--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No storyteller has been able to dream up…" description: "\"No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as fantastically unlikely as what really does happen in this mad Universe.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg" --- # No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as… ![“No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as fantastically unlikely as what really does happen in this mad Universe.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg) > “No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as fantastically unlikely as what really does happen in this mad Universe.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reality can be stranger than fiction; the universe produces events that seem impossible yet occur. **In simple terms:** Life often exceeds imagination. Key Takeaway Stay open to unexpected possibilities. Themes universe probability surprise creativity Mood wonderful thought‑provoking Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - scientific research - creative writing - philosophical debate - personal growth Key Concepts quantum uncertainty anthropic principle narrative imagination Questions to Reflect On - What improbable events have you witnessed? - How does accepting uncertainty affect decision‑making? A Different Perspective Human bias may dismiss improbable events as impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Beware the religion that turns you against another one. It's unlikely that it's really religion at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/beware-the-religion-that-turns-you-against-another-one-it-s-unlikely/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [I don't want to say you should censor yourselves, but the storyteller should be able to defend why a narrative needed to shift that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/i-don-t-want-to-say-you-should-censor-yourselves-but-the-storyteller/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [The power that you have as a storyteller is to be able to tell stories that are at once entertaining but also never lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/the-power-that-you-have-as-a-storyteller-is-to-be-able-to-tell/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) > [To me, a good storyteller should be able to tell stories across genres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-subramanian/to-me-a-good-storyteller-should-be-able-to-tell-stories-across-genres/) [Ravi Subramanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-subramanian/) > [“Memories and dreams are intermixed in this mad universe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/memories-and-dreams-are-intermixed-in-this-mad-universe/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [To be a storyteller is to be able to speak truth, to be able to use your imagination, to use the creative gifts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/to-be-a-storyteller-is-to-be-able-to-speak-truth-to-be-able-to-use/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [You get told a lot in school to tell what you know, write what you know. But what excites me about filmmaking, about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/you-get-told-a-lot-in-school-to-tell-what-you-know-write-what-you/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [By the laws of statistics we could probably approximate just how unlikely it is that it would happen. But people forget especially those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/by-the-laws-of-statistics-we-could-probably-approximate-just-how/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If God existed (a question concerning which Jubal maintained a meticulous intellectual neutrality) and if He desired to be worshiped (a proposition which Jubal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-god-existed-a-question-concerning-which-jubal-maintained-a/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The bourgeois thinkers of the eighteenth century thus turned Aristotle's formula on its head: satisfactions which the Greek philosopher had identified with leisure were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-bourgeois-thinkers-of-the-eighteenth-century-thus-turned/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Freud pointed out, in his Problem of Lay Analysis, that it is extremely unlikely that a young man who would throw the best years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/freud-pointed-out-in-his-problem-of-lay-analysis-that-it-is-extremely/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-rumour-going-around-that-i-have-found-god-i-think-this-is/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's very unlikely you're a genius, but, if you're ready to work at it hard and you want to listen to music all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/it-s-very-unlikely-you-re-a-genius-but-if-you-re-ready-to-work-at-it/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [God has often given His people favor in the sight of heathen masters (as Joseph and Daniel), and has magnified the sufficiency of His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/god-has-often-given-his-people-favor-in-the-sight-of-heathen-masters/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [But I said that you could still want something that is very unlikely to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/but-i-said-that-you-could-still-want-something-that-is-very-unlikely/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as fantastically unlikely as what really does happen in this mad Universe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. Heinlein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up-anything-as-fantastically/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up-anything-as-fantastically/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff4/robert-a-heinlein-209_able_no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up_2115121.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No storyteller has been able to dream up anything as fantastically unlikely as what really does happen in…” — Robert A. Heinlein", "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": "Robert A. Heinlein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No storyteller has been able to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up-anything-as-fantastically/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-storyteller-has-been-able-to-dream-up-anything-as-fantastically/#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 } } ] } ```