Larry Niven Quotes

The medical revolution that began with the beginning of the twentieth century had warped all human society for five hundred years. America had adjusted to Eli Whitney's cotton gin in less than half that time. As with the gin, the effects would never quite die out. But already society was swinging back to what had once been normal. Slowly; but there was motion. In Brazil a small but growing alliance agitated for the removal of the death penalty for habitual traffic offenders. They would be opposed, but they would win.

Matthew Leigh Keller sat beneath a watershed tree and brooded. Other children played all around him, but they ignored Matt. So did two teachers on monitor duty. People usually ignored Matt when he wanted to be alone.
Uncle Matt was gone. Gone to a fate so horrible that the adults wouldn't even talk about it.

A ramrobot had been the first to see Mount Lookitthat.
Ramrobots had been first visitors to all the settled worlds. The interstellar ramscoop robots, with an unrestricted fuel supply culled from interstellar hydrogen, could travel between stars at speeds approaching that of light.

Putting a monkey wrench in machinery is often the only way to force somebody to repair, replace, or redesign the machinery. Especially legal or social machinery.

A thrint was master over every intelligent beast. This was the Powergiver’s primal decree, made before he made the stars. So said all of the twelve thrintun religions, though they fought insanely over other matters.

It does not destroy matter, which is reassuring. Rewriting one law of physics is worse than trying to eat one peanut.

A machine has no mind to read; you never know when it’s going to betray you—

Jovan knew about luck. Like wine: when luck turns sour, the whole barrel is sour.

The test of time has at least the virtue of being unambiguous.

Once you know about critics, you know about literature. Literature is whatever survives the critics.

I do not want all critics hanged alongside the lawyers and tax collectors. The good ones serve a purpose.

The standard-issue critic took English lit because physics was too hard for him!

Many critics avoid science fiction and fantasy as demons avoid holy water. And why not? A science fiction work that needs explaining may or may not be trash, but the standard-issue critic is not likely to know the difference, and not likely to be able to explain it either.

Any story that needs a critic to explain it, needs rewriting. A lucidly written, easily understood book is likely to escape critical attention.

I’ll try anything that improves my education and is fun at the time.