--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fiction can show you a different world…" description: "\"“Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/neil-gaiman-29_bad-thing_fiction-can-show-you-a-different-world-i_1546244.jpg" --- # Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you… ![“Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/neil-gaiman-29_bad-thing_fiction-can-show-you-a-different-world-i_1546244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/neil-gaiman-29_bad-thing_fiction-can-show-you-a-different-world-i_1546244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/neil-gaiman-29_bad-thing_fiction-can-show-you-a-different-world-i_1546244.jpg) > ““Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different. And while we're on the subject, I'd like to say a few words about escapism. I hear the term bandied about as if it's a bad thing. As if "escapist" fiction is a cheap opiate used by the muddled and the foolish and the deluded, and the only fiction that is worthy, for adults or for children, is mimetic fiction, mirroring the worst of the world the reader finds herself in. If you were trapped in an impossible situation, in an unpleasant place, with people who meant you ill, and someone offered you a temporary escape, why wouldn't you take it? And escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control, are with people you want to be with(and books are real places, make no mistake about that); and more importantly, during your escape, books can also give you knowledge about the world and your predicament, give you weapons, give you armour: real things you can take back into your prison. Skills and knowledge and tools you can use to escape for real. As JRR Tolkien reminded us, the only people who inveigh against escape are jailers.”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction offers escapism that can inspire discontent, leading to personal growth and real‑world change. **In simple terms:** Escapist stories spark desire to improve reality. Key Takeaway Use imagination to fuel real change. Themes fiction escapism discontent Mood inspirational thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading for inspiration - creative writing - personal development Key Concepts narrative therapy creative imagination Questions to Reflect On - When does escapism hinder progress? - How can you turn imagined solutions into real actions? A Different Perspective Escapism can become avoidance rather than empowerment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Escapism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escapism/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Neil-gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neil-gaiman/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) ## Related quotes > [Popular escapist fiction enchants adult readers without challenging them to be educated for critical consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/popular-escapist-fiction-enchants-adult-readers-without-challenging/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [ “\[We let\] the universality of fantasy, of once upon a time, allow escapist fiction to be more than just that - to also bring… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-gavriel-kay/we-let-the-universality-of-fantasy-of-once-upon-a-time-allow-escapist/) [Guy Gavriel Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-gavriel-kay/) > [We have escapist fiction, so why not escapist biography?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/we-have-escapist-fiction-so-why-not-escapist-biography/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [It's crazy to me how concerned people get with what it looks like and what you can do there. People may as well be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/it-s-crazy-to-me-how-concerned-people-get-with-what-it-looks-like-and/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [I am rather tired, and no longer young enough to pillage the night to make up for the deficit of hours in the day..."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-rather-tired-and-no-longer-young-enough-to-pillage-the-night-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These folk are hewers of trees and hunters of beasts; therefore we are their unfriends, and if they will not depart we shall afflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/these-folk-are-hewers-of-trees-and-hunters-of-beasts-therefore-we-are-2/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [“There were two books I remember changing my life as a introverted, bookish 14 year old. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and The Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-odell-homsley/there-were-two-books-i-remember-changing-my-life-as-a-introverted/) Christopher Odell Homsley > [“I hate dreams. I don't want any more dreams. I don't want any more anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-hate-dreams-i-don-t-want-any-more-dreams-i-don-t-want-any-more/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Kiss a lover, Dance a measure, Find your name And buried treasure. Face your life, It's pain, It's pleasure, Leave no path untaken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/kiss-a-lover-dance-a-measure-find-your-name-and-buried-treasure-face/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Here comes a candle to light you to bed, and here comes a chopper to chop off your head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/here-comes-a-candle-to-light-you-to-bed-and-here-comes-a-chopper-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Delirium: You use that word so much. Responsibilities. Do you ever think about what that means? I mean, what does it mean to you?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/delirium-you-use-that-word-so-much-responsibilities-do-you-ever-think/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Sister? Where should we start?" "Here?" "Very good. We are here. Where should we travel to now?" "...somewhere that's not here?" "That was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/sister-where-should-we-start-here-very-good-we-are-here-where-should/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Newton Pulsifer had never...as far as he knew, ever believed in anything. It had been embarrassing, because he quite wanted to believe in something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/newton-pulsifer-had-never-as-far-as-he-knew-ever-believed-in-anything/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-like-the-people-who-believe-they-ll-be-happy-if-they-go-and-live/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There's no doubt that prog rock has an image problem: many musicians hate the label, and too many people associate it with 10-minute drum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/there-s-no-doubt-that-prog-rock-has-an-image-problem-many-musicians/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“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/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. 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I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. 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Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different. And while we're on the subject, I'd like to say a few words about escapism. I hear the term bandied about as if it's a bad thing. As if \"escapist\" fiction is a cheap opiate used by the muddled and the foolish and the deluded, and the only fiction that is worthy, for adults or for children, is mimetic fiction, mirroring the worst of the world the reader finds herself in. If you were trapped in an impossible situation, in an unpleasant place, with people who meant you ill, and someone offered you a temporary escape, why wouldn't you take it? And escapist fiction is just that: fiction that opens a door, shows the sunlight outside, gives you a place to go where you are in control, are with people you want to be with(and books are real places, make no mistake about that); and more importantly, during your escape, books can also give you knowledge about the world and your predicament, give you weapons, give you armour: real things you can take back into your prison. Skills and knowledge and tools you can use to escape for real. 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