--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm really not interested in writing…" description: "\"I'm really not interested in writing about science at all. I mean, I try to get the information right, the details right. But fiction isn't good at con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/karl-iagnemma-13119_details_i-m-really-not-interested-in-writing-abo_176433.jpg" --- # I'm really not interested in writing about science at all… ![“I'm really not interested in writing about science at all. I mean, I try to get the information right, the details right. But fiction isn't good at conveying information: It's good at telling stories about people in interesting situations.” quote by Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/karl-iagnemma-13119_details_i-m-really-not-interested-in-writing-abo_176433.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/karl-iagnemma-13119_details_i-m-really-not-interested-in-writing-abo_176433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea6/karl-iagnemma-13119_details_i-m-really-not-interested-in-writing-abo_176433.jpg) > “I'm really not interested in writing about science at all. I mean, I try to get the information right, the details right. But fiction isn't good at conveying information: It's good at telling stories about people in interesting situations.” [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction excels at storytelling, not at precise scientific detail, so it should focus on human experience. **In simple terms:** Stories are better than facts for engaging readers. Key Takeaway Use narrative to explore ideas, not just facts. Themes creativity science communication storytelling Mood inspired thoughtful Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - academic writing - science journalism - education Key Concepts narrative immersion human-centered design Questions to Reflect On - How can you weave accurate science into compelling stories? - What balance between fact and narrative feels authentic? A Different Perspective Pure factual exposition can alienate audiences seeking emotional connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Telling stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Fantasy is totally wide open; all you really have to do is follow the rules you've set. But if you're writing about science, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fantasy-is-totally-wide-open-all-you-really-have-to-do-is-follow-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's more to research than just looking up facts. Eventually, you have to make subjective calls. 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It will be enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/no-one-suggests-that-writing-about-science-will-turn-the-entire-world/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [I started out writing much more science fictiony stuff and writing about science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-started-out-writing-much-more-science-fictiony-stuff-and-writing/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I never really saw myself as writing science fiction anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kneale/i-never-really-saw-myself-as-writing-science-fiction-anyway/) [Nigel Kneale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kneale/) > [General writing about science, even if we do it badly, helps us to see our work in perspective and broadens our vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/general-writing-about-science-even-if-we-do-it-badly-helps-us-to-see/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story… Writing is seduction. Good talk is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-object-of-fiction-isn-t-grammatical-correctness-but-to-make-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Fiction isn't made by scraping the bones of topicality for the last shreds and sinews, to be processed into mechanically recovered prose. Like journalism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/fiction-isn-t-made-by-scraping-the-bones-of-topicality-for-the-last/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“The trouble with mimetic fiction isn’t that you can tell what’s going to happen (I defy anyone to guess what’s going to happen in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/the-trouble-with-mimetic-fiction-isn-t-that-you-can-tell-what-s-going/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [The key of writing fiction isn't just to remove something that the reader or listener can easily imagine. It's not a matter of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-turchi/the-key-of-writing-fiction-isn-t-just-to-remove-something-that-the/) [Peter Turchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-turchi/) > [Fiction that isn't an author's personal adventure into the frightening or the unknown isn't worth writing for anything but money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/fiction-that-isn-t-an-author-s-personal-adventure-into-the/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [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/) > [When we talk about 9/11 and 26/11 - which is the shorthand for the Mumbai attacks in 2008 - we're talking about the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/when-we-talk-about-9-11-and-26-11-which-is-the-shorthand-for-the/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) ## More by Karl Iagnemma > [It's important for automated cars to be able to drive in a human-like fashion - and that does mean adapting to the driving patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/it-s-important-for-automated-cars-to-be-able-to-drive-in-a-human-like/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [In the automotive domain, generally speaking, when you look at consortium models, the groups that have leading technology are less incentivized to contribute to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/in-the-automotive-domain-generally-speaking-when-you-look-at/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Even if trolley problems were a realistic concern for AVs, it is not clear what, if anything, regulators or companies developing AVs should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/even-if-trolley-problems-were-a-realistic-concern-for-avs-it-is-not/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Surveys show that while many people are open to the idea of an autonomous vehicle driving them to work, far fewer are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/surveys-show-that-while-many-people-are-open-to-the-idea-of-an/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [When a driverless car looks out on the world, it's not able to distinguish the age of a pedestrian or the number of occupants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/when-a-driverless-car-looks-out-on-the-world-it-s-not-able-to/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [We are all vulnerable to the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of vivid, cognitively available risks rather than statistically likelier, but less salient, risks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/we-are-all-vulnerable-to-the-tendency-to-overestimate-the-likelihood/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Partnerships remain critical to nuTonomy's success, and our aim is to work with groups with whom we share strategic aims and core values. 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Will people want to share cars?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/it-s-a-cultural-question-will-people-want-to-share-cars/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [Building cars is highly specialized, it's hard, and it's capital intensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/building-cars-is-highly-specialized-it-s-hard-and-it-s-capital/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [The thing about stories is that they almost always find their way onto the page, even if it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-iagnemma/the-thing-about-stories-is-that-they-almost-always-find-their-way/) [Karl Iagnemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-iagnemma/) > [You have to force yourself to give up and to move onto something else. 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