John Scalzi quotes - page 3

The story of how I left Huckleberry begins -- as do all worthy stories -- with a goat. (John Scalzi)
Who are you and what medications aren't you taking? View quote
John Scalzi
I have drinks,” Hanson said, coming up behind Duvall. "Why, Jimmy,” Duvall said. "That makes you my new favorite person. View quote
John Scalzi
It's Charlie's soul,” he repeated. "Or more accurately, it's a holographic representation of the dynamic electrical system that embodies the consciousness of Charles Boutin. View quote
John Scalzi
Some people are just no good at not being in charge. View quote
John Scalzi
Empires of conquest don't last, Administrator Perry. They hollow out from within, from the greed of rulers and the endless appetite for war. View quote
John Scalzi
I had never seen so many old people in one place at one time. Neither had Harry. "It's like Wednesday morning at the world's biggest Denny's,” he said. View quote
John Scalzi
She was temptable-which, if you believe in an all-powerful God, means God intentionally put temptation into Eve. Which seems like a dirty trick, if you ask me. View quote
John Scalzi
Eight-year-olds can switch into acquisition mode pretty quickly. View quote
John Scalzi
I don't think it would actually make you happier to be told you were right about this,” he said finally. "I don't want to be happy,” Dahl said. "I just want to know. View quote
John Scalzi
"I didn't say that,” Szilard said, in a tone that implied that perhaps he had. (John Scalzi)
Unlike Agents Vann and Shane here, who are being wholly disingenuous, you might be speaking out of genuine ignorance and not just your usual levels of casual obstructionism. View quote
John Scalzi
Why ‘threep'? Why ‘clank'? Slang happens. View quote
John Scalzi
Human technology was good, and weapon to weapon humans were as well-equipped as the vast majority of their adversaries. But the weapon that ultimately matters is the one behind the trigger. View quote
John Scalzi
I have no idea what that means, Nick,” Paulson said. "Talk normal human to me. View quote
John Scalzi
I was pretty certain my dad was not up to no good, running for senator notwithstanding. View quote
John Scalzi
"Do you believe that?” I asked. "It doesn't matter whether I believe it or not,” Redhouse said. View quote
John Scalzi
Speaking of secrets, how are your negotiations with the Obin going?” Both Mattson and Robbins looked at Szilard warily. "There are no negotiations with the Obin,” Robbins said. "Of course not,” Szilard said. "You're not negotiating with the Obin to continue Boutin's consciousness program for them. And the Obin are not negotiating with us to knock down whichever of the Rraey or Eneshans is still left standing after their upcoming little war. No one's negotiating with anyone about anything. And how are these non-negotiations not going?” Robbins looked at Mattson, who nodded. "They're not going surprisingly well,” Robbins said. "We probably won't reach an agreement in the next couple of days. View quote
John Scalzi
Harvey was not especially introspective, but this didn't mean he was stupid. He was moral, within his lights; he understood the value of subtlety even if he wasn't much for it himself, and one of the reasons he could get away with being loud and obnoxious was that he was a fair stick at strategy and logistics. Give him a job and he'd do it, usually in the most entropy-producing way possible, yes, but also in a way that achieved exactly the aim it was supposed to. One of Harvey's guiding lights in terms of strategies was simplicity; all things being equal, Harvey preferred the course of action that let him get into the middle of things and then just buckle down. When asked about it, Harvey called it his Occam's razor theory of combat: The simplest way of kicking someone's ass was usually the correct one. View quote
John Scalzi
I will not let my sales figures dictate what I say on the blog, because the blog is what I want to say. View quote
John Scalzi
The way that I write novels in particular is I don't usually outline; I just write. Part of the fun is discovering what's happening in the story as I'm going along. (John Scalzi)
Many people believe geekdom is defined by a love of a thing, but I think - and my experience of geekdom bears on this thinking - that the true sign of a geek is a delight in sharing a thing. It's the major difference between a geek and a hipster, you know: When a hipster sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say "Oh, crap, now the wrong people like the thing I love." When a geek sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say "ZOMG YOU LOVE WHAT I LOVE COME WITH ME AND LET US LOVE IT TOGETHER." View quote
John Scalzi
That's a nice speech, Trujillo,” Rybicki said. "It doesn't make it true.” "General, at the moment, I wouldn't place you as an authority on truth. View quote
John Scalzi
This is Major Perry's house?” "I hope so,” I said. "All his stuff is here. View quote
John Scalzi
I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army. Visiting Kathy's grave was the less dramatic of the two. View quote
John Scalzi