---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Too often, in novels that are…"
description: "\"Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dum..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg"
---

#  Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind…

![“Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dumps a crucifix in Count Dracula's face, and he pulls away and runs back into his house. That's not religion. That's some kind of juju, like a…” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg)

> “Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dumps a crucifix in Count Dracula's face, and he pulls away and runs back into his house. That's not religion. That's some kind of juju, like a talisman.”

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Speculative fiction often uses God as a simple plot device rather than exploring true faith, reducing divine concepts to mere talismans.

**In simple terms:** God is treated as a cheap plot tool.

Key Takeaway

Avoid using religion as a gimmick.

Themes

literature faith mythology

Mood

critical reflective

Type

analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- script analysis
- creative brainstorming
- critical essays

Key Concepts

symbolism theology narrative devices

Questions to Reflect On

- How does this portrayal affect readers' perception of spirituality?
- Can symbolism be used responsibly?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex beliefs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Count dracula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-dracula/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Juju](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juju/) [Kryptonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kryptonite/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Talismans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talismans/)

## Related quotes

> [It's been quite a while since I was really afraid that there was a boogeyman in my closet, although I am still very careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-been-quite-a-while-since-i-was-really-afraid-that-there-was-a/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [If I'm going to pour that kind of love and energy and sweat and heartache, all that juju into something, I'm going to lean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lake-bell/if-i-m-going-to-pour-that-kind-of-love-and-energy-and-sweat-and/)

[Lake Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lake-bell/)

> [Words have power? That sounds like you're into some Harry Potter juju.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/words-have-power-that-sounds-like-you-re-into-some-harry-potter-juju/)

[Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/)

> [I have bad car juju." -Stephanie Plum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-have-bad-car-juju-stephanie-plum/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [“Do not take juju lightly, unless you are looking for unexpected death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/do-not-take-juju-lightly-unless-you-are-looking-for-unexpected-death/)

[Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/)

> [Mother Mary of Anabolic Grace, we got Teras incoming?” He levels angry blue eyes on me. “You’re a hex, lady, dark luck, powerful bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/mother-mary-of-anabolic-grace-we-got-teras-incoming-he-levels-angry/)

[Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/)

> [I've sucked way too much cement for this year. Bad juju rising off them city sidewalks. I need to babble with a brook or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-ve-sucked-way-too-much-cement-for-this-year-bad-juju-rising-off/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [“We round the frangipani, coming face-to-face with two peacocks---one male, with magnificent iridescent plumage sparkling in royal blues, greens, and golden browns, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-verant/we-round-the-frangipani-coming-face-to-face-with-two-peacocks-one/)

Samantha Verant

> [You are born into a dangerous world, there are all sorts of ways in which you could die, and you need to believe your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/you-are-born-into-a-dangerous-world-there-are-all-sorts-of-ways-in/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [I just want to let people know that JuJu is all about football. He's focused on football. But at the same time, I've gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juju-smith-schuster/i-just-want-to-let-people-know-that-juju-is-all-about-football-he-s/)

[JuJu Smith-Schuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juju-smith-schuster/)

> [I'll be totally honest in that I feel tremendously lucky that I am offered incredible jobs all the time to direct, but the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lake-bell/i-ll-be-totally-honest-in-that-i-feel-tremendously-lucky-that-i-am/)

[Lake Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lake-bell/)

> [“Juju is not enough to protect you. Everything you have I will turn against you. I'll turn sugar bitter for you. I'll take your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/juju-is-not-enough-to-protect-you-everything-you-have-i-will-turn/)

[Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/)

> [The base of evil in the world is religion of any kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-base-of-evil-in-the-world-is-religion-of-any-kind/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/morality-without-religion-is-only-a-kind-of-dead-reckoning-an/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [We grew up going to church, and I believe in God. I don't know that I have the ability to define what or who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/we-grew-up-going-to-church-and-i-believe-in-god-i-don-t-know-that-i/)

[Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/)

## More by Stephen King

> [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“Flakes of snow swirled and danced across the porch. The Overlook faced it as it had for nearly three-quarters of a century, its darkened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/flakes-of-snow-swirled-and-danced-across-the-porch-the-overlook-faced/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Who gets to be best-liked in any community? Who is the most trusted? Why, the man who does the dirty job, of course, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/who-gets-to-be-best-liked-in-any-community-who-is-the-most-trusted/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“¿Lo ves, tonto? Volvió a regañarse. Tú lo inventaste todo, gato asustado. No fue más que tu imaginación, gato asustado, gato asustado... No te…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/lo-ves-tonto-volvi-a-rega-arse-t-lo-inventaste-todo-gato-asustado-no/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“Death . . . but not for you. That was what Walter, clever as Satan even at the end, had said. A lawyer’s answer . . . so close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/death-but-not-for-you-that-was-what-walter-clever-as-satan-even-at/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ghost-story-movie-that-scared-me-the-most-was-the-changeling-with/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“Climb aboard, Jonesy. I'm going to send you up where the air is rare and the view is much more than fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/climb-aboard-jonesy-i-m-going-to-send-you-up-where-the-air-is-rare/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

[Explore all 3,589 Stephen King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

## More Books 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/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [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/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [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/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [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/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dumps a crucifix in Count Dracula's face, and he pulls away and runs back into his house. That's not religion. That's some kind of juju, like a talisman.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen King"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative-god-is-a-kind-of-kryptonite/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative-god-is-a-kind-of-kryptonite/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/stephen-king-13_books_too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative_2113841.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and…” — Stephen King",
                "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": "Stephen King",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Too often, in novels that are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative-god-is-a-kind-of-kryptonite/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/too-often-in-novels-that-are-speculative-god-is-a-kind-of-kryptonite/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
