Alastair Reynolds quotes

Autocratic governments are masters of self-contradiction. They say one thing, do another. (Alastair Reynolds)
For someone admitting guilt she sounded remarkably void of repentance. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
They had been in love, desperately in love, but the universe cared nothing for the vicissitudes of the human heart. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
She would worry, just as you worry. It's the people who don't worry-those who never have any doubts that what they're doing is good and right-they're the ones that cause the problems. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Memo to himself: the one way to make people panic was to warn them not to. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
It was one of the oldest tricks of mob-management: give them a hate figure. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Why was it never good news that put problems into perspective? Why did it always take another set of problems? View quote
Alastair Reynolds
No act of knowledge acquisition is entirely without risk. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
The existence theorem says that it is always much easier to find a solution when you can be confident that one exists. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
There are certain truths that, in themselves, are as dangerous as any advanced technology. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
It's always easier to hate than to forgive, isn't it? (Alastair Reynolds)
Humanity is an assemblage of information-processing entities, and in that regard you have potential. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Don't tell me you aren't the slightest bit curious, Norquinco.” "I hope you burn in hell, Sky Haussmann.” "I'll take that as a yes. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Haven't you ever heard of morale-building?” Khouri had asked. "Heard of it,” Volyova said. "Don't happen to agree with it. Would you rather be happy and dead, or scared and alive? View quote
Alastair Reynolds
I'm not a bad man, Ilia. I'm just someone who knows exactly what needs to be done.” "Like you said, always the most dangerous sort. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
"Maybe it's not as bad as she fears. Old people always think the world is going to ruin. It's their job.” "Maybe they're right,” Floyd replied. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
That's how it went, wasn't it Zebra?” "It might,” she said. "If I happened to be colluding in your own delusions. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Afterwards, when Clavain tried to imaging how he might describe it, he found that words were never going to be adequate for the task. And that was no surprise: evolution had shaped language to convey many concepts, but going from a single to a networked topology of self was not amongst them. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
"How are the internal complications, anyway? Aren't the other branches of government getting a little suspicious about all these machinations?” "Let's just say that one or two discreet assassinations may still have to be performed,” Khouri said. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Auger could not help marvelling at the experience of being inside the ALS sphere and seeing her world as it should have been. This was an earth that had never known nuclear war, or runaway climatic catastrophe, or smart weather, or a Nanocaust. The sight of it made her want to weep. No image had ever come close to the heartbreaking beauty of this small blue world, a beauty all the more acute now that she knew how exquisitely fragile it was. It was the beauty of a butterfly's wing. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
The church-sponsored archaeologists were the only ones who had any kind of overview of the entire haul of relics, and they were under intense pressure to ignore any evidence that conflicted with Quaicheist scripture. That was why Rashmika wrote them so many letters, and why their infrequent replies were always so evasive. She wanted an argument; she wanted to question the entire accepted view of the scuttlers. They wanted her to go away. (Alastair Reynolds)
Are you sharpness personified?” Khouri poured herself a few final sips of coffee and then left the rest of it on the stove for when she got back. Coffee was her only vice, one acquired in her soldiering days on the Edge. The trick was to reach a knife-edge of alertness, but not be so buzzing that she could not point the weapon without shaking. "I think I've reduced the amount of blood in my caffeine system to an acceptable level, if that's what you mean. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Don't you agree with me?” "On some distant theoretical level, just possibly. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
Anxiety is a useful tool: it forces us to make plans. But when too much anxiety freezes us into indecision, it needs checking. View quote
Alastair Reynolds
And even if what they showed you is true, that doesn't begin to make it right. The cause might be just, Felka, but history's littered with atrocities committed in the name of righteousness. View quote
Alastair Reynolds