--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let it be understood, in the first place…" description: "\"Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science fiction story must be an exposition of a scientific theme and it must be also a story.\" — Hugo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg" --- # Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science… ![“Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science fiction story must be an exposition of a scientific theme and it must be also a story.” quote by Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg) > “Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science fiction story must be an exposition of a scientific theme and it must be also a story.” [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that science fiction must both explore scientific ideas and tell an engaging story. **In simple terms:** Science fiction blends science and narrative. Key Takeaway Integrate scientific concepts into storytelling. Themes science fiction storytelling Mood educational inspirational Type genre explanatory When to use this quote - education - entertainment - creative writing Key Concepts science communication literary theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance science and narrative? - What scientific theme excites you? A Different Perspective Risk of prioritizing idea over plot. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Also](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/also/) [Exposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposition/) [Exposition Scientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposition-scientific-4521653/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Must](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/) [Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Scientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific/) [Scientific Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-theme-4521654/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Exposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-exposition-1948988/) [Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) ## Related quotes > [There are three necessary elements in a story - exposition, development, and drama. Exposition we may illustrate as "John Fortescue was a solicitor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-connor/there-are-three-necessary-elements-in-a-story-exposition-development/) [Frank O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-connor/) > [By 'scientifiction' I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe type of story-a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/by-scientifiction-i-mean-the-jules-verne-h-g-wells-and-edgar-allan/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) > [“Everything bad in the Old Testament (and there's a lot) is there to point out our sin, while everything good in the Old Testament…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/everything-bad-in-the-old-testament-and-there-s-a-lot-is-there-to/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Crafty writers...don't allow Exposition to form Lumps. They break up the information, grind it fine, and make it into bricks to build the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/crafty-writers-don-t-allow-exposition-to-form-lumps-they-break-up-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“(D)ialogue is generally the worst choice for exposition. 'When you're writing lines...you need to focus on the way people actually talk. And when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jincy-willett/d-ialogue-is-generally-the-worst-choice-for-exposition-when-you-re/) [Jincy Willett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jincy-willett/) > [“The first morning I really sat and watched him it was a Tuesday. I know that because Tuesday is trash day for our neighborhood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-r-smith/the-first-morning-i-really-sat-and-watched-him-it-was-a-tuesday-i/) [Benjamin R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-r-smith/) > [“No language about God will ever be fully adequate to the burning mystery which it signifies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-johnston/no-language-about-god-will-ever-be-fully-adequate-to-the-burning/) [Elizabeth Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-johnston/) > [Exposition suggests a great trust in the reader, and this expression of trust makes a book feel tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhil-sharma/exposition-suggests-a-great-trust-in-the-reader-and-this-expression/) [Akhil Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhil-sharma/) > [Mathematicians themselves set up standards of generality and elegance in their exposition which are a bar to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/mathematicians-themselves-set-up-standards-of-generality-and-elegance/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [The method of exposition which philosophers have adopted leads many to suppose that they are simply inquiries, that they have no interest in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-raphael-cohen/the-method-of-exposition-which-philosophers-have-adopted-leads-many/) [Morris Raphael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-raphael-cohen/) > [Many writers struggle with exposition in their novels. Often they heap it on in large chunks of straight narrative. Back story – what happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-scott-bell/many-writers-struggle-with-exposition-in-their-novels-often-they-heap/) [James Scott Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-scott-bell/) > [“Only 8000 different words appear in the Hebrew Bible, compared to the 20,000 or more that the average adult needs to know in most languages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lane-greene/only-8000-different-words-appear-in-the-hebrew-bible-compared-to-the/) [Robert Lane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lane-greene/) > [“Exposition, after all, is telling and drama is showing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yorke/exposition-after-all-is-telling-and-drama-is-showing/) [John Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yorke/) > [I'm an enemy of exposition. I feel there's no need to overstate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-mount/i-m-an-enemy-of-exposition-i-feel-there-s-no-need-to-overstate/) [Anson Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-mount/) > [“My sermon on the meaning of the manna in the wilderness can be adapted to almost any occasion, joyful, or, as in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/my-sermon-on-the-meaning-of-the-manna-in-the-wilderness-can-be/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Hugo Gernsback > [I started the movement of SF in America in 1908 through my first magazine, 'MODERN ELECTRICS.' At that time it was an experiment. Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/i-started-the-movement-of-sf-in-america-in-1908-through-my-first/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) > [Science-fiction ... can be defined as: Imaginative extrapolation of true natural phenomena, existing now, or likely to exist in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/science-fiction-can-be-defined-as-imaginative-extrapolation-of-true/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) > [What description of clouds and sunsets was to the old novelist, description of scientific apparatus and methods is to the modern Scientific Detective writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/what-description-of-clouds-and-sunsets-was-to-the-old-novelist/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) > [By 'scientifiction' I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe type of story-a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/by-scientifiction-i-mean-the-jules-verne-h-g-wells-and-edgar-allan/) [Hugo Gernsback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) [Explore all 5 Hugo Gernsback quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/) ## More Also quotes > [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/) [Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/) > [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/) [Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/) > [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) [Browse all 3,822 Also quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/also/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science fiction story must be an exposition of a scientific theme and it must be also a story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hugo Gernsback" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place-that-a-science-fiction-story/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Also" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place-that-a-science-fiction-story/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/hugo-gernsback-60732_also_let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place_1339610.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let it be understood, in the first place, that a science fiction story must be an exposition of a scientific…” — Hugo Gernsback", "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": "Hugo Gernsback", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-gernsback/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let it be understood, in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place-that-a-science-fiction-story/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-gernsback/let-it-be-understood-in-the-first-place-that-a-science-fiction-story/#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 } } ] } ```