Novelists From The United States

"“It's a good, professional outline,” he said at last. “I am not qualified to offer subjective artistic opinions,” said Cupid. “Take my word for it. It's got songs, it's got romance, it's got laughs, it's got a happy ending, and I guarantee the audience won't have to think.” He shrugged. “It may be silly as hell, but it'll make a hundred million credits.” He paused, then shook his head sadly. “You’d think an audience would have better taste.”"

"“Why not borrow from something more recent?” she asked. “I don't mind consciously swiping from plays that no one has ever heard of,” he replied. “But I don't want to inadvertently steal a character or a story line that might be familiar.” He smiled. “It's the difference between research and plagiarism.”"

"“He talked to me about my place in the organization.” “And?” “As long as I ask his permission every time I feel like inhaling or exhaling, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.”"

"She smiled. “Well, you wanted to be a scriptwriter.” “Not really,” he replied wryly. “I just wanted to be rich and famous.”"

"“Sue me, but I just don't see any need to be this artsy-fartsy.” “I’m trying to create a work of art, damn it!” said Page, exasperated. “Works of art appeal to the masses, Nate; they don't hold them in contempt or try to drive them away.”"

"“You're almost an hour late!” continued Murray Carnegie harshly. “I’d prefer to think that everyone else was an hour early,” said Page."

"And, predictably, he has taken every such gesture as a sign of weakness. You can't reach an accommodation with a man like this; you have to fight him."

"“He's got to have a weakness somewhere.” “Most men do,” said Fiona, commanding the doors to open. “Even a moral man like Thomas Gold.” “I like moral men the best.” “Oh?” she said, stepping into the elevator. “Why is that?” Constantine smiled. “They always make the loudest crash when they fall.”"

"“Christina, you shouldn't say that about your brother,” said Gold. “He happens to be the most righteous man I've ever been privileged to know.” “That's just the kind of man who will commit any crime without compunction if he's convinced he's right,” said Christina."

"“He was a very dangerous man.” “He was a very brilliant man.” “I know. That’s what made him so dangerous.”"

"“It wouldn't work,” said Page. “Why?” “Because you're a machine. You're simply reporting facts, and facts have very little to do with truth.” “That is contradictory, Nate.” “Only to a machine,” replied Page."

"“That's a very small comfort, to me or to him,” said Christina bitterly. “I’m a scientist,” answered Robert apologetically. “I’m better at analyzing problems than finding comforting things to say about them.”"

"I don’t know how to tell you this gently, Mr. Bello, but you’re yesterday’s news."

"The one thing Vainmill has in common with all governments and major corporations is that it abhors scandals."

"“I don’t like ultimatums,” said the Black Pearl. “Then you shouldn’t force me to deliver them.”"

"At any rate, she is what one might call a voyeur with delusions of literacy."

"He had been to casinos on Deluros and a handful of other worlds, and had usually been disappointed in them. Romantic fictions and cinemas had always portrayed them as playgrounds for the very rich, whereas his experience was that the typical casino gambler had no more knowledge of taste or culture than he had of odds."

"“You’re not irritating me, Mr. Crane,” said the Black Pearl. “You’re sure?” “Absolutely,” she replied. “I’m used to dealing with prima donnas and their over-inflated egos.”"

"“This is survival of the fittest, Mr. Redwine.” “Or of the least moral,” he said bitterly. “It comes to the same thing in the end,” she acknowledged pleasantly."

"Crane stared at her for a moment. “I realize that people find me abrasive and demanding…” he began. “You left out tyrannical,” she noted dryly."

"“Is there anything else?” “Only that you have expressed dissatisfaction at not yet obtaining a supervisory position, and that your associates find you difficult and demanding to work with.” “That’s because I am difficult and demanding to work with,” he said, not without a trace of pride. “As for my associates, they’re a bunch of maladroits and incompetents.”"

"“You didn’t really think it was funny, did you?” “I laughed, didn’t I?” responded Crane. “Insincerely.” “Well, you can’t have everything.” “No,” admitted the comedian. “But you can want everything.”"

"“I still can’t see why you don’t aim your sights a little higher.” “Because I’m comfortable with you,” she replied. “There are lots of comfortable people in the galaxy,” he said. “Then aren’t you lucky that I haven’t found any of them yet?” Suddenly her face became serious. “Harry, if you haven’t figured out by now that money and looks aren’t important to me, what can I tell you? I’ve been lonely, and you make me feel less lonely. I’ve been an object, and you make me feel like a person. I’ve been asked to do a lot of kinky things, but you’re the very first man who ever asked me to talk to him when there was an empty bed in the next room. I have a farm I haven’t visited in six years, and suddenly you make me want to settle down there. What the hell else do you want me to say?”"

