Iain Banks Quotes

On Earth one of the things that a large proportion of the locals is most proud of is this wonderful economic system which, with a sureness and certainty so comprehensive one could almost imagine the process bears some relation to their limited and limiting notions of either thermodynamics or God, all food, comfort, energy, shelter, space, fuel and sustenance gravitates naturally and easily away from those who need it most and towards those who need it least. Indeed, those on the receiving end of such largesse are often harmed unto death by its arrival, though the effects may take years and generations to manifest themselves.

Of course they aren’t ready for it, of course we’ll spoil the place. Are they any more ready for World War Three? You seriously think we could mess the place up more than they’re doing at the moment? When they’re not actually out slaughtering each other they’re inventing ingenious new ways to massacre each other more efficiently in the future, and when they’re not doing that they’re committing speciescide, from the Amazon to Borneo... or filling the seas with shit, or the air, or the land. They could hardly make a better job of vandalizing their own planet if we gave them lessons.

When it was first revealed that each of our own deaths had to be balanced by that of an enemy—
~ It wasn’t revealed, Huyler. It was made up. It was a tale we told ourselves, not something the gods graced us with.

The combination of modern ordnance and outdated tactics had, as usual, created enormous casualties on both sides.

The avatar laughed, raised his eyebrows at her. “Golly. What shall we do, Lededje?”
She thought. “The smartest thing?” she suggested.

one thing that empires are not about is the efficient use of resources and the spread of happiness; both are typically accomplished despite the economic short-circuiting — corruption and favoritism, mostly — endemic to the system.

The only sin is selfishness.

Pity they didn’t devote a little more ingenuity to staying alive rather than conducting mass slaughter as efficiently as possible.

The underlying point held; experience as well as common sense indicated that the most reliable method of avoiding self-extinction was not to equip oneself with the means to accomplish it in the first place.

Well, it all sounds most unpleasant," Droffo said. He shook his head. "You hear all sorts of ridiculous stories; the workers are full of them. Too much drink, too little learning."
"No, more than that, sir," Neguste told him. "These are facts."
"I think I might dispute that," Droffo said.
"All the same, sir, facts is facts. That itself's a fact.

[I]f I suffered only one fool gladly, I assure you it would be you.

See if you can hold off this pack of blood-sucking scavengers. Here's my duelling sword." The King handed me his own sword! "You have full permission to use it on anyone who looks remotely like a physician.

We all think we’re special, and in a way we are, but, at the same time, that feeling of being special is one of the things that’s common to us all, that unites us and makes us the same as each other. And when that feeling of…specialness is questioned, we feel threatened, naturally.

So why are we bothering?"
"Just in case."
"Just in case what?"
"Just in case it turns out to be something we should have bothered about. Always try to avoid setting up future opportunities for kicking yourself.

Hope could be more painful than despair.