Top 15 Adam Roberts Quotes

Billiard-Fannon’s expression hardened. “Say the words,” he ordered. “Say them, or displease me. You do not wish to see the displeasure of the Holy One!”
“I do not wish to see the Holy One at all,” said Jhutti.

“Do not,” Dakkar barked, “juxtapose yourself and myself in any sentence your mouth may form!

The future cannot be won with the weapons of the past," insisted Dakkar. "To rise up like Spartacus will only lead to millions of ordinary people being crucified, and the Caesars—and Czars—retaining an even tighter grip on power. No, no, the future must be won for justice and equality with the weapons of the future.

There is always war," said Dakkar, coldly. "There will always be war, whilst empires oppress and distort human potential.

“The situation on, on earth is complicated.”
“You mean politics?” Dakkar spat the word, with immeasurable contempt.

“The rest of the materials inside your submarine must have floated—must have flown around! What did you think?”
“Some people,” Lebret confessed, “suggested poltergeists.”
“Poltergeists!” Dakkar’s huge face registered astonishment. “Are you all idiots?”
“It was a chaotic time,” said Lebret, weakly.
“Poltergeists!” repeated Dakkar, disbelievingly. “I was certain it would be scientists who responded to my message! Instead they have sent down a clutch of gullible mystics and table-rappers!” He sounded genuinely disgusted.

“The devils,” Billiard-Fannon wept, struggling upward. “They’re all about the ship! They want to break in! A cursed vessel, a haunted vessel...we must pray to God! Let us pray!”
“I pray you to shut up,” grunted Capot.

Are we in a dream?" Lebret asked. "Might we actually be dead and in some afterlife?"
"How could we test either supposition?" the scientist asked, with characteristic practical-mindedness. "What conceivable experiment could we design to falsify such a claim?

Have you never seen human beings acting in a mob-frenzy? Have you never seen a religious rite that tipped people over the edge? Did you not see footage of the rock-and-roll music concerts they have in America?

You must register your disagreement, must you Monsieur?" he said, in a level voice. "Consider it registered. Consider it simultaneously disregarded.

Let us not entirely abandon Occam’s Razor! The possible, no matter how unlikely, is always to be preferred to the impossible, however appealing.

Money is not our concern. Our concern is the sea. The sea is not persuaded by bankers’ drafts and stocks of bullion; the sea respects nothing but the grit and willpower of dedicated seamen.

I have heard the rumours," said the captain, directing his attention to the food on his plate.
"Ah, but rumours," said Lebret easily, "may not be trusted. Appearances, you see, can trump reality.

Very well. I do not wish to initiate a political discussion. I care only for loyalty."
"Loyalty," said Jhutti, "is a political word.

I avoid all political complications," said Cloche, with a severe expression. "Of whatever stripe. I only wish that political complications would similarly avoid me, and my work.