This is only a work of fiction. The truth, as always, will be far stranger.

The line appears as part of a cautionary note in the foreword to the 1968 novelization of "2001: A Space Odyssey". The foreword frames the story as one possible answer to why humanity has not yet encountered extraterrestrials, then reminds readers that the narrative is fictional and that reality may be even more surprising.

It signals humility about prediction: even when a story stretches imagination, real events and discoveries can outpace what fiction can plausibly invent. It also functions as a meta-disclaimer, separating speculative narrative from claims about what is actually true.

“Why not, indeed? Here is one possible answer to that very reasonable question. But please remember: this is only a work of fiction. The truth, as always, will be far stranger.”

“I suspect that the truth, as always, will be far stranger.”