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
Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Stories may not always be factual, but they convey important truths and can be valuable in our lives.
Neil Gaiman's quote explores the nature of storytelling, emphasizing that while stories can be fictional or exaggerated, they often encapsulate deeper truths about the human experience. These 'good lies' serve a purpose beyond mere entertainment; they can inspire, teach, and sometimes even provide for us materially, reflecting the vital role of narrative in society and individual lives.
Themes
StoriesTruthLiesNarrativeArt
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a literature class to discuss the value of storytelling.
More from Neil Gaiman
All quotes →Jesus. Low-Key Lyesmith," said Shadow. and then he heard what he was saying and he understood. "Loki," he said. "Loki Lie-smith." "You're slow," said Loki, "but you get there in the end." And his lips twisted into a scarred smile and the embers danced in the shadows of his eyes.
Neil GaimanRead
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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