"One class of crackpots felt that Harrison had betrayed humanity, giving conquering hordes of aliens a road map back to Earth. The details of what they would do to us, and why, provided an interesting refraction of the individual crackpot’s problems."

"It was full of jargon, charts and the kind of vague mathematics that social scientists admire."

"“I’ll be frank with you.” Leonard reflected that that was one of the least trust-inspiring phrases in the language."

"“That’s an improvement?” “Who can say? But that’s revolution: throw the old set of bastards out and install your own set. At least it’ll be different.”"

"Any time somebody starts out a sentence with your name, Leonard thought, they’re trying to sell you something."

"“Everybody rich and happy.” She smiled. “Also complacent and rather stupid, you may have noticed.”"

"If you asked him, he would say the only connection between free will and religion in his life was the fact that he hadn’t set foot in a synagogue since he turned eighteen."

"Rationalism doesn’t require “belief,” only observation. The real, measurable world doesn’t care what you believe."

"It was so much more complicated than it had to be, but the changeling had noted that this was true of every human biological function that wasn’t involuntary."

"My own religion, if you can call it that, had changed in its fundamental premise, but not its basic assertion: I’d always told religious friends that there may or may not be a God, but if there is one, I wouldn’t want to have him over for dinner. I’ll stand by that last part."

"“But all I have is hearsay, passed on by others of my kind.” “Including this ‘nameless’ stuff,” I said. “That’s true. And at various times in my life, I’ve wondered whether it might not be a delusion—some sort of fiction that we share. Like a religion: there’s no way you or I could prove that the nameless don’t exist.”"

"Most of human history had been industry versus nature, with industry winning."

"I could have argued with his logic, but over the years have learned to find more pleasant ways to waste my time."

"Fish and chickens were the only animals we’d had aboard in zerogee. Fish can’t tell the difference and chickens are too dumb to care."

"Fathers and daughters don’t communicate that well even when alien languages and secret conspiracies aren’t involved."

"The more leaves, the more Tree."

"“We’re in jail, Charlie.” I made a gesture that didn’t knock anything over. “We can’t see the bars because they’re over the horizon.”"

"The generator was worth its weight in bureaucrats."

"“Some are born crazy,” Amelia said. “Some achieve craziness. We had craziness thrust upon us.”"

"“You’re actually a soldier,” he said to me, “and you go along with this foolishness?” “I didn’t ask to be a soldier. And I can’t imagine a peace as foolish as this war we’re in.”"

"Human nature does change, and the fact that we’ve developed tools to direct that change is quintessentially human. And it must be a nearly universal concomitant to technological growth everywhere in the universe; otherwise there would be no universe. Unless we’re the only technological intelligence in the universe, Julian pointed out; so far there’s no evidence to the contrary. Maybe our own existence is evidence that we’re the first creatures to evolve far enough to hit the reset button. Somebody does have to be first. But maybe the first is always the last."

"Maybe war is an inevitable product of human nature. Maybe to get rid of war, we have to become something other than human."

"“You were a Jesuit?” “Franciscan. We run a close second in being pains in the ass.”"

"Nobody else in that platoon can tell a Hamiltonian from a hamburger."

"She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind. Is that a difference between men and women or between you and me?” “I think it’s a difference between you and merely sane people.”"

"Like a lot of things that everybody knows, it wasn’t true."

"It was an ideological war for some—the defenders of democracy versus the rebel strong-arm charismatic leaders. Or the capitalist land-grabbers versus the protectors of the people, take your pick."

"We did it with their government’s foreknowledge and permission, of course—and there were no civilian casualties, equally of course. Once they’re dead they’re rebels."

"One thing most of us agree on is that the universe exists (people who deny that usually follow some trade other than science), so if some theoretical particle interaction would lead ultimately to the nonexistence of the universe, then you can save a lot of electricity by not trying to demonstrate it."

"Maybe after the war we’ll be civilized again. That’s the way it has always happened in the past."

"In a physical way we’re closer than any civilian pair could be, since in full combat jack we are this one creature with twenty arms and legs, with ten brains, with five vaginas and five penises. Some people call the feeling godlike, and I think there have been gods who were constructed along similar lines. The one I grew up with was an old white-bearded Caucasian gent without even one vagina."

"“We’re inferring from an absence of data,” Jacque said. “That’s lousy science.”"

"Discipline in itself is not a corrupt concept, only discipline that is imposed rather than self-calculated."

"Jack Vance is the most painful case of all the writers I love who I feel don’t get the credit they deserve. If ‘The Last Castle’ or ‘The Dragon Masters’ had the name Italo Calvino on it, or just a foreign name, it would be received as a profound meditation, but because he’s Jack Vance and published in Amazing Whatever, there’s this insurmountable barrier."

"...a revelation for me, like coming to Proust or Henry James. Suddenly you’re in the deep end of the pool. He gives you glimpses of entire worlds with just perfectly turned language. If he’d been born south of the border, he’d be up for a Nobel Prize."

"Jack Vance’s Lyonesse books are the greatest fairy tale of the twentieth century."

"Vance has a genius in evoking the beauty of strangeness, the strangeness of beauty."

"Rute showed Maihac a sour smile. “You seem to lack confidence in my integrity.” “You are wealthy,” said Maihac. “Your money did of the come to you because of your bonhomie.”"

"“You make very narrow distinctions.” “Of course! That is the nature of clear thinking.”"

"“My term of penitence is over and tomorrow I leave this dust hole and that sullen beast Arsloe behind—forever, or so I hope. I must take pains, of course, to avoid my previous faults.” “What did you do?” asked Gaing. “Did you—” and he coarsely suggested an act of sexual perversion committed upon the young daughter of the Chief Magistrate. “No, nothing like that. What I did was worse. I gave voice to unpopular opinions.”"

"Sacerdotal, religious or priest-dominated societies are like organisms with a cancer."

"One thing was certain: when someone searched into secret places, he often came up with things he would rather not have found."

"They meant no harm, of course; they wanted only that he be like themselves, which was the prerogative of all parents."

"Althea cried out in dismay: “Is that what you believe?” “In the absence of evidence I believe nothing,” said Dr. Fiorio."

"Jaro, my dear, there is no mystery about violence. It is the reflexive act of brutes, boors and moral defectives."

"The mind was a marvellous instrument, thought Shimrod; when left to wander untended, it often arrived at curious destinations."

"He adjudicated the case in a manner I still find perplexing, but which must have been equitable, since it pleased no one."

"I may be called upon to address the company. No one will listen, of course, which is just as well, since I have nothing to say."