--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of…" description: "\"“Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of Time; Cat's Cradle; Half Past Human; Murder in Retrospect; Gideon's Day; The Red Right Hand; The Trojan Hear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/larry-niven-4263_book_dune-nova-double-star-the-corridors-of-t_1960876.png" --- # Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of Time; Cat's… ![“Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of Time; Cat's Cradle; Half Past Human; Murder in Retrospect; Gideon's Day; The Red Right Hand; The Trojan Hearse; A Deadly Shade of Gold; Conjure Wife; Rosemary's Baby; Silverlock; King Conan. He'd packed books not to entertain, nor even to illustrate…” quote by Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/larry-niven-4263_book_dune-nova-double-star-the-corridors-of-t_1960876.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/larry-niven-4263_book_dune-nova-double-star-the-corridors-of-t_1960876.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/larry-niven-4263_book_dune-nova-double-star-the-corridors-of-t_1960876.png) > ““Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of Time; Cat's Cradle; Half Past Human; Murder in Retrospect; Gideon's Day; The Red Right Hand; The Trojan Hearse; A Deadly Shade of Gold; Conjure Wife; Rosemary's Baby; Silverlock; King Conan. He'd packed books not to entertain, nor even to illustrate philosophies of life, but to rebuild civilization.”” [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books can serve as tools for societal reconstruction, not merely entertainment or philosophy. **In simple terms:** Books can rebuild society. Key Takeaway Use reading to shape future societies. Themes knowledge literature civilization Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - post‑apocalyptic planning - education reform - library curation - community building Key Concepts cultural preservation education future planning Questions to Reflect On - What books would you choose to rebuild society? - How can literature inspire practical change? A Different Perspective Reading alone cannot rebuild civilization without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Entertain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-entertain-1119193/) [Cat's Cradle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats-cradle-216103/) [Dune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dune/) [Dune Nova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dune-nova-3236112/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Packed Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/packed-books-2164943/) [Retrospect Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect-gideon-3236111/) [Right hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-hand/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I have a hunger for justice, but art is a place I've always enjoyed being able to be free - to live in worlds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-have-a-hunger-for-justice-but-art-is-a-place-i-ve-always-enjoyed/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [That was the trouble with moving houses; no matter how carefully you packed the books, they never ended up on the new shelves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-mcdermid/that-was-the-trouble-with-moving-houses-no-matter-how-carefully-you/) [Val McDermid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-mcdermid/) > [“The multiverse, she said, was like an old library whose shelves were packed with books arranged by a cataloguing system that ranked them according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-mcauley/the-multiverse-she-said-was-like-an-old-library-whose-shelves-were/) [Paul J. McAuley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-mcauley/) > [“I need a sitting room where I can entertain my friends, but I must have a library where my books entertain me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/great-grandson-of-john-abigail-adams-brooks-adams/i-need-a-sitting-room-where-i-can-entertain-my-friends-but-i-must/) [great-grandson of John & Abigail Adams Brooks Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/great-grandson-of-john-abigail-adams-brooks-adams/) > [ “\[I\] threw open the door to find Rob sit­ting on the low stool in front of my book­case, sur­round­ed by card­board box­es. He was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-barrows/i-threw-open-the-door-to-find-rob-sit-ting-on-the-low-stool-in-front/) [Annie Barrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-barrows/) > [I wrote books to entertain. I'm not trying to teach anything! If I suspected the author was trying to show me how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-wrote-books-to-entertain-i-m-not-trying-to-teach-anything-if-i/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/no-wonder-kids-grow-up-crazy-a-cat-s-cradle-is-nothing-but-a-bunch-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The day you give priority to bogus ethics over human reactions, you become a loser. Human reactions are priceless. Rules should never, ever stifle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-tinling/the-day-you-give-priority-to-bogus-ethics-over-human-reactions-you/) [Ted Tinling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-tinling/) > [“Newt remained curled in the chair. He held out his puny hands as though a cat's cradle were strung between them. 'No wonder kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/newt-remained-curled-in-the-chair-he-held-out-his-puny-hands-as/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Everyone who tells a story tells it differently, just to remind us that everybody sees it differently. Some people say there are true things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/everyone-who-tells-a-story-tells-it-differently-just-to-remind-us-2/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before... He is full of murderous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/beware-of-the-man-who-works-hard-to-learn-something-learns-it-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/) > [They were made up names in Dune that I didn't know how to pronounce, but I knew how I should sound because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-madsen/they-were-made-up-names-in-dune-that-i-didn-t-know-how-to-pronounce/) [Virginia Madsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-madsen/) > [I have read every book in the 'Dune' series and every Anne Rice book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-toussaint/i-have-read-every-book-in-the-dune-series-and-every-anne-rice-book/) [Lorraine Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-toussaint/) > [“Michael had slipped beyond the crest of the dune. Jacob was lying flat out now, on his stomach, his little men all before him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/michael-had-slipped-beyond-the-crest-of-the-dune-jacob-was-lying-flat/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [Panned or not, 'Dune' is a real part of science-fiction filmmaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/panned-or-not-dune-is-a-real-part-of-science-fiction-filmmaking/) [Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/) ## More by Larry Niven > [“Once Louis Wu had sworn to live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/once-louis-wu-had-sworn-to-live-forever/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [In challenging a kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/in-challenging-a-kzin-a-simple-scream-of-rage-is-sufficient-you/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“There is no cause so good or noble that it will not attract fuggheads; and the fuggheads will get all the press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-is-no-cause-so-good-or-noble-that-it-will-not-attract-fuggheads/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Music had played suddenly through the cabin, complex and lovely, rich in minor tones, like the sad call of a sex-maddened computer. Nessus whistled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/music-had-played-suddenly-through-the-cabin-complex-and-lovely-rich/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“This place is a playground for a questing mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/this-place-is-a-playground-for-a-questing-mind/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“have precious little free will," he was saying. "We're too intelligent not to see the right answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/have-precious-little-free-will-he-was-saying-we-re-too-intelligent/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“1a) Never throw shit at an armed man. 1b) Never stand next to someone who is throwing shit at an armed man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/1a-never-throw-shit-at-an-armed-man-1b-never-stand-next-to-someone/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [We learn only to ask more questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/we-learn-only-to-ask-more-questions/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Everything starts as somebody's dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/everything-starts-as-somebody-s-dream/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“I asked him, "Do you know the difference between nude and naked?" He shook his head. "Nude is artistic. Naked is defenseless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-asked-him-do-you-know-the-difference-between-nude-and-naked-he/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Intelligence is just a tool to be used toward a goal, and goals are not always chosen intelligently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/intelligence-is-just-a-tool-to-be-used-toward-a-goal-and-goals-are/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [And every friend I've got has been writing Mars stories. It was pretty clear I'd never catch up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/and-every-friend-i-ve-got-has-been-writing-mars-stories-it-was-pretty/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [For each human being there is an optimum ratio between change and stasis. Too little change, he grows bored. Too little stability, he panics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/for-each-human-being-there-is-an-optimum-ratio-between-change-and/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Anything beats an expensive stack of paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/anything-beats-an-expensive-stack-of-paper/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Humans," said the puppeteer, "should not be allowed to run loose. You will surely harm yourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/humans-said-the-puppeteer-should-not-be-allowed-to-run-loose-you-will/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) [Explore all 112 Larry Niven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## 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": "“Dune; Nova; Double Star; The Corridors of Time; Cat's Cradle; Half Past Human; Murder in Retrospect; Gideon's Day; The Red Right Hand; The Trojan Hearse; A Deadly Shade of Gold; Conjure Wife; Rosemary's Baby; Silverlock; King Conan. 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