185 quotes
Many critics avoid science fiction and fantasy as demons avoid holy water. And why not? A science fiction work that needs explaining may or may not be trash, but the standard-issue critic is not likely to know the difference, and not likely to be able to explain it either.
Playgrounds of the Mind (1991)
He was sick of having to be afraid. … If he stopped being afraid, even for an instant, he could be killed!
11) There is a time and place for tact.
And there are times when tact is entirely misplaced.
“It’s a nitwit idea.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Nitwit ideas are for emergencies. You use them when you’ve got nothing else to try. If they work, they go in the Book. Otherwise you follow the Book, which is largely a collection of nitwit ideas that worked.”
The Mote in God's Eye (1974)
2) Never be embarrased or ashamed about anything you choose to write. (Think of this before you send it to a market)
I thought about it and got cold chills. Assassination is already a recognized branch of politics. If this got out—But that was the trouble; someone seemed to have thought of it already. If not, someone would. Someone always did.
Flatlander (1995)
2) Never fire a laser at a mirror.
8) History never repeats itself.
Have you been wondering just where we are? After all, theologians have debated for centuries over the exact location of Heaven. Some have said that Heaven can be found beyond the stars. Some say it exists in the heart of Man, and others claim that it does not exist at all, that God is dead, or at least unemployed.
Dream Park (1981)
Casual murder, casual suicide, casual crime. Why not? If alternate universes are a reality, then cause and effect are an illusion. The law of averages is a fraud. You can do anything, and one of you will, or did.
N-Space (1990)
9) Ethics change with technology.
6) Everybody talks first draft.
Sex was a game nobody lost.
Destiny's Road (1997)
6) It is easier to destroy than create.
Bin Laden tore down the World Trade Center? Let's see him build one. If human beings didn't have a strong preference for creation, nothing would get built, ever.
As I said before, Mr. Fleming, we understand terrorists. There are two things to remember in dealing with them. First: we must never accede to their demands. Second: those of us who abhor their actions must be prepared to stand together against them.
The Descent of Anansi (1982)
We've fallen way behind. Building one space station for everyone was and is insane: we should have built a dozen.
Space.com interview (2000)
Yes, the bleeding heart was something else again. A gruesome symbol on a vivarium floor. Fingers that broke without their owner noticing. An ink drawing appearing from nowhere on a dossier cover, like a signature. A signature.
A Gift From Earth (1968)
“How did you come to represent the belt?”
“Aptitude tests said I had a high IQ and liked ordering people around. From there I worked my way up.”
“We go by the vote.”
“Popularity contests.”
“It works. But it does have drawbacks. What government doesn’t?”
Protector (1973)
Mankind had come so far in some ways, and in others remained up in the trees, chittering and throwing rocks at each other.
If only the trees weren’t so close together. If only the rocks were smaller.
The Barsoom Project (1989)
There was this about him: he knew who I was, but he hadn’t remembered my name. Ron Cole had better things to think about than what name belonged with whom. A name was only a tag and a conversational gambit.
Tales of Known Space (1975)