--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the weakness of mainstream fiction is…" description: "\"“If the weakness of mainstream fiction is its deliberate smallness, the weakness of sf is its puffed-up size, its gauzy immensities. SF often pays so m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/john-kessel-11460_attention-to-detail_if-the-weakness-of-mainstream-fiction-is_992089.png" --- # If the weakness of mainstream fiction is its deliberate… ![“If the weakness of mainstream fiction is its deliberate smallness, the weakness of sf is its puffed-up size, its gauzy immensities. SF often pays so much attention to cosmic ideas that the story's surface is vague. Too much sf suffers from a lack of tangible reality. Muzzy settings, generic…” quote by John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/john-kessel-11460_attention-to-detail_if-the-weakness-of-mainstream-fiction-is_992089.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/john-kessel-11460_attention-to-detail_if-the-weakness-of-mainstream-fiction-is_992089.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/john-kessel-11460_attention-to-detail_if-the-weakness-of-mainstream-fiction-is_992089.png) > ““If the weakness of mainstream fiction is its deliberate smallness, the weakness of sf is its puffed-up size, its gauzy immensities. SF often pays so much attention to cosmic ideas that the story's surface is vague. Too much sf suffers from a lack of tangible reality. Muzzy settings, generic characters concocted merely for the sake of the idea, improbable action plots tidily wrapped up at the end. Too much preaching, not enough concrete, credible detail. An sf writer can get published without mastering certain things that most mainstream writers can’t evade: evocative prose style, naturalistic dialogue, attention to detail. Refraining from editorializing, over-explaining, or pat resolutions. To us, the contents of The Best American Short Stories seem paltry and timebound. To them, the contents of Asimov’s are overblown and underrealized. It’s no wonder that sf never makes the Ravenel collection. SF is habitually strong in areas considered unessential to good mainstream fiction, and weak in those areas that are considered essential. It doesn't matter that to the sf reader most contemporary fiction is so interested in "how things really are" in tight focus that it missed "how things really are" in the big picture. SF’s different standards make it invisible to mainstream readers, not in the literal way of H.G. Wells's invisible man, but in the cultural way of Ralph Ellison's. It's not that they can’t see us, it's that they don't know what to make of what they see. What they don't know about sf, and worse still, what they think they do know, make it impossible for them to appreciate our virtues. We are like a Harlem poet attempting to find a seat at the Algonquin round table in 1925. Our clothes are outlandish . Our accent is uncouth. The subjects we are interested in are uninteresting or incomprehensible. Our history and culture are unknown. Our reasons for being there are inadmissible. The result is embarrassment, condescension, or silence.”” [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that mainstream fiction is too narrow while science fiction is too expansive, leading both to neglect concrete detail, believable characters, and grounded storytelling, making SF invisible to mainstream readers. **In simple terms:** SF is often too big‑picture, lacking realistic detail, while mainstream fiction can be too small‑scale. Key Takeaway Balance big ideas with concrete, believable detail. Themes literature science fiction genre criticism writing craft culture perception Mood reflective critical analytical Type critical analytical reflective When to use this quote - creative writing workshops - editing sessions - genre crossover projects - literary criticism forums - publishing pitch meetings Key Concepts narrative scope detail characterization world‑building reader expectations Questions to Reflect On - How can writers blend expansive ideas with grounded storytelling? - What concrete techniques make speculative settings feel real? A Different Perspective SF may alienate readers if it sacrifices relatable detail for speculative concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention to detail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-to-detail/) [Big picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-picture/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Invisible Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible-man/) [Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) ## Related quotes > [For every SF reader of that period, Robert A. 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In mainstream fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/fantasy-is-an-area-where-it-is-possible-to-talk-about-right-and-wrong/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [From 1968 on, I was pretty much the black, gay SF writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/from-1968-on-i-was-pretty-much-the-black-gay-sf-writer/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [As an SF writer, you've got the infinite toolkit of the writer at your disposal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/as-an-sf-writer-you-ve-got-the-infinite-toolkit-of-the-writer-at-your/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [The culture is still there, and people are still doing it. I imagine some people are doing it very well indeed. As for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/the-culture-is-still-there-and-people-are-still-doing-it-i-imagine/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-want-to-write-about-people-i-love-and-put-them-into-a-fictional-3/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Jeff Carver is a hard sf writer who gets it right-his science and his people are equally convincing. NEPTUNE CROSSING combines his strengths, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-benford/jeff-carver-is-a-hard-sf-writer-who-gets-it-right-his-science-and-his/) [Gregory