Joe Haldeman quotes

Joe Haldeman is an American science fiction author, celebrated for his award-winning novel "The Forever War." His work often explores themes of war, technology, and the human condition, reflecting his own experiences as a Vietnam War veteran. He is known for influencing generations of writers and readers within the genre. Here are 35 of his quotes:

There's no such thing as writing about the future. The future hasn't happened yet. (Joe Haldeman)
Maybe war is an inevitable product of human nature. Maybe to get rid of war, we have to become something other than human. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Big money seeks out the company of its own, for purposes of reproduction. View quote
Joe Haldeman
One thing most of us agree on is that the universe exists (people who deny that usually follow some trade other than science), so if some theoretical particle interaction would lead ultimately to the nonexistence of the universe, then you can save a lot of electricity by not trying to demonstrate it. View quote
Joe Haldeman
I have always valued quiet, and the eternity of it that I face is no more dreadful than the eternity of quiet that preceded my birth. View quote
Joe Haldeman
It was making me a little queasy. Doctors don't seem to realize that most of us are perfectly content not having to visualize ourselves as animated bags of skin filled with obscene glop. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Rationalism doesn't require "belief,” only observation. The real, measurable world doesn't care what you believe. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Maybe after the war we'll be civilized again. That's the way it has always happened in the past. View quote
Joe Haldeman
The 1143-year-long war hand begun on false pretenses and only because the two races were unable to communicate. Once they could talk, the first question was 'Why did you start this thing?' and the answer was 'Me? View quote
Joe Haldeman
Bad books on writing tell you to "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW", a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Tonight we're going to show you eight silent ways to kill a man. (Joe Haldeman)
Men started to geoform the earth in the middle of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, a lot of the early work was done by people who failed to see the earth as a closed set of mutually interrelated systems. View quote
Joe Haldeman
It was an ideological war for some-the defenders of democracy versus the rebel strong-arm charismatic leaders. Or the capitalist land-grabbers versus the protectors of the people, take your pick. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Human nature does change, and the fact that we've developed tools to direct that change is quintessentially human. And it must be a nearly universal concomitant to technological growth everywhere in the universe; otherwise there would be no universe. Unless we're the only technological intelligence in the universe, Julian pointed out; so far there's no evidence to the contrary. Maybe our own existence is evidence that we're the first creatures to evolve far enough to hit the reset button. Somebody does have to be first. But maybe the first is always the last. View quote
Joe Haldeman
She smiled. "I wouldn't mind. Is that a difference between men and women or between you and me?” "I think it's a difference between you and merely sane people.”. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Like a lot of things that everybody knows, it wasn't true. View quote
Joe Haldeman
She hadn't been such a bad girl before the power went to her head. View quote
Joe Haldeman
We did it with their government's foreknowledge and permission, of course-and there were no civilian casualties, equally of course. Once they're dead they're rebels. View quote
Joe Haldeman
CAROL: You don't care for the music? JACQUE: Music! It's just a gimmick to sell lutes and flutes. View quote
Joe Haldeman
If you asked him, he would say the only connection between free will and religion in his life was the fact that he hadn't set foot in a synagogue since he turned eighteen. View quote
Joe Haldeman
I had to stifle an impulse to laugh. Surely "cowardice" had nothing to do with his decision. Surely he had nothing so primitive and unmilitary as a will to live. (Joe Haldeman)
I never found anyone else and I don't want anyone else. I don't care whether you're ninety years old or thirty. If I can't be your lover, I'll be your nurse. View quote
Joe Haldeman
We're inferring from an absence of data,” Jacque said. "That's lousy science. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Everybody rich and happy.” She smiled. "Also complacent and rather stupid, you may have noticed. View quote
Joe Haldeman
Nobody else in that platoon can tell a Hamiltonian from a hamburger. View quote
Joe Haldeman