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/if-a-picture-on-the-wall-can-remember-you-remember-that-this-is-not/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [It's clear that science and science fiction have overlapping populations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/it-s-clear-that-science-and-science-fiction-have-overlapping/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“Wealth ... or death. Those were the choices Gateway offered. Humans had discovered this artificial spaceport, full of working interstellar ships left behind by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/wealth-or-death-those-were-the-choices-gateway-offered-humans-had/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [When I sit down to the feast of life ... I'm so busy planning on how to pick up the check, and wondering what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/when-i-sit-down-to-the-feast-of-life-i-m-so-busy-planning-on-how-to/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [For someone to be taken seriously it was valuable to have the appearance of someone who deserved to be taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/for-someone-to-be-taken-seriously-it-was-valuable-to-have-the/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“You asked me, 'Do you call this living?" And I answer: Yes, it is exactly what I call living. And in my best hypothetical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/you-asked-me-do-you-call-this-living-and-i-answer-yes-it-is-exactly/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [The science fiction method is dissection and reconstruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/the-science-fiction-method-is-dissection-and-reconstruction/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [On this day I want to tell you about, which will be about a thousand years from now, there were a boy, a girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/on-this-day-i-want-to-tell-you-about-which-will-be-about-a-thousand/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [“There are times when I sit at the center of the world, and when I know that I can reach out to any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/there-are-times-when-i-sit-at-the-center-of-the-world-and-when-i-know/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) [Explore all 51 Frederik Pohl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) ## More Bradbury quotes > [“You’ve got to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-adams/you-ve-got-to-jump-off-cliffs-and-build-your-wings-on-the-way-down/) [Ellery Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-adams/) > [Ray Bradbury was not ahead of his time. He was perfectly of his time, and more than that: he created his time and left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/ray-bradbury-was-not-ahead-of-his-time-he-was-perfectly-of-his-time/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Ray Bradbury is one who is contributing to the understanding of the imagination and the curiosity of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/ray-bradbury-is-one-who-is-contributing-to-the-understanding-of-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury raised cautions against mass media, especially the television, which dumb down human sensibilities and coerce everybody's thoughts into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/in-fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury-raised-cautions-against-mass-media/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [What Bradbury had that most other science-fiction writers didn't have at that time was a love for beautiful language, evocative description, and haunting phrases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/what-bradbury-had-that-most-other-science-fiction-writers-didn-t-have/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I was warped early by Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe. I was very fond of Franz Kafka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-was-warped-early-by-ray-bradbury-and-edgar-allan-poe-i-was-very/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [As far as fiction goes, as far as everything from Dr. Seuss to Oscar Wilde to Bret Easton Ellis. Ray Bradbury. There's just tons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/as-far-as-fiction-goes-as-far-as-everything-from-dr-seuss-to-oscar/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [“Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/throughout-his-life-bradbury-liked-to-recount-the-story-of-meeting-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“They felt the wings on their fingers and elbows flying, then, suddenly plunged in new sweeps of air, the clear autumn river flung them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/they-felt-the-wings-on-their-fingers-and-elbows-flying-then-suddenly/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“This morning, Ray Bradbury is dead and there is only soy milk at my coffee shop. I do not know which to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mundt/this-morning-ray-bradbury-is-dead-and-there-is-only-soy-milk-at-my/) Lewis Mundt > [“Because of what I loved at 7, I still get jobs in my 60's. Guess who got the job? Crazy Ray. Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-rabinowitz/because-of-what-i-loved-at-7-i-still-get-jobs-in-my-60-s-guess-who/) Sherri Rabinowitz > [I've had the chance to work with Christopher Plummer, one of the great stage and film actors, a couple of times, including on 'Prototype,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-ve-had-the-chance-to-work-with-christopher-plummer-one-of-the-great/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [Ray Bradbury is, for many reasons, the most influential writer in my life. Throughout our long friendship, Ray supplied not only his terrific stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/ray-bradbury-is-for-many-reasons-the-most-influential-writer-in-my/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [When I was growing up, other girls had New Kids on the Block and shit on their walls, and I had Ray Bradbury. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/when-i-was-growing-up-other-girls-had-new-kids-on-the-block-and-shit/) [Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/) > [Well, Bradbury's a genius. Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books of all time, and The Illustrated Man as a collection of short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-snyder/well-bradbury-s-a-genius-fahrenheit-451-is-one-of-my-favorite-books/) [Zack Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-snyder/) Browse all 58 Bradbury quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction. 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