--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read…" description: "\"I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my life. I read a lot of classic Cold War scien..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg" --- # I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and… ![“I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my life. I read a lot of classic Cold War science fiction, which is much of the best science fiction, so I speak the language well, which is a commodity that's not easy to come by in Hollywood.” quote by Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg) > “I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my life. I read a lot of classic Cold War science fiction, which is much of the best science fiction, so I speak the language well, which is a commodity that's not easy to come by in Hollywood.” [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker credits early immersion in sci‑fi literature as a unique skill set that gives him an edge in Hollywood, where such knowledge is rare. **In simple terms:** Reading sci‑fi gave him a rare skill for Hollywood. Key Takeaway Leverage niche expertise to stand out. Themes career skill industry literature Mood pragmatic confident Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - screenwriting - film production - genre consulting - teaching Key Concepts specialization cultural literacy networking Questions to Reflect On - How can specialized knowledge be broadened? - What other fields value sci‑fi fluency? A Different Perspective Niche knowledge may limit broader appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-science/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Nerdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerdy/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Science fiction and fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I was lucky, I got offered places and have had some good opportunities. But it is hard work. I suppose I am a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-bottomley/i-was-lucky-i-got-offered-places-and-have-had-some-good-opportunities/) [Christine Bottomley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-bottomley/) > [I like math, which sounds really nerdy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaia-gerber/i-like-math-which-sounds-really-nerdy/) [Kaia Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaia-gerber/) > [I'm really nerdy, and I read a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/i-m-really-nerdy-and-i-read-a-lot/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [At some point, every science fiction and fantasy story must challenge the reader's experience and learning. That's much of the reason why the genre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/at-some-point-every-science-fiction-and-fantasy-story-must-challenge/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [When people ask me to define science fiction and fantasy I say they are the literatures that explore the fact that we are toolmakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalo-hopkinson/when-people-ask-me-to-define-science-fiction-and-fantasy-i-say-they/) [Nalo Hopkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalo-hopkinson/) > [I was also a science fiction and fantasy fan, growing up, in games and books and movies. I love Tolkien and I love Dungeons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-was-also-a-science-fiction-and-fantasy-fan-growing-up-in-games-and/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Much blood has also been spilled on the carpet in attempts to distinguish between science fiction and fantasy. I have suggested an operational definition:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/much-blood-has-also-been-spilled-on-the-carpet-in-attempts-to/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I see myself as a novelist, period. I mean, the material I work with is what is classified as science fiction and fantasy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-see-myself-as-a-novelist-period-i-mean-the-material-i-work-with-is/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I'd rather let the fiction speak for itself and I don't want to write fiction that tells people how to feel, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-d-rather-let-the-fiction-speak-for-itself-and-i-don-t-want-to-write/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I want to see Christian fiction speak to the hard and real issues that tear people's lives apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/i-want-to-see-christian-fiction-speak-to-the-hard-and-real-issues/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [My advice is to write about what you are interested in. If you read science fiction and fantasy, then write in that genre. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/my-advice-is-to-write-about-what-you-are-interested-in-if-you-read/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [...You believe that the kind of story you want to tell might be best received by the science fiction and fantasy audience. I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-believe-that-the-kind-of-story-you-want-to-tell-might-be-best/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I've seen things you people wouldn't believe..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-ve-seen-things-you-people-wouldn-t-believe/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) ## More by Jon Spaihts > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I will never probably have the mathematical foundation to truly understand what string theorists are talking about, but it feels good, just for its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-will-never-probably-have-the-mathematical-foundation-to-truly/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [The world may hold startling developments and shocking unknowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/the-world-may-hold-startling-developments-and-shocking-unknowns/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I never stopped loving the deeper sciences, and I read as deeply into lay science as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-never-stopped-loving-the-deeper-sciences-and-i-read-as-deeply-into/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [You want magic to feel real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/you-want-magic-to-feel-real/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [The reality of space travel I think is somewhere in the middle. We will get there, it will be hard, it will take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/the-reality-of-space-travel-i-think-is-somewhere-in-the-middle-we/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [A lot of screenwriters have a drawer of unsold scripts that they cut their teeth on. I don't have one. Everything I've written, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/a-lot-of-screenwriters-have-a-drawer-of-unsold-scripts-that-they-cut/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I studied physics at Princeton when I was a college student, and my initial intention was to major in it but to also