--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given that external reality is a fiction…" description: "\"Given that external reality is a fiction, the writer's role is almost superfluous. He does not need to invent the fiction because it is already there.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/j-g-ballard-2711_fiction_given-that-external-reality-is-a-fiction_3153973.jpg" --- # Given that external reality is a fiction, the writer's… ![“Given that external reality is a fiction, the writer's role is almost superfluous. He does not need to invent the fiction because it is already there.” quote by J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/j-g-ballard-2711_fiction_given-that-external-reality-is-a-fiction_3153973.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/j-g-ballard-2711_fiction_given-that-external-reality-is-a-fiction_3153973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/673/j-g-ballard-2711_fiction_given-that-external-reality-is-a-fiction_3153973.jpg) > “Given that external reality is a fiction, the writer's role is almost superfluous. He does not need to invent the fiction because it is already there.” [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If reality is already a construct, the writer's job becomes redundant, as there is no need to create something new. **In simple terms:** Reality is a story; writers may be unnecessary. Key Takeaway Question the necessity of creation in a world of pre‑fabricated narratives. Themes creation reality fiction authorial role Mood critical skeptical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - writing - media consumption - education - political discourse Key Concepts postmodernism meta‑narrative nihilism Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do writers have if reality is a fiction? - Does acknowledging fiction diminish artistic value? A Different Perspective The claim ignores the transformative power of storytelling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writer/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“You can invent any fiction and call it a life." 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Test reality against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/create-a-world-in-which-these-things-do-or-do-not-exist-or-in-which/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [“The one thing is fiction in a novel and the other thing is reality. With fiction you don't make a fuss - you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-one-thing-is-fiction-in-a-novel-and-the-other-thing-is-reality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by J. G. Ballard > [Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/science-and-technology-multiply-around-us-to-an-increasing-extent/) [J. G. 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