--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People as me how I do research for my…" description: "\"People as me how I do research for my science fiction. The answer is, I never do any research.\" — Frederik Pohl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/frederik-pohl-12573_answers_people-as-me-how-i-do-research-for-my-sc_869328.jpg" --- # People as me how I do research for my science fiction. The… ![“People as me how I do research for my science fiction. The answer is, I never do any research.” quote by Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/frederik-pohl-12573_answers_people-as-me-how-i-do-research-for-my-sc_869328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/frederik-pohl-12573_answers_people-as-me-how-i-do-research-for-my-sc_869328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/frederik-pohl-12573_answers_people-as-me-how-i-do-research-for-my-sc_869328.jpg) > “People as me how I do research for my science fiction. The answer is, I never do any research.” [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. He claims he writes sci‑fi without research, relying on imagination and intuition. **In simple terms:** He writes sci‑fi using imagination, not research. Key Takeaway Trust creative instincts when exploring new ideas. Themes creativity imagination science fiction writing process Mood witty provocative Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - novel drafting - short story creation - genre experimentation - idea generation - creative brainstorming Key Concepts knowledge synthesis world‑building authorial intuition Questions to Reflect On - When is research essential for credibility? - How does imagination compensate for missing facts? A Different Perspective Lack of research may lead to factual inaccuracies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-research-934823/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-answer-934825/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-research-934822/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-science-934824/) [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 > [People ask me how I do research for my science fiction. The answer is, I never do any research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/people-ask-me-how-i-do-research-for-my-science-fiction-the-answer-is/) [Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/) > [All good research-whether for science or for a book-is a form of obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/all-good-research-whether-for-science-or-for-a-book-is-a-form-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [All that non-fiction can do is answer questions. It's fiction's business to ask them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hughes/all-that-non-fiction-can-do-is-answer-questions-it-s-fiction-s/) [Richard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hughes/) > [I'm a professor. I know that people in research labs can do miraculous things if they're given the resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/i-m-a-professor-i-know-that-people-in-research-labs-can-do-miraculous/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [I don't think there are many people up in research who have strong ideas about things that they haven't really had experience with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/i-don-t-think-there-are-many-people-up-in-research-who-have-strong/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [I know that people in research labs can do miraculous things if they're given the resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/i-know-that-people-in-research-labs-can-do-miraculous-things-if-they/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [There's an imperative to make sure you distinguish fiction from the fact, because if the fact is doing the work, why did you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-d-aguiar/there-s-an-imperative-to-make-sure-you-distinguish-fiction-from-the/) [Fred D'Aguiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-d-aguiar/) > [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/) > [I cannot say how strongly I object to people using other people's writing as research. Research is non-fiction, especially for horror, fantasy, science fiction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-cannot-say-how-strongly-i-object-to-people-using-other-people-s/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“The ultimate aim of reality is to become science fiction!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-of-kittim/the-ultimate-aim-of-reality-is-to-become-science-fiction/) [Eli Of Kittim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-of-kittim/) > [“I’m not sure sex qualifies as R and R, but it’s a compromise I can live with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-morgen/i-m-not-sure-sex-qualifies-as-r-and-r-but-it-s-a-compromise-i-can/) [Shelby Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-morgen/) > [“But eggshells were made to be broken, and slamming into a 100-story skyscraper at the speed of light would likely do the deed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-a-miller/but-eggshells-were-made-to-be-broken-and-slamming-into-a-100-story/) [Maureen A. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-a-miller/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [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/) ## 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 Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [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/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) [Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People as me how I do research for my science fiction. 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