--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once it gets off the ground into space…" description: "\"“Once it gets off the ground into space, all science fiction is fantasy.”\" — J.G. Ballard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/j-g-ballard-2-7317_fantasy_once-it-gets-off-the-ground-into-space-a_2254217.png" --- # Once it gets off the ground into space, all science… ![“Once it gets off the ground into space, all science fiction is fantasy.” quote by J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/j-g-ballard-2-7317_fantasy_once-it-gets-off-the-ground-into-space-a_2254217.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/j-g-ballard-2-7317_fantasy_once-it-gets-off-the-ground-into-space-a_2254217.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/j-g-ballard-2-7317_fantasy_once-it-gets-off-the-ground-into-space-a_2254217.png) > ““Once it gets off the ground into space, all science fiction is fantasy.”” [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Space travel removes the speculative distance, turning sci‑fi into realistic possibility. **In simple terms:** Space makes sci‑fi feel real. Key Takeaway Recognize how technology reshapes genre. Themes science technology genre future reality Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - film - literature - public speaking - future planning Key Concepts speculation fiction realism Questions to Reflect On - How does technology change storytelling? - What remains speculative? A Different Perspective Even in space, imagination still matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-science/) ## Related quotes > [“Science fiction and fantasy, though they seem to be about the future or fictional worlds, are always at their core really about the problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-joseph-adams/science-fiction-and-fantasy-though-they-seem-to-be-about-the-future/) [John Joseph Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-joseph-adams/) > [I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my life. I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [Of the two, I would think of my work as closer to Science Fiction than Fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-auel/of-the-two-i-would-think-of-my-work-as-closer-to-science-fiction-than/) [Jean M. Auel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-auel/) > [In my early teens, science fiction and fantasy had an almost-total hold over my imagination. Their outcast status was part of their appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/in-my-early-teens-science-fiction-and-fantasy-had-an-almost-total/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [The difference between science fiction and fantasy … is simply this: science fiction has rivets and fantasy has trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-difference-between-science-fiction-and-fantasy-is-simply-this/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Fiction is lies; we're writing about people who never existed and events that never happened when we write fiction, whether its science fiction or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/fiction-is-lies-we-re-writing-about-people-who-never-existed-and/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [Part of the particular interest and beauty of science fiction and fantasy: writer and reader collaborate in world-making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/part-of-the-particular-interest-and-beauty-of-science-fiction-and/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/) [Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/) > [ “\[...\]i’m not a leftist trying to smuggle in my evil message by the nefarious means of fantasy novels. I’m a science fiction and fantasy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/i-m-not-a-leftist-trying-to-smuggle-in-my-evil-message-by-the/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Im a massive science fiction and fantasy geek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/im-a-massive-science-fiction-and-fantasy-geek/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [I've always loved science fiction, fantasy, manga, comic books; so I guess, to some degree, those things influence my personal idea of what looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/i-ve-always-loved-science-fiction-fantasy-manga-comic-books-so-i/) [Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Oh, I'm nerdy about science fiction and fantasy and graphic novels and reading, and I'm nerdy about board games. My favorite board game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-campbell/oh-i-m-nerdy-about-science-fiction-and-fantasy-and-graphic-novels-and/) [Billy Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-campbell/) > [Science fiction is a weird category, because it's the only area of fiction I can think of where the story is not of primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/science-fiction-is-a-weird-category-because-it-s-the-only-area-of/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More by J.G. Ballard > [“Beyond the silver span of the motor bridge lay basins of cracked mud the size of ballrooms - models of a state of mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/beyond-the-silver-span-of-the-motor-bridge-lay-basins-of-cracked-mud/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“First she would try to kill him, but failing this give him food and her body, breast-feed him back to a state of childishness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/first-she-would-try-to-kill-him-but-failing-this-give-him-food-and/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“I love the smell of male urine and the reek of his groin on my bath towels after he’d had a shower”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/i-love-the-smell-of-male-urine-and-the-reek-of-his-groin-on-my-bath/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“Overhead the sky was dull and cloudless, a bland impassive blue, more the interior ceiling of some deep irrevocable psychosis than the storm-filled celestial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/overhead-the-sky-was-dull-and-cloudless-a-bland-impassive-blue-more/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“Recently she had become intrigued by the admiring glances of other women. The admiration of her own sex existed on a higher and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/recently-she-had-become-intrigued-by-the-admiring-glances-of-other/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“The bourgeois novel is the greatest enemy of truth and honesty that was ever invented.