Philip José Farmer Quotes

Everybody should fear only one person, and that person should be himself.

I have been forced into this situation and may like it. To survive you must lie better than the liars, deceive more than the deceivers, and kill the killers first! To me it’s sheer necessity, though justified!

I ought to arrest your assertions for vagrancy. They certainly are without any visible support.

I thought that was just one of the wild tales those visionaries had invented," Jill said. "I didn't put any more credence in it than I did in the ravings of Earth prophets. Moses, Jesus, Zoroaster, Mohammed, Buddha, Smith, Eddy, the whole sick crew.

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars but in our lousy genes. Or in the failure of one’s conquest of one’s self.
The fault, dear Brutus, is in our fear of knowing ourselves.

I concluded that extreme mysticism was closely allied to madness.

- И защо човечеството получи своята Втора Възможност? - попита Колоп с тихия си сериозен глас.
- Нима я заслужава? Не. С малко изключения хората са подло, нищожно, дребнаво, злобно, тесногръдо, невероятно себично, вечно препиращо се и гнусно гъмжило. Като го наблюдават, боговете - или Бог - би трябвало да повърнат. Но в тази божествена храчка се намират и съсиреци на състраданието, моля да ме извините, че си служа с подобни образи. Колкото и да е долен човекът, той съдържа сребърната нишка на божественото в себе си. Не е безсмислено твърдението, че човек е сътворен по образ и подобие Божие. И в най лошите сред нас има нещо, което си струва да бъде съхранено, и от това нещо може да възникне новият човек.

The truth is that Trout, like Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury and many others, writes parables. These are set in frames which have become called, for no good reason, science fiction. A better generic term would be 'future fairy tales'. And even this is objectionable, since many science fiction stories take place in the present or the past, far and near.

Burton sighed, laughed loudly, and said, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” Another fairy tale to give men hope. The old religions have been discredited — although some refuse to face even that fact — so new ones must be invented.”

Burton, though an infidel, made it his business to investigate thoroughly every religion. Know a man’s faith, and you knew at least half the man. Know his wife, and you knew the other half.

You know, Doc and … as if they were brothers … coloring … black hair and gray eyes and a darker skin, but Doc has …” They talked on, rambling much. I got the impression that these two octogenarians had known each other intimately for a long long time. They had been through much with each other, and they were very fond of each other. The abuses and insults they loosed at each other were good-natured, indeed, their second natures. And as I listened — read, rather — I understood that they were here on The Last Great Adventure. There had been three other men who had shared their exploits and dangers in the past. But these were dead now. The two old men expected to die soon, but they had insisted on coming to Africa with Caliban, and he had reluctantly agreed.

It was doubtful that their technology, and its intelligent use, would ever match their ability to create social stupidities.

As science pushes forward, ignorance and superstition gallop around the flanks and bite science in the rear with big dark teeth.

Prometheus, I have no Titan's might,
Yet I, too, must each dusk renew my heart,
For daytime's vulture talons tear apart
The tender alcoves built by love at night.

Okay," she said, "I'll listen to the wise. Are you wise?"
"Wise enough," he said, "and mighty experienced, which is the same thing if you're not too stupid.