Sheri S. Tepper

Even when you went to the moon, you didn't go in search of truth. Oh, you said it was to learn about the universe, but you really went because you were playing a dominance game with another country. Once the other side no longer played the game, you only pretended to go on while actually you started the long slide back into magic and miracles."
Nell said angrily, "Miracles are religion!"
"It doesn't matter what name you call it," said the small god. "Magic or miracle, sorcery or religion, it's all the same.

Great work? he asked.
"The final victory of Almighty God," said Phaed, with a grin. "In the book it is revealed that we shall put whole worlds to the sword." Phaed dusted off a chair and sat down. "So say the prophets, and since they say it, so do I."

Think of that, Joziré! A court dedicated to pure justice, one that can overrule the law! They didn’t even have one of those back on old Earth!

Since they were not in the Dicta, knowledge of them would be considered evidence of heresy, or of imagination, which was almost as bad.

There was an expression on her face at certain times, an expression of unconscious joy which came from a part of her he had always coveted, a separate being he never saw when he was with her. He had seen that being in the arena or the hunt, skimming the green pastures towards the high fences, all there between the posts and over the water, winging on danger and delight, a bird soaring with a singing face. He wanted to hold that bird.

Faith healers. God-loves-you religions. State-supported lotteries. All that enormous energy expended to conquer nothing at all, stadia full of people watching no conquering going on. For every scientist or person in government who really tried to conquer, there were a thousand people buying lottery tickets, drinking beer, watching football, and growing old.” Nell objected, “We would have outgrown that…” The voice grew more conversational. “I think not. Once a race has technology, life is so much easier that conquering loses its urgency. I blame myself for leaving when I did. I could have delayed the acquisition of technology until you had killed your devils. Technology concurrent with devil worship never works out well.

We might be able to do something. If we were very lucky, it might even be the right thing.

They won't be sensible. All they will do is talk about how they have been wronged. Those jongau, they were also wronged. Bofusdiaga says creatures who think only of how they are wronged cannot help with the dance and everything is lost."
Questioner rubbed her head. "If you had asked me, Corojum, I could have told you that those people in the cave would be of no help. They are young, rebellious, and not at all useful. At that age, many young people spend a great deal of time thinking they have been wronged.

The only difference between a futile madman and an effective tyrant is power and will.

There is nothing so delightful, so pure, so innocent or enjoyable that some group has not forbidden it.

Mr. Weathereye had always said that civility could not possibly be resented by any civilized person; that if resentment were offered, it was a sure sign of loutdom.

Sam grew up to be both dutiful and willful, a boy who would say yes to avoid trouble but then do as he pleased.

Aside from earning their livings, what did your people do, mostly? Games. Sports. Casinos. Loud machines that went fast. Shopping. Lawsuits blaming other for whatever went wrong. What did they believe in? Conspiracy theories. Racial superiority. Heroes with superpowers. Faith healers. God-loves-you religions. State-supported lotteries. All that enormous energy expended to conquer nothing at all, stadia full of people watching no conquering going on. For every scientist or person in government who really tried to conquer, there were a thousand people buying lottery tickets, drinking beer, watching football, and growing old.

I often have these good ideas which are as often ignored.

No matter who I ask, they answer out of the Dicta! Even when it doesn't fit."
"Doing such is not a new thing. In the former world, there were people who said all truth was contained in this or that holy book, this or that holy image, these or those holy beliefs. No matter how complicated their world became, no matter how much it changed, the only answers permitted were those that grew ever more tortuous and convoluted."
"Until?"
"Until, some say, God turned his back on them for their failure to use the minds they had been given.