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/the-bourgeois-novel-is-the-greatest-enemy-of-truth-and-honesty-that/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“Remember, the police are neutral - they hate everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/remember-the-police-are-neutral-they-hate-everybody/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“Jim knew that he was awake and asleep at the same time, dreaming of the war and yet dreamed of by the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/jim-knew-that-he-was-awake-and-asleep-at-the-same-time-dreaming-of/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“I am looking into a silent world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/i-am-looking-into-a-silent-world/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“(Logically–for what had a more gloomy prognosis than life?–every morning one should say to one's friends: 'I grieve for your irrevocable death,' as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/logically-for-what-had-a-more-gloomy-prognosis-than-life-every/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“These people were the first to master a new kind of late twentieth-century life. They thrived on the rapid turnover of acquaintances, the lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/these-people-were-the-first-to-master-a-new-kind-of-late-twentieth/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“His unconscious was rapidly becoming a well-stocked pantheon of tutelary phobias and obsessions, homing onto his already over-burdened psyche like lost telepaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/his-unconscious-was-rapidly-becoming-a-well-stocked-pantheon-of/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“The long triangular grooves on the car had been formed within the death of an unknown creature, its vanished identity abstracted in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/the-long-triangular-grooves-on-the-car-had-been-formed-within-the/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/later-as-he-sat-on-his-balcony-eating-the-dog-dr-robert-laing/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) > [“One rule in life", he murmured to himself. "If you can smell garlic, everything is alright.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard-2/one-rule-in-life-he-murmured-to-himself-if-you-can-smell-garlic/) [J.G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) [Explore all 91 J.G. Ballard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard-2/) ## More Fantasy quotes > [“I am awake. I know what you took. I am coming for you. Vengeance is mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-burks/i-am-awake-i-know-what-you-took-i-am-coming-for-you-vengeance-is-mine/) [Robin Burks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-burks/) > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/) [Lauren Schmidt Hissrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [“(Evil people) do not believe in forgiveness. Their transgressions are either punished or not punished. That is the only result that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mchugh/evil-people-do-not-believe-in-forgiveness-their-transgressions-are/) [Daniel McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mchugh/) > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Perhaps Nesta will take up the blood-drinking habit, too. I certainly believe her threat to rip out my throat. Maybe she'll enjoy the taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/perhaps-nesta-will-take-up-the-blood-drinking-habit-too-i-certainly/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [I like to play people that are real, a real person, and then something that's interesting with that person. I think it's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-bostick/i-like-to-play-people-that-are-real-a-real-person-and-then-something/) [Devon Bostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-bostick/) > [It's a hindrance in trying to get a serious acting role. The minute a producer has a script and my name comes up, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/it-s-a-hindrance-in-trying-to-get-a-serious-acting-role-the-minute-a/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [No one will ever write a fantasy novel better than The Hobbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-will-ever-write-a-fantasy-novel-better-than-the-hobbit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always loved sci-fi and fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-alexander/i-ve-always-loved-sci-fi-and-fantasy/) [Olly Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-alexander/) > [“I will always be within reach if you need me, little one...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-von/i-will-always-be-within-reach-if-you-need-me-little-one/) [A.R. Von](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-von/) [Browse all 5,469 Fantasy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Once it gets off the ground into space, all science fiction is fantasy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.G. 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