Novelist Quote by Philip K. Dick
““They know a million tricks, those novelists. Take Doctor Goebbels; that's how he started out, writing fiction. Appeals to the base lusts that hide in everyone no matter how respectable on the surface. Yes, the novelist knows humanity, how worthless they are, ruled by their testicles, swayed by cowardice, selling out every cause because of their greed - all he's got to do is thump on the drum, and there's his response. And he's laughing, of course, behind his hand at the effect he gets.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Philip K. Dick Archive, 1975
Dick argues that novelists manipulate universal base desires, exploiting human weakness for profit and influence.
In simple terms: Novelists exploit basic human urges for gain.
Key Takeaway
Beware manipulation in storytelling.
Themes
manipulation
human nature
power
greed
media
Mood
cynical
critical
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- Political campaigns
- advertising
- fiction writing
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Psychology
propaganda
literary criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- Do all storytellers exploit audiences?
- How can readers discern genuine insight from manipulation?
A Different Perspective
The view may overgeneralize all writers as exploitative.
![“People without hope do not write novels … [Writing fiction] is a plunge into reality and it’s very shocking to the system. If the novelist is not sustained by a hope of money, then he must be sustained by a hope of salvation, or he simply won’t survive the ordeal.” quote by Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/225/flannery-o-connor-639_books_people-without-hope-do-not-write-novels_903687.jpg)
