Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Change is the very fabric of our time.
I find humans tremendously interesting
I find humans tremendously interesting.
Science Fiction is the jazz of literature.
The village is coming back, like it or not.
I would normally never set out to write a trilogy.
I regret having been the bearer of ambiguous tidings.
Only people with full stomachs become environmentalists.
Nothing expresses lack of inner confidence like bluster.
My education and background thoroughly inform my writing
My education and background thoroughly inform my writing.
The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.
Creative people see Prometheus in a mirror, never Pandora.
What point was there in pursuing an ever-elusive popularity?
Where subtlety fails us we must simply make do with cream pies.
Not all SF or fantasy has to inspire new scientists and engineers.
Anything done in secret is more likely to result in terrible errors.
Fortunately, human beings are remarkably diverse models to work from
Fortunately, human beings are remarkably diverse models to work from.
But it is a delightful challenge to try to depict interesting aliens.
Petals floating by, Drift through my woman's hand, As she remembers me.
The best time to act on this was decades ago. The second best time is now.
Prison for the crime of puberty -- that was how secondary school had seemed.
If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.
Patience is fine, but I'm not going to stop asking the Universe to make sense!
Reciprocal accountability, or criticism [is] the only known antidote to error.
Strutting and preening is, in fact, the surest sign of an inferiority complex.
Cultural contamination that is directed outward is always seen as ‘enlightenment.'
Only a knowledgeable, empowered and vocal citizenry can perform well in democracy.
Why must conversions always come so late? Why do people always apologize to corpses?
Science fiction is the field that explores how change can affect us, for well or ill.
I really respect and admire Tolkien. I think he was the most honest of the Romantics.
Gaia spins on, silently contemplating what it means to be born into a sarcastic universe.
Alas, criticism has always been what human beings, especially leaders, most hate to hear.
Life is not fair... Anyone who says it is, or even that it ought to be, is a fool or worse.
Beware of assumptions that seem "obvious" in one decade. They may become quaint in the next.
With gritty action and realistic science, Peter Watts brings to life a dark and vivid world.
A neurosis defends itself by coming up with rationalizations to explain away bizarre behavior.
The three basic material rights -- continuity, mutual obligation, and the pursuit of happiness.
Everything isn't subjective. Reality also matters. Truth matters. It is still a word with meaning.
Ideologies are too seductive anyway. It does a man good to see things from a different point of view.
One of the rules I try to follow is that normal people are going to be involved even in heroic events
One of the rules I try to follow is that normal people are going to be involved even in heroic events.
I consider Yoda to be just about the most evil character that I've ever seen in the history of literature.
When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.
In the end, the work of diplomats continues even while others fight. So, it's not necessarily true that everyone needs to march.
Self-awareness is probably overrated. A complex, self-regulating system doesn't need it in order to be successful, or even smart.
The fundamental premise of sci-fi is not spaceships and lasers - it's that children can learn from the mistakes of their parents.
It is a paradox of Life that all species breed past mere replacement. Any paradise of plenty soon fills to become paradise no more.
But honestly, if you do a rigorous survey of my work, I'll bet you'll find that biology is a theme far more often than physical science.