John Wyndham Quotes

And, after all, what is a planet but an island in space?

Cruelty is as old as life itself.

In point of fact our ascendancy has been so complete that we are rarely called upon to kill wolves nowadays - in fact, most of us have quite forgotten what it means to have to fight in a personal way against another species. But, when the need arises we have no compunction in fully supporting those who slay the threat whether it is from wolves, insects, bacteria, or filterable viruses; we give no quarter, and certainly expect no pardon.

The law punishes the criminal after he has been successful: it is no use to us.

The dove is not a coward to fear the hawk; it is simply wise.

I wonder if a sillier and more ignorant catachresis than "Mother Nature" was ever perpetrated? It is because Nature is ruthless, hideous, and cruel beyond belief that it was necessary to invent civilisation. One thinks of wild animals as savage, but the fiercest of them begins to look almost domesticated when one considers the viciousness required of a survivor in the sea; as for the insects, their lives are sustained only by intricate processes of fantastic horror. There is no conception more fallacious than the sense of cosiness implied by "Mother Nature". Each species must strive to survive, and that it will do, by every means in its power, however foul — unless the instinct to survive is weakened by conflict with another instinct.

Nobody," she said, "nobody but a child, or a child-minded person, expects life to be fair.

There's a type of woman who isn't content until she's made herself some man's slave and doormat—put herself completely in his power.

"This isn't a nice cosy world for anyone—especially not for anyone that's different," he said.

My impression was of an uncomfortably industrious place where there always seemed to be more jobs than people, unless one was careful, so on this particular evening I contrived to lie low until routine sounds told me that it was near enough to the mealtime for me to show myself safely.

Unfortunately there were certain persons with elastic principles.

WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT !

There was often a great deal of grown-up fuss that seemed disproportionate to causes. The ways of the world were very puzzling. . . .

But we had learnt, as had many before us, about the bread-alone factor, one needed more than adequate food.

'Somehow running away seldom seems to work out well unless you have a pretty good idea what you're running to."