Benford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-benford/) > [“For what people of color quickly come to see—in a sense the primary epistemic principle of the racialized social epistemology of which they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-mills/for-what-people-of-color-quickly-come-to-see-in-a-sense-the-primary/) Charles W. Mills > [I tried to fortify myself with the best nonfiction and fiction I could lay my hands on, from the essays of James Baldwin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chatterton-williams/i-tried-to-fortify-myself-with-the-best-nonfiction-and-fiction-i/) [Thomas Chatterton Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chatterton-williams/) > [Like Richard Ellmann on James Joyce, Arnold Rampersad on Ralph Ellison is in a class of its own. His masterful and magisterial book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-richard-ellmann-on-james-joyce-arnold-rampersad-on-ralph-ellison/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I was allowed to write about race using an elevator metaphor because of Toni Morrison and David Bradley and Ralph Ellison. Hopefully, me being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-was-allowed-to-write-about-race-using-an-elevator-metaphor-because/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [ In \[Ralph\] Ellison's case, it's more psychological than it is phenomenal, and it's conditioned by anger, animosity, and lack of desire to engage with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/in-ralph-ellison-s-case-it-s-more-psychological-than-it-is-phenomenal/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) ## More by John Kessel > [Don't ask yourself what you did wrong; ask yourself what you did right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/don-t-ask-yourself-what-you-did-wrong-ask-yourself-what-you-did-right/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Never mishandle hope or self-confidence - those are elements of life, not just a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/never-mishandle-hope-or-self-confidence-those-are-elements-of-life/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Study hard, practice hard, play ferociously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/study-hard-practice-hard-play-ferociously/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Shared victory is a double victory, shared defeat is half-defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/shared-victory-is-a-double-victory-shared-defeat-is-half-defeat/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [The pessimistic coach complains about the play. The optimistic coach expects it to change. The realistic coach adjusts what he can control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/the-pessimistic-coach-complains-about-the-play-the-optimistic-coach/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [You have to learn every day. You can't be playing every day, but you can be practicing. If you cannot be practicing with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/you-have-to-learn-every-day-you-can-t-be-playing-every-day-but-you/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [There are three choices in life and sport - either you do it, you don't do it or you think about it. Most humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/there-are-three-choices-in-life-and-sport-either-you-do-it-you-don-t/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [You must allow your players to become the athletes they can be. Don't make them into anything just to become the kind of winners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/you-must-allow-your-players-to-become-the-athletes-they-can-be-don-t/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Use volleyball quotes to motivate your teammates to play hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/use-volleyball-quotes-to-motivate-your-teammates-to-play-hard/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Being left-handed has its advantages in volleyball. Few people know enough about your spike and serve to give you advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/being-left-handed-has-its-advantages-in-volleyball-few-people-know/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Make your mistakes with confidence. It is the only way you are going to learn anything. Never be afraid to do a skill, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/make-your-mistakes-with-confidence-it-is-the-only-way-you-are-going/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [The meaning of volleyball, is to give meaning to volleyball, as the meaning of coaching is to give meaning to coaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/the-meaning-of-volleyball-is-to-give-meaning-to-volleyball-as-the/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [Coaching is something that takes place only when learning does. No matter what you are doing in your practices, if your players are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/coaching-is-something-that-takes-place-only-when-learning-does-no/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [I am here to give my players the little push they need, just like they needed long ago, when first learning the art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/i-am-here-to-give-my-players-the-little-push-they-need-just-like-they/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) > [It's hard for these athletes to stay healthy. They are constantly being bombarded with unhealthy advertising. Peer pressure can override the body's demand for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/it-s-hard-for-these-athletes-to-stay-healthy-they-are-constantly/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) [Explore all 59 John Kessel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) ## More Attention to detail quotes > [What is needed, however, isn't just that people working together be nice to each other. It is discipline. Discipline