: Re: Attributing a real quote to a fictional character I've looked at a few fictional character quote questions on here but none seem to hit onto my question: Can I attribute a real quote to a

@Frith254

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There are several good approaches to this problem:

Cite the actual author. This works if the story is set in a world that is descended from the world of the actual author, and if it is plausible that the provenance of the quote would have been passed down until the time of the story.
Cite the actual author, but only give the author's initials. This can work if it is plausible that some of the provenance of the quote would have been passed down until the time of the story. For example, Tom Kratman's Carrera / Amazon Legion stories take major themes from Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. The story is set 500 years in the future, and Heinlein's name has been lost. Thus, the author of Starship Troopers is "only known by his initials, R.A.H."
Mangle or translate the author's name to be recognizable, but consistent with the setting. This might be appropriate if the setting does not descend from the author's setting. But a name like Nietzsche already sounds fantastic, so it might not need to be mangled.
Do not explicitly name the actual author, but blatantly name the character who says the quote after the author (or one of the author's characters).
Do not name the actual author, but instead use a vague phrase like "a philosopher" or "a great man".
Paraphrase a famous quote (in a way that is appropriate to the specific setting) while calling attention to the quote, without attribution. This acts like a cameo -- people who recognize the quote will recognize the inside joke. This works if the target audience is familiar with the quote. For example, in John Ringo's "We Few", an alien launches a morning air-cavalry charge with these words:

"Arise civan brothers!" he cried. "Fell deeds await! Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn!"

Roger had taught him that. He didn't know where the prince had picked it up—probably some ancient human history—but it was a great line, and deserved to be repeated.

Readers familiar with Tolkien's Return of the King will recognize "Arise civan brothers!" as a translation of "Forth Éorlingas!", and the remainder of the quote as a paraphrase of Éomer's war cry during the Battle of Pelennor Field:

"Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red nightfall!"

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