be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-studied-physics-at-princeton-when-i-was-a-college-student-and-my/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [The science fiction I write comes from a pretty deep pool of literature, not just from the reflection of other science fiction films, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/the-science-fiction-i-write-comes-from-a-pretty-deep-pool-of/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [When a new writer comes onto a project, he'll make wholesale changes just to mark the territory or for greater credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/when-a-new-writer-comes-onto-a-project-he-ll-make-wholesale-changes/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [An X-wing fighter flies like an airplane. If you look at the physics, it's actually quite impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/an-x-wing-fighter-flies-like-an-airplane-if-you-look-at-the-physics/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I think the greatest danger of the promise of space travel is that it can lead us to be cavalier about the world we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-think-the-greatest-danger-of-the-promise-of-space-travel-is-that-it/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I try to keep up, and the scientific perspective is always part of my creative approach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-try-to-keep-up-and-the-scientific-perspective-is-always-part-of-my/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [You want the mystical understanding of the cosmos to feel compatible with a scientific understanding of the cosmos, like it extends our understanding rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/you-want-the-mystical-understanding-of-the-cosmos-to-feel-compatible/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [Directing offers you the hope that your vision will reach the screen, unmolested and intact. Therefore, it's tantalizing to all writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/directing-offers-you-the-hope-that-your-vision-will-reach-the-screen/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) [Explore all 33 Jon Spaihts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) ## More Best science quotes > [You can do the best science in the world but unless emotion is involved it's not really very relevant. Conservation is based on emotion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/you-can-do-the-best-science-in-the-world-but-unless-emotion-is/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [“And as you are about to see, it not only produces the best science, but also some of the very best science writing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/and-as-you-are-about-to-see-it-not-only-produces-the-best-science-but/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/when-you-are-courting-a-nice-girl-an-hour-seems-like-a-second/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There's no moral issue for me. I did the best science I could. I was struggling to survive and didn't have the luxury of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-moskowitz/there-s-no-moral-issue-for-me-i-did-the-best-science-i-could-i-was/) Howard Moskowitz > [There was, I think, a feeling that the best science was that done in the simplest way. In experimental work, as in mathematics, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashworth-ratcliffe/there-was-i-think-a-feeling-that-the-best-science-was-that-done-in/) John Ashworth Ratcliffe > [People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/people-like-us-who-believe-in-physics-know-that-the-distinction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Science is simply common sense at its best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/science-is-simply-common-sense-at-its-best/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Pennsylvania has some of the best science in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcginty/pennsylvania-has-some-of-the-best-science-in-the-world/) [Katie McGinty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcginty/) > [Science can never solve one problem without raising ten more problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/science-can-never-solve-one-problem-without-raising-ten-more-problems/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In accordance with the terms of the Clarke-Asimov treaty, the second-best science writer dedicates this book to the second-best science-fiction writer. \[dedication to Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/in-accordance-with-the-terms-of-the-clarke-asimov-treaty-the-second/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [We absolutely do some of the best science in the world in Canada, across a broad spectrum of disciplines: quantum computing in Waterloo, paleontology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/we-absolutely-do-some-of-the-best-science-in-the-world-in-canada/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken..."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-science-it-often-happens-that-scientists-say-you-know-that-s-a-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Cristina Eisenberg weaves her observations as a scientist and her personal experiences afield into a resonant account about the web of life that links…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-peterson/cristina-eisenberg-weaves-her-observations-as-a-scientist-and-her/) [Brenda Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-peterson/) > [Change is the principal feature of our age and literature should explore how people deal with it. The best science fiction does that, head-on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/change-is-the-principal-feature-of-our-age-and-literature-should/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [The best Science Fiction is as good as the best fiction in any field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/the-best-science-fiction-is-as-good-as-the-best-fiction-in-any-field/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) [Browse all 18 Best science quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-science/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my life. I read a lot of classic Cold War science fiction, which is much of the best science fiction, so I speak the language well, which is a commodity that's not easy to come by in Hollywood.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Spaihts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best science" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/214/jon-spaihts-19032_best-science_i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-scie_161702.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I grew up a really nerdy kid. I read science fiction and fantasy voraciously, for the first 16 years of my…” — Jon Spaihts", "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": "Jon Spaihts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I grew up a really nerdy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-grew-up-a-really-nerdy-kid-i-read-science-fiction-and-fantasy/#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 } } ] } ```