"“Contrary to what you may think about prostitutes, Harry, none of us were brought up to screw in front of an audience. But after a couple of lives get saved because Security sees a problem developing, and after you realize that they’re not simply a batch of drooling voyeurs at the other end of the monitors, you come to accept and appreciate them, and after a while you don’t even think of them at all.” She paused. “One of the first things a prostitute learns how to do is not think of things, especially while they’re happening to her.”"

"“I take it you’ve never made love beneath a full tropical moon?” said the Madonna with a smile. “I’ve never made love beneath any moon,” he replied. “One of the drawbacks of a career in accountancy.”"

"“You make him sound like a spiteful man,” noted Bonhomme. “No,” said Suma. “Just greedy.” “Everybody’s greedy,” replied Bonhomme. He just happens to be a little more efficient at it than most of us.”"

"“I probably shouldn’t admit this to you, but I don’t enjoy sleeping alone since I’ve met you. And I’m certainly not going to seduce your body if I know your mind is still working away on this paranoid fantasy.” She paused. “So the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go back to behaving like normal adult human beings.”"

"What this embassy needs is more killers and less bureaucrats."

"“Besides,” she added, “the Madonna has been very stupid.” “Oh? In what way?” “She forgot the prime axiom of a whorehouse: that there’s a difference between love and sex. Her job is dispensing sex, and instead she fell in love with the man who is rigging the Comet’s books. It was a very unprofessional thing to do.”"

"“Have I mentioned before that you’re a very interesting person, Mr. Crane?” “No—but I fully concur.”"

"Man sells his soul to the devil, he spends the rest of his life trying to stockpile enough money to buy it back."

"Redwine wondered what the going price of a conscience was, but named a figure that seemed to hover just between the top end of Reasonable and the bottom of Ostentatious."

"“You’re a fool, Harry.” “I know,” he said softly. “That doesn’t make you any less of one,” she replied."

"It had been a good line; he had known it the instant he uttered it. The funny part, he thought with a rare feeling of serenity, was that it was also the truth."

"“What would you be if you could be anything at all?” she asked. “Happy.”"

"Harry, I wish you wouldn’t sound so damn sincere. I’m not used to it."

"“Look, I didn’t ask you here to talk business.” “Just why did you ask me, Harry?” “I’m lonely.” “You should have let me select a companion for you.” “I said lonely, not horny.” He paused. “Well, maybe a little of each.” “Just a little?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “Accounting isn’t exactly a universal aphrodisiac,” he said. “Otherwise I would have propositioned you already.” “And why am I so blessed?” “I don’t know any of the others,” he answered. “And you only go to bed with people you know?” She laughed. “That’s contrary to the whole purpose of a brothel.”"

"Corruption is like a disease; it tends to spread to everyone who comes into contact with it."

"“It lacks the conviction of your other lies,” she laughed. “True,” he admitted. “But you have to understand that my entire training as a liar has been directed at the tax collectors.” “I didn’t know that deceit and falsehood went to hand-in-glove with accounting.” “They go hand-in-glove with everything,” answered Redwine seriously."

"“I’ve always wanted what people told me I couldn’t have,” responded Flint. “You’ve never wanted all that much of anything. Which do you suppose is worse?”"

"“I take it that you’re not much of a romantic,” he remarked wryly. “Only when I’m paid to be.”"

"You measure a man by what he beats, Thaddeus—not by what he avoids."

"“I don’t believe you.” “What you believe is of no importance to me.”"

"“You’re sure of that, are you?” “I’m the best there is, so why shouldn’t I have the best job?” “Modest, too,” commented Redwine dryly. “The next modest whore you meet will be the first,” replied Suma."

"Nobody reaches a position of authority without the ability to be a back-stabbing bastard when the chips are down."

"“What’s your secret, Mr. Flint?” asked Jiminy with a smile. “The two greatest aphrodisiacs in the universe,” answered Flint easily. “Money and power.” He paused. “A hell of a lot of rhinos could’ve kept their horns if people had just looked at things the way they are, instead of the way they’d like them to be.”"

"“It is a world of bitter extremes of climate and a totalitarian theocracy.” “That he believes in,” said Thaddeus. “Believing in his religion makes it no less oppressive,” said Albert emotionlessly."

"“Maybe things are different on his world.” “As near as I can tell, there’s one basic law anywhere you go in the universe: the strong eat the weak.”"

"It was an art form, and you don’t learn to be an artist. You’re either born one, or you aren’t."

"“I’ve revised my opinion,” he announced. “About what?” asked Mr. Ahasuerus. “About how long it’s going to take Man to conquer the galaxy once he figures out how to travel to the stars.” Flint took a long swallow of his beer and wiped his mouth off with a sweaty shirtsleeve. “I give us three weeks, tops.” He paused again. “That’s twenty days to decide whether it’s worth the effort, and one afternoon to pull it off.”"