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We had never developed a sense of history as such; all we knew, if we ever thought about it, was that there had been others before us and that we were better than they. But no one was ever encouraged to think about anything outside of himself. “Don’t ask; relax.”

— Walter Tevis Mockingbird (1980)

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More quotes by Walter Tevis

Only the mockingbird sings at the edge of the woods.

Mockingbird (1980)

He thought, looking at the cat, if only you were the intelligent species on this world. And then, smiling wryly, maybe you are.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1963)

The woman beside me hesitated a moment, and then said softly, “This man is different, Mary. He’s a Reader.”

Mockingbird (1980)

“But, damn it, you’re not gods.”
“No, but have your gods ever saved you before?”
“I don’t know. No, of course not.”

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1963)

It always horrified Bryce to see professors fawn on businessmen—the very men they ridiculed in their private conversations—whenever a research contract might be in the offing.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1963)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Walter Tevis (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.