Steven Brust quotes

Steven Brust is an American fantasy and science fiction author, best known for his "Vlad Taltos" series. His works often blend elements of adventure, witty dialogue, and intricate world-building. He has inspired a dedicated readership and influenced contemporary fantasy writing. Here are 31 of his quotes:

A young man without ambition is an old man waiting to be. (Steven Brust)
Always speak politely to an enraged dragon. View quote
Steven Brust
The struggle is always worthwhile, if the end be worthwhile and the means honorable; foreknowledge of defeat is not sufficient reason to withdraw from the contest. View quote
Steven Brust
No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style. View quote
Steven Brust
One man's mistake is another man's opportunity. View quote
Steven Brust
Why do you work so hard to make yourself disliked? I should think you'd find it happens enough on its own without putting yourself to any extra trouble. View quote
Steven Brust
All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what's cool. View quote
Steven Brust
Most people seem to take pleasure in feeling superior to someone. I'm not like that, which pleases me because it makes me feel superior. View quote
Steven Brust
When there's nothing you can do except worry, that's a good time to worry. View quote
Steven Brust
Still, all this time, I was only barely aware that my subconscious was putting together a layout of the house. It wasn't that I expected to need one, it's just how my mind works. I am, quite frankly, very good at it, and maybe that's where the real pleasure comes in - just the joy of doing something you do well. There are worse reasons for doing things; maybe there aren't any better ones. View quote
Steven Brust
To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. (Steven Brust)
Everybody generalizes from one example. At least, I do. View quote
Steven Brust
I've heard it said: ‘By his home you shall know him'; and we all know that we must pay attention to anyone who reverses the subject and auxiliary verb in his sentence. View quote
Steven Brust
Stalin is the perfect example of what I was talking about. To simply call him corrupt tells us nothing useful. What circumstances put him into power? What objective pressures, as well as subjective characteristics, led him to make the decisions he made? I'm currently reading Trotsky's writings from 1932 (scary how accurately he predicts the way WWII would play out), and analyzing the details of why Stalin did as he did is far more complex and useful than just, 'power corrupts.' And it is even more true for the other great dictators of the 20th Century: I don't think you can even say that Hitler and Mussolini were corrupt: they came to power in order to do the very things they did. View quote
Steven Brust
I'm told I'm very charming when people do what I want. View quote
Steven Brust
It's just that no one wants to be the one being rescued, we all want to do the rescuing. View quote
Steven Brust
It isn't always easy to act on what's in your head instead of what's in your heart. And it isn't always right to. View quote
Steven Brust
It wasn't until I was working on 'Tacky' that I admitted to myself that I was writing a series. View quote
Steven Brust
To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. View quote
Steven Brust
Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. View quote
Steven Brust
A stupid person can make only certain, limited types of errors; the mistakes open to a clever fellow are far broader. (Steven Brust)
There are millions of ways for people to die, if you number each vital organ, each ways it can fail, all the poisons from the earth and the sea which can cause these failures. View quote
Steven Brust
I'd rather be running the game than playing it. View quote
Steven Brust
But once you allow yourself to recognize necessity, you find two things: One you find your options so restricted that the only course of action is obvious, and, two, that a great sense of freedom comes with the decision. View quote
Steven Brust
Do you think it's possible to discuss politics without preaching? View quote
Steven Brust