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L. Sprague de Camp Quotes

1907–2000 United States

L. Sprague de Camp (November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction.

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Random L. Sprague de Camp quote

87 quotes

As the Persians say, kindness to the lion is cruelty to the lamb.

An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)

The only sure defense against reproach, sir, is obscurity.

The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)

Alas, with what fortitude do we bear others’ misfortunes!

An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)

To be kind to the tiger is to be cruel to the lamb.

The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)

As they say, no tears are shed when an enemy dies.

An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)

Folly is mortals’ self-selected misfortune.

The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960)

Folly is mortals’ self-chosen misfortune.

The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)

That man has convinced me that he is a veritable philosopher. No ordinary man could be so awkward and absent-minded.

An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)

I passed that off as women’s intuition, which is wrong more often than not. People remember the times it works and forget those it fails.

The Purple Pterodactyls (1980)

“But your loss of honor—”
“Honor is a subjective, intangible loss. Therefore our laws take no cognizance of it.”

The Great Fetish (1978)

“Cold comfort,” said Bloch. “Like most oracular verse, full of vague ominous intimations of nothing in particular.”

Rogue Queen (1951)

That which seems but meet and proper to us may appear odd to our friends, eccentric to strangers, and barbarous to foreigners.

The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)

The world is full of people who, if they got to Heaven, would complain about the tune of the harps and the dampness of the clouds.

The Purple Pterodactyls (1980)

“Then who were the Ancient Ones?”
Halran shrugged. “There are as many interpretations of those myths as there are mythographers.”

The Great Fetish (1978)

“I have met Master Parthenius,” growled Thorolf. “He is the sort to whom, if he were drowning, I should be happy to throw an anvil.”

The Pixilated Peeress (1991)

Before sending my opinions forth across the chasm of surmise, I prefer to wait until they’re provided with a more solid bridge of fact.

The Tritonian Ring (1951)

“It is a common belief that all paleskins are superhumanly lusty and incorrigibly lecherous.”
“Now it is you who flatter us,” said Halran.

The Great Fetish (1978)

Certainly their intentions are peaceful, like those of the lion for the lamb. The lion wishes only to be allowed to devour the lamb in peace.

The Tritonian Ring (1951)

Whereas you believe in no gods but Iao, he carries this skepticism to its logical conclusion and believes in no gods at all. The difference seems slight to me.

The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960)

The jackal fell into a dye pot and thought himself a peacock.

An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: L. Sprague de Camp (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.