Creating stars in laboratories on the very planets you inhabit turns out to be a bad idea. - James Nicoll

I don't mind hidden depths but I insist that there be a surface.

It's true that the average human in the Xeelee universe can't eat Jell-O with a straw without accident[al]ly removing an eye but these particular humans start off no stupider than than any other human of their era and proceed to breed themselves into imbecility. Well, farther into imbecility.

Atomic war is bad but you know what's even worse? Having had enough atomic wars that you can rank them in terms of horribleness.