A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
'Doctor Who' was the first mythology that I learned, before ever I ran into Greek or Roman or Egyptian mythologies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the profound impact of storytelling in popular culture, highlighting how personal narratives can shape our understanding of mythology.
Neil Gaiman emphasizes the significance of 'Doctor Who' as an influential source of mythology in his life, suggesting that modern narratives can be as formative as ancient mythologies. This perspective encourages readers to recognize the cultural and personal stories that shape their identities, often in ways that are as impactful as traditional myths.
Themes
Doctor WhoMythologyStorytellingCultural InfluenceNarratives
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of storytelling in education, I shared Gaiman's quote to illustrate how modern tales shape our understanding of myth.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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The important thing to understand about American history, wrote Mr. Ibis, in his leather-bound journal, is that it is fictional, a charcoal-sketched simplicity for the children, or the easily bored.
Neil GaimanRead
Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
Neil GaimanRead
I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
Neil GaimanRead
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The faster the word sticks to the thought, the more beautiful is the effect.
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