Malcolm Azania

"Take responsibility for your own happiness, rather than claiming telepathy you don’t have (unless you are telepathic) or ascribing to others ugly thoughts you can’t verify, and aiming endless, nonspecific blame for your mediocrity at the Trilateral Commission, “the media,” SKULL, the RAND Corporation, the long-disbanded Treemasons, the MAN, the Black Helicopter Legion, or the perennial favorite of paranoiacs, “Them.”"

"The self-delusion that mysterious forces and persons unknown are conspiring against us is, surprisingly, a comforting belief, because it means we’re significant enough in this anarchic world to warrant someone’s enmity. That delusion saves us from the far more difficult to accept reality: that we’re not that important to anyone. That the universe just isn’t “into” us. Paranoia is the emotive-psychestructure’s response to feeling ignored, unloved, or forgotten in an existence filled with random acts of destructive indifference emphasizing the inherent futility of life and struggle. If you’re ever to achieve serenity, ultimately you must accept that in such a vast cosmos, you simply don’t matter very much."

"Lack of verifiability was a paranoiac’s playground paradise."

"All of them cite that toxic spew, even though there’s not a syllable of supporting evidence. Because the controversy itself became news. Save a country, save a world, save a child—it doesn’t matter. You don’t need proof or even evidence to burn down a man’s soul. All you need is accusation."

"When dysfunctional self-distraction devolves into delusional self-destruction, neurosis turns into psychosis."

"We spent too much damn time getting down. Now it’s time to get up."

"The two former lovers finally looked at each other, their faces crawling with the crabs of conflicting emotion."

"Hnossi glowered at her daughter, a look cold enough to freeze sunshine and shatter it on the pavement."

"That diabolical deviant is smarter than he smells."

"When people are suffering, they usually hurt the people closest to them, because those are the only ones left around."

"“Never,” said the man to Rap’s silent consideration, “underestimate the stupidity of anybody who wants to be a saviour.”"

"There’re two types of the people in the world. Those who do what they say they’re gonna do, and everybody else."

"“You know what supernovas are?” “Yeah,” said JC. “Like, super-duper huge mega-stars. That explode.” “That’s right, young brother. Where’d you learn that?” “Star Trek,” he said. “Good,” chuckled Mr. Ani. “Me too, probably. In the olden days. So let’s transform all this. “People are born lead, and most people stay that way their whole lives. They’re the Leadites. “And they’re easily led astray by those who’re turned into—or who turn themselves into—the Pyrites. The Pyrites are like pirates because they hijack people, keep em hostage, steal their treasure, and prevent them from ever getting where they’re supposed to go, even dumping them on islands in the middle of nowhere or drowning them at sea. “And any gold they find, they steal it and hoard it, and even bury it in chests under the sand.” The boys nodded, grasping fragments, knowing that others were just beyond their fingertips. “So who’s left? Gold. From supernovas, light-sources so powerful they can outshine entire galaxies. Gold is knowledge: the most precious thing in the universe. “If you have everything and don’t have knowledge, you can’t use what you do have or appreciate how much it’s worth, so to you, it’s actually worthless. If you don’t have true gold, you spend your whole life chasing after and stockpiling pyrite thinking it’s worth something, when actually, it’s worth nothing.”"

"“You think this is what the gods want? What the gods won’t punish?” Great. One of those religious weirdos. “Gods this” and “punish that.” At least in my mum’s camp, I didn’t have to listen to that crap. She used to laugh at people like that. “What good are the gods?” she’d say. “Don’t be thanking them. I’m the one who got you this food.”"

"The Master said, “The ancestors scatter their wisdom like a sower his seeds, and those who would feast must first sweat beneath the sun.”"

"But women aren’t like, like…computers or suh’m. You can’t just get an access code and then programme em to do what you want em to. Trust me. About three billion guys’ve had to learn the same lesson."

"No such things as magic or miracles, the old man’d told him. Just the universe giving you endless chances to reflect and learn something through your Daily Alchemy. Up to you whether you actually did."

"I’m a daughter, like all mothers are. And I’m a sister. One day I might even be a mother myself. So even though I’ve got rights and responsibilities in two of those roles now, I’m also preparing for the rights and responsibilities I’ll have as a mother."

