Alastair Reynolds Quotes

Are you impressed?" Goma dared ask. "I don't really do impressed. But consider yourselves the recipients of grudging approval.

Of course there were no miracles to be had, except of the modest kind permitted by the exigencies of medicine and time.

Clearly we missed something." "You have a fine talent for understatement.

I’m not on the side of elephants or people, Goma. I’m on the side against stupidity.

I will say this, though—it's a very odd thing not to be conscious. To be—to all intents and purposes—dead. Neither gathering nor generating information, as cold and changeless as eternity. How do you humans live with the thought of that hanging over every moment of your pitifully short existences?" "We don't," Kanu said. "We just get on with it.

History's a stopped clock," Eunice said. "It's nice to look at, but there's only so much you can tell you.

Ideology is all there is." "Really? I would have thought there were many other human qualities worth considering. Fairness. Generosity. A sense of humour. A willingness to see the best in people, even those we do not automatically agree with.

There are no nasty surprises," Swift said, "only degrees of unpreparedness.

Kanu closed his eyes, opened them again, hoping that the world would have done the decent thing and changed into a less problematic version of itself.

It was a fault of the human condition—or perhaps a blessing—that there was no situation which did not eventually become the normal state of affairs.

Half of all the great art and literature in existence went unrecognised during the lifetimes of its creators.

You weren't there." "I didn't have to be—I know my history.

I can’t stop being a rationalist just because it upsets some people.

Could be worse, as they say." "That's the sum story of human history, isn't it? Could be worse. As if that's the very best that we can manage.

I had work to be getting on with. I’ve always had work to be getting on with. It’s what the universe was put there for: to give me things to do.