Greg Bear quotes

Greg Bear was an American science fiction author renowned for his imaginative explorations of science and technology. His novels often delved into themes such as artificial intelligence, the future of humanity, and the nature of consciousness. He was awarded multiple prestigious science fiction prizes and influenced generations of writers. Here are 47 of his quotes:

Altruism is masked self-interest. Aggressive self-interest is a masked urge to self-destruction.

Greg Bear

To fight an enemy properly, you have to know what they are. Ignorance is defeat.

Greg Bear

Welcome to the truth of our world-a massive seed shot out to the stars, filled with deadly children. A seed designed to slay everything it touches.

Greg Bear

Apocalypse could not be repealed by the democratic process.

Greg Bear

Grief is not productive. It simply represents an inefficiency in accepting change of status.

Greg Bear

There is nothing finer in the world than the telling of tales. Split atoms if you wish, but splitting an infinitive-and getting away with it-is far nobler. Lance boils if you wish, but pricking pretensions is often cleaner and always more fun.

Greg Bear

Nothing is lost. Nothing is forgotten.It was in the blood, the flesh,And now it is forever.

Greg Bear

I sometimes think we deserve to die, we're all so goddamned stupid.

Greg Bear

Once, poets were magicians. Poets were strong, stronger than warriors or kings - stronger than old hapless gods. And they will be strong once again.

Greg Bear

There is no war so important that to win it, we must destroy our minds.

Greg Bear

Having one's eyes opened doesn't make one grateful.

Greg Bear

Sometimes I feel like a beetle crawling through a fusion power plant. I can feel a certain amount, see a certain amount, but I sure as hell don't understand everything.

Greg Bear

Life on earth is hard. Competition for the necessities of life is fierce. How ridiculous to believe that the law of harsh survival would not be true elsewhere, or that it would be negated by the progress of technology in an advanced civilization...

Greg Bear

We are born in ignorance, we die in ignorance, but maybe sometimes we learn something important and pass it along to others before we die. Or we write it down in a little book.

Greg Bear

The battle was over. There were no victors.

Greg Bear

You're a romantic, aren't you?” she said. "I suppose I am.” "I am too. The silliest people in the world are romantics.

Greg Bear

We're not prophets. We're not here to inform the rich people of the world on how to make more money, or to inform governments on how to direct themselves. We are here to allow you to dream your dreams and make them happen, and have your nightmares a little in advance so you can prevent them from happening.

Greg Bear

Conservatism is not about tradition and morality, hasn't been for many decades... It is about the putative biological and spiritual superiority of the wealthy.

Greg Bear

Science fiction works best when it stimulates debate.

Greg Bear

Of all the planets apart from Earth in our solar system, Mars is the most hospitable. Yeah. Right. Better keep my visit short. And yet, despite the discomfort, the danger, I love it here. I love coming back for these imaginary vacations. The sights are amazing.

Greg Bear

Can't own a woman, Mike. Wonderful companions, can't own them.

Greg Bear

She saw that in all wars, the first stage was to dehumanize the enemy, reduce the enemy to a lower level so that he might be killed without compunction. When the enemy was not human to begin with, the task was easier.

Greg Bear