is hard--harder than trustworthiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/what-is-needed-however-isn-t-just-that-people-working-together-be/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [It's like... to make a good record - I don't care who you are - it takes a long time and a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/it-s-like-to-make-a-good-record-i-don-t-care-who-you-are-it-takes-a/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I think in any writing you're paying attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-think-in-any-writing-you-re-paying-attention-to-detail/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [“I suppose that was an example of close attention to detail that is common to writers and artists. It is imperative, whether consciously or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/i-suppose-that-was-an-example-of-close-attention-to-detail-that-is/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [It’s attention to detail that makes the difference between average and stunning,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-atterbury/it-s-attention-to-detail-that-makes-the-difference-between-average/) [Francis Atterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-atterbury/) > [I feel the most at home in my body when I'm doing my skincare routine - when I've just got out of the shower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myha-la/i-feel-the-most-at-home-in-my-body-when-i-m-doing-my-skincare-routine/) [Myha'la](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myha-la/) > [When it comes down to playoff basketball, it's attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-williams/when-it-comes-down-to-playoff-basketball-it-s-attention-to-detail/) [Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-williams/) > [There is the flash in the pan, the sudden success. But continued success is dependent upon tremendous attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-the-flash-in-the-pan-the-sudden-success-but-continued/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Gay men are perfect men for girls who are tough. They're not threatened by strong women, and they're usually very in touch with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/gay-men-are-perfect-men-for-girls-who-are-tough-they-re-not/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [Autistic people's disabilities are widely known, but one of their best-established strengths is their attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/autistic-people-s-disabilities-are-widely-known-but-one-of-their-best/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-goes-against-the-grain-of-modern-education-to-teach-children-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are divisions between a culinary chef and a dessert chef, also called a pastry chef. At Zomick's are specializations within the pastry chef…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-ben-israel/there-are-divisions-between-a-culinary-chef-and-a-dessert-chef-also/) [Ron Ben-Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-ben-israel/) > [“The fundamental basis by which the court’s decision might be made is, in itself, imperfect and subject to contradictions. There is very little consideration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-fundamental-basis-by-which-the-court-s-decision-might-be-made-is/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [Attention to detail is important in football, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/attention-to-detail-is-important-in-football-period/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [One can win the attention and time and cooperation of even the most sought-after people by becoming genuinely interested in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/one-can-win-the-attention-and-time-and-cooperation-of-even-the-most/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) [Browse all 204 Attention to detail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-to-detail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If the weakness of mainstream fiction is its deliberate smallness, the weakness of sf is its puffed-up size, its gauzy immensities. SF often pays so much attention to cosmic ideas that the story's surface is vague. Too much sf suffers from a lack of tangible reality. Muzzy settings, generic characters concocted merely for the sake of the idea, improbable action plots tidily wrapped up at the end. Too much preaching, not enough concrete, credible detail. An sf writer can get published without mastering certain things that most mainstream writers can’t evade: evocative prose style, naturalistic dialogue, attention to detail. Refraining from editorializing, over-explaining, or pat resolutions. To us, the contents of The Best American Short Stories seem paltry and timebound. To them, the contents of Asimov’s are overblown and underrealized. It’s no wonder that sf never makes the Ravenel collection. SF is habitually strong in areas considered unessential to good mainstream fiction, and weak in those areas that are considered essential. It doesn't matter that to the sf reader most contemporary fiction is so interested in \"how things really are\" in tight focus that it missed \"how things really are\" in the big picture. SF’s different standards make it invisible to mainstream readers, not in the literal way of H.G. Wells's invisible man, but in the cultural way of Ralph Ellison's. It's not that they can’t see us, it's that they don't know what to make of what they see. What they don't know about sf, and worse still, what they think they do know, make it impossible for them to appreciate our virtues. We are like a Harlem poet attempting to find a seat at the Algonquin round table in 1925. Our clothes are outlandish . Our accent is uncouth. The subjects we are interested in are uninteresting or incomprehensible. Our history and culture are unknown. Our reasons for being there are inadmissible. 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