--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The highest compliment I can give a…" description: "\"The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book is that it's 'plausibly surreal' - it manages to feel like a relentless extrapolation from tod..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png" --- # The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book… ![“The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book is that it's 'plausibly surreal' - it manages to feel like a relentless extrapolation from today even as it overwhelms with unexpected consequences of that extrapolation.” quote by Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png) > “The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book is that it's 'plausibly surreal' - it manages to feel like a relentless extrapolation from today even as it overwhelms with unexpected consequences of that extrapolation.” [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sci‑fi book is praised for feeling plausible yet surreal, balancing realistic extrapolation with unexpected outcomes. **In simple terms:** Plausible surrealism enriches sci‑fi. Key Takeaway Value imaginative realism. Themes science fiction plausibility surrealism Mood analytical thoughtful Type literary critical When to use this quote - book reviews - creative writing - media analysis Key Concepts future studies literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a sci‑fi world believable? - How do consequences shape narrative? A Different Perspective Too much surrealism may alienate readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Relentless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relentless/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Surreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surreal/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ I had been working on a second book with \[David\] Petraeus called Relentless. Obviously that book and the income that it would have generated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-had-been-working-on-a-second-book-with-david-petraeus-called/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [The academic mind can eat away the very basis of its own assurance ... produce contortions when it tries to bend over backward ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/the-academic-mind-can-eat-away-the-very-basis-of-its-own-assurance/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/but-the-great-thing-to-remember-is-that-though-our-feelings-come-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [God's love is not wearied by our sins & is relentless in its determination that we be cured at whatever cost to us or Him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/god-s-love-is-not-wearied-by-our-sins-is-relentless-in-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [My strong game was ping pong. Relentless... steady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-albert/my-strong-game-was-ping-pong-relentless-steady/) [Marv Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-albert/) > [Becoming successful is a relentless pursuit. It's good that it's that way: When it does come, you learn to know how to appreciate it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-valli/becoming-successful-is-a-relentless-pursuit-it-s-good-that-it-s-that/) [Frankie Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-valli/) > [“That’s when you realize the most of it—life, the relentless mechanism of existing—isn’t about you. It doesn’t include you at all. It will thrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/that-s-when-you-realize-the-most-of-it-life-the-relentless-mechanism/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I think the relentless tide of celebrity stuff on the telly is getting pretty tedious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tarrant/i-think-the-relentless-tide-of-celebrity-stuff-on-the-telly-is/) [Chris Tarrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tarrant/) > [We bear the sole, relentless tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-bear-the-sole-relentless-tenderness/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [For a time during the early settlement of this country peace and goodwill prevailed, only to be followed later by violent and relentless warfare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/for-a-time-during-the-early-settlement-of-this-country-peace-and/) [Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/) > [I believe that a healthy lifestyle isn't just a regular exercise routine or your eating habits, but a synergy of a healthy mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/i-believe-that-a-healthy-lifestyle-isn-t-just-a-regular-exercise/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [The relentless attempts to be thin take you further and further away from what could actually end your suffering: getting back in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/the-relentless-attempts-to-be-thin-take-you-further-and-further-away/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I always counsel aspiring novelists that passion is the most important quality for a writer to possess - technique can be taught, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-always-counsel-aspiring-novelists-that-passion-is-the-most/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [the relentless touring and endless repetition of the same songs over and over again promoted a creeping awareness that my music had begun to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/the-relentless-touring-and-endless-repetition-of-the-same-songs-over/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) ## More by Jamais Cascio > [By ignoring tomorrow, we undermine today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/by-ignoring-tomorrow-we-undermine-today/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Most of us who work as professional futurists never really stop gathering information - you never know when a provocative, potentially disruptive new development…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/most-of-us-who-work-as-professional-futurists-never-really-stop/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [We've already seen digital picture frames pre-loaded with viruses; I'm not eager to have my refrigerator hacked or my alarm clock turned against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/we-ve-already-seen-digital-picture-frames-pre-loaded-with-viruses-i-m/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [You need to recognize that the copyright date on a book reflects when it came out, not when it was written - assume that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/you-need-to-recognize-that-the-copyright-date-on-a-book-reflects-when/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Human beings are social animals; we devote a significant portion of our brain just to dealing with interactions with other humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/human-beings-are-social-animals-we-devote-a-significant-portion-of/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [It's remarkably easy to dig up enormous amounts of information about individuals, without their consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/it-s-remarkably-easy-to-dig-up-enormous-amounts-of-information-about/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Nearly every communication method we invent eventually conveys unwanted commercial messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/nearly-every-communication-method-we-invent-eventually-conveys/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Participatory complexity may well be the key descriptor of the 21st century - in our economies, in our politics, and in our everyday lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/participatory-complexity-may-well-be-the-key-descriptor-of-the-21st/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Preventing global warming from becoming a planetary catastrophe may take something even more drastic than renewable energy, superefficient urban design, and global carbon taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/preventing-global-warming-from-becoming-a-planetary-catastrophe-may/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Is there a better example of natural selection in action than 'Project Runway?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/is-there-a-better-example-of-natural-selection-in-action-than-project/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas out there. Other substances, such as water vapor and nitrous oxide, also trap heat to varying degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/carbon-dioxide-isn-t-the-only-greenhouse-gas-out-there-other/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Futures thinking is hard work. Fortunately, you do get better at it with practice. It's worth the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/futures-thinking-is-hard-work-fortunately-you-do-get-better-at-it/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Technologists and futurists call the mashup of digital info and physical space 'blended reality.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/technologists-and-futurists-call-the-mashup-of-digital-info-and/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Intelligence augmentation decreases the need for specialization and increases participatory complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/intelligence-augmentation-decreases-the-need-for-specialization-and/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Fragile economies and weak infrastructures tend to worsen the results of climate disruptions, a problem exemplified by Bangladesh's vulnerability to monsoons, accelerating desertification in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/fragile-economies-and-weak-infrastructures-tend-to-worsen-the-results/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) [Explore all 69 Jamais Cascio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book is that it's 'plausibly surreal' - it manages to feel like a relentless extrapolation from today even as it overwhelms with unexpected consequences of that extrapolation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamais Cascio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-science-fiction-book-is-that-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-science-fiction-book-is-that-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/jamais-cascio-9954_book_the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-scie_2898086.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The highest compliment I can give a science fiction book is that it's 'plausibly surreal' - it manages to…” — Jamais Cascio", "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": "Jamais Cascio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The highest compliment I can give...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-science-fiction-book-is-that-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/the-highest-compliment-i-can-give-a-science-fiction-book-is-that-it-s/#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 } } ] } ```