--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People in science fiction flicks always…" description: "\"People in science fiction flicks always seemed to know useful things about the places time travel took them. But what if the time traveler had been onl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/tad-williams-2777_average_people-in-science-fiction-flicks-always_2559979.jpg" --- # People in science fiction flicks always seemed to know… ![“People in science fiction flicks always seemed to know useful things about the places time travel took them. But what if the time traveler had been only an average history student? What then?” quote by Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/tad-williams-2777_average_people-in-science-fiction-flicks-always_2559979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/tad-williams-2777_average_people-in-science-fiction-flicks-always_2559979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/tad-williams-2777_average_people-in-science-fiction-flicks-always_2559979.jpg) > “People in science fiction flicks always seemed to know useful things about the places time travel took them. But what if the time traveler had been only an average history student? What then?” [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An average student could bring fresh, grounded insight to time travel, challenging heroic tropes. **In simple terms:** Everyday minds can explore time travel. Key Takeaway Value ordinary perspectives in speculative stories. Themes science fiction time travel everyday hero Mood curious analytical Type speculative creative When to use this quote - writing workshops - classroom discussions - role‑playing games - film analysis Key Concepts Perspective shift relatable protagonist Questions to Reflect On - How would a historian view paradoxes? - What everyday knowledge aids time travel? A Different Perspective Risk of mundane focus reducing wonder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-travel/) [Traveler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveler/) [Useful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-things/) ## Related quotes > [ “A reader \[is\] a time traveler.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/a-reader-is-a-time-traveler/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [I feel like I'm a time traveler from the future who has been sent back to be annoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/i-feel-like-i-m-a-time-traveler-from-the-future-who-has-been-sent/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [I don't cry at books or movies. Ever. So imagine my shock and awe when I read 'The Time Traveler's Wife' for the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-don-t-cry-at-books-or-movies-ever-so-imagine-my-shock-and-awe-when/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [For us, time travel is synonymous for the belief in all the things that are not seen, and also for the most outlandish claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/for-us-time-travel-is-synonymous-for-the-belief-in-all-the-things/) [Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/) > [“Technically you would only need one time traveler convention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gambrell/technically-you-would-only-need-one-time-traveler-convention/) Dorothy Gambrell > [“One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-of-the-major-problems-encountered-in-time-travel-is-not-that-of/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Yes you can be a time traveler, journeying to various lokas. You have such powers. Without travelling you can reach far fl ung places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aporva-kala/yes-you-can-be-a-time-traveler-journeying-to-various-lokas-you-have/) [Aporva Kala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aporva-kala/) > [“I am married but I've yet to meet my wife, and she is dead. Such is the life of a time-traveler... complicated, that is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-k-alexander/i-am-married-but-i-ve-yet-to-meet-my-wife-and-she-is-dead-such-is-the/) M.K. Alexander > [I was a terrible history student. They taught me history as if it were a visit to a wax museum or to the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/i-was-a-terrible-history-student-they-taught-me-history-as-if-it-were/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [I was a bike rider, a photographer and a history student, probably in that order. (On his early years)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-lyon/i-was-a-bike-rider-a-photographer-and-a-history-student-probably-in/) [Danny Lyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-lyon/) > [“Because some things that seem unimportant now can change the course of human history -- and I am a student of human history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-nayeri/because-some-things-that-seem-unimportant-now-can-change-the-course/) [Daniel Nayeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-nayeri/) > [Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-drew/too-often-travel-instead-of-broadening-the-mind-merely-lengthens-the/) [Elizabeth Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-drew/) > [And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it's a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-if-travel-is-like-love-it-is-in-the-end-mostly-because-it-s-a/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/we-travel-to-open-our-hearts-and-eyes-and-learn-more-about-the-world/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [the only time travelers are really gay is when they are traveling for no good reason at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/the-only-time-travelers-are-really-gay-is-when-they-are-traveling-for/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) ## More by Tad Williams > [“That is what I hate about ruling and royalty, Simon. It is living, breathing people with whom a prince plays the games of statecraft.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/that-is-what-i-hate-about-ruling-and-royalty-simon-it-is-living/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“If we do not reach our hands will always be empty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/if-we-do-not-reach-our-hands-will-always-be-empty/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Im Schlamm fing es an, wie so vieles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/im-schlamm-fing-es-an-wie-so-vieles/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“I'm tired of being lost and I'm tired of dying, so I'm going to try something different this time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/i-m-tired-of-being-lost-and-i-m-tired-of-dying-so-i-m-going-to-try/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“A piece of writing is a trap,” he said cheerily, “and the best kind. A book, you see, is the only kind of trap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/a-piece-of-writing-is-a-trap-he-said-cheerily-and-the-best-kind-a/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“He shouldn't have had to die." "Nobody should have to die," Miriamele said slowly. "Especially while they're still alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/he-shouldn-t-have-had-to-die-nobody-should-have-to-die-miriamele-said/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Fear goes where it is invited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/fear-goes-where-it-is-invited/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Because love does not do sums, but instead make choices, and then gives its all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/because-love-does-not-do-sums-but-instead-make-choices-and-then-gives/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [So we face our final hours...and all that was once certain has become uncertain. Except for defeat. That, as always, is the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/so-we-face-our-final-hours-and-all-that-was-once-certain-has-become/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Go down." It seemed obvious. "You have to go down before you can come out - that's how these things always work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/go-down-it-seemed-obvious-you-have-to-go-down-before-you-can-come-out/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“We call darkness our friend, but when the elders tell us stories of the Garden, they talk of the holy, unending light that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/we-call-darkness-our-friend-but-when-the-elders-tell-us-stories-of/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [Never trust people that like to call things by initials, that's my philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/never-trust-people-that-like-to-call-things-by-initials-that-s-my/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/we-tell-lies-when-we-are-afraid-afraid-of-what-we-don-t-know-afraid/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“How can you care for a rough man like me?' he asked me. 'How can you love a man who can bring you no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/how-can-you-care-for-a-rough-man-like-me-he-asked-me-how-can-you-love/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Piercing My Hearte there is A Golden Dagger; That is God Piercing God's Hearte there is a Golden Needle; That is me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/piercing-my-hearte-there-is-a-golden-dagger-that-is-god-piercing-god/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) [Explore all 143 Tad Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) ## More Average quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [There were times last year when people looked at the scoreboard and thought my batting average was the temperature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-martinez/there-were-times-last-year-when-people-looked-at-the-scoreboard-and/) Buck Martinez > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/) [Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/) > [I really focus more to hit for average, just try to put the ball in play as much as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-soto/i-really-focus-more-to-hit-for-average-just-try-to-put-the-ball-in/) [Juan Soto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-soto/) > [You give me enough shots, I'll average 20. You give me a particular system where I stick close to the basket, I'll average 10 rebounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/you-give-me-enough-shots-i-ll-average-20-you-give-me-a-particular/) [Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [The average American expends more time becoming informed about choosing a car than choosing a candidate. But, then, the consequences of the former choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-average-american-expends-more-time-becoming-informed-about/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) Browse all 2,816 Average quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People in science fiction flicks always seemed to know useful things about the places time travel took them. But what if the time traveler had been only an average history student? 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