Search quotes

Link	Quote	Tags	Author
16a5681	If you're the best that the Earth has got to offer, it's time we bend over and get a tentacle right up the ass.		John Scalzi
100ae02	I'm a monster. You're a monster. We're fucking inhuman monsters, and we don't see a damned thing wrong with it.	wrong inhuman thing monster fucking	John Scalzi
1d32b67	Is it a shark made of ice?" Hanoen asked. "Or a shark that lives in ice?"		John Scalzi
fc4dcf1	Part of what makes us human is what we mean to other people, and what people mean to us. I miss meaning something to someone, having that part of being human.	people something mean someone	John Scalzi
72a4dc7	Every creature has a survival instinct. It looks like fear but it's not the same thing. Fear isn't the desire to avoid death or pain. Fear is rooted in the knowledge that what you recognize as yourself can cease to exist. Fear is existential.		John Scalzi
98033ed	Is it good? It ain't Shakespeare, but then, Shakespeare wrote , so you tell me.		John Scalzi
3b6862d	Filled with existential ennui about your place in the universe? Get over yourself. Yes, you're an inconsequential worm in the grand scope of history. But you're an inconsequential worm who makes shit up for a living, which means that you don't have to lift heavy boxes or ask people if they want fries with that. Grow up and get back to work.	writing work life	John Scalzi
d725cfb	Confidence isn't about knowing you're right. Confidence is about knowing you can make it right.		John Scalzi
e281f04	What is it like when you lose someone you love?