"Rap knew he was expected to say something. Knew what Moon taught him: if all you’ve got is dumb answers, ask a smart question."

"“Raiders?” “Gun men. Men who plannedt to kill us or rape us or sell us into slavery, or rape us and then kill us—” “Who were they? I mean, which side were they on?” “Men with guns are always on the same side,” she said. “Whoever paidt for the guns.”"

"Them boys are so street they aint got asses—they got asphalt!"

"Maybe if they weren’t constantly being injection-fed MTV/MuchMusic bling and videhoes, some of them’d dream of becoming scientists instead of…whatever the hell it was they dreamed of."

"“You’re still down with NWA?” “Why not?” He didn’t even mess with Moon’s implication. “The beats are dope. And they’ve got great flow. You can’t deny that.” “Hitler had great flow, too. And way more fans.”"

"Your spirituality is what you do with the fires that burn within."

"But khetiuta as insane as they were? They slithered with snakes just as full of isfet as they were. Khetiuta looking to make names for themselves, who didn’t know shit about cause and effect, or that every time they aimed the barrel, it stared back at them. And men too stupid to know that were dangerous beyond measure."

"But why? I asked. Since before I was born, why this mission of destruction? What threat could we possibly pose to him? Anyone who shows he can survive outside the realm of Set, proves it can be done. That another, better world is possible…there is no greater threat to a tyrant than this truth."

"We expect you to debate everything. Question it all. Turn it upside down. They are your tools for investigating the universe. Don’t hide em away. Use them, all the time. The truth can always be questioned. Only lies die in the light."

"And then once you started overturning everything, how are you sposta to know when you could stop?"

"“C’mon, now. You know I’m right. Look at history. How many butchers got butchered? How many super-thieves paid back the people they ripped off and then set the people up in mansions? And how could anybody ever pay you back for taking the life of someone you loved? “So Golden Falcon prepares us. Says, ‘forget payback. Forget ‘good triumphs over evil. Ain’gon happen. South Africa after apartheid? Right. Got millions who can’t even count on water or electricity. “So the story shoves our faces right in it: what it takes to turn people into the Destroyer. That if we keep lusting for revenge cuz justice is denied, we will become Destroyers. Probably of everything we believe in and everybody we care about.”"

"J*Justice: “Justice is equality of rights in treatment, proportionate compensation for labour and punishment for crime, and compassion and relief for sufferers.”"

"Q*Question: “To question is to seek information so as to expand intelligence. Failing to question is to stagnate or destroy intelligence.”"

"T*Truth: “Truth means that which actually is, as opposed to lies, incorrect beliefs, fantasies or foolishness, and exists independently of thinkers.”"

"She is being like jewelled dagger. Dazzles eye, but slits throat."

"“We have a maxim,” says Thag. “Find the tallest structure, and you will know who runs the world.”"

"I’m not converting to anything, for anybody. Ever."

"Amazing how not censoring myself puts me in a good mood."

"The actual world isn’t solidly real for you if you’ve been treading water in an ocean of lies your whole life."

"We’re lynched on the rope of company credit."

"Her weapon is her mouth. And it’s loaded and fully automatic."

"Violence in the air like the stench of gasoline."

"“The Astriarchy gives those people a nice story about how they can meet up with their favourite member of the Five Immortals on the ‘Celestial Path.’ So no, don’t worry how bad things are right now in this universe right in front of us, because your reward’s coming later! Might as well drown them.”"

"If everyone’s thinking the same thing, that’s only because no one’s thinking at all."

"There’re two reasons those cubs were able to help anybody. They believed the same thing, and they were organised. That’s the rule of history. Without people, Harq, nothing happens… but without organisation, nothing lasts."

"Pain is too strong and life is too brief, brother, to avoid the pleasures that don’t hurt us."

"The more things change, the more the speed up in changing."

"The creature with the strongest armour has the softest innards."

"::::And on the surface of the ancient home, they die in scores of wars and by legions of plagues, and against the poets’ and prophets’ promises for unity born in fear of doomsday, they fight like Tyrannosaurs raging and ripping the life from each other’s scaly necks while the comet smote the firmament, and murdered the skies to doom them all."

"Because there are no second chances. Which is the most tragic sentence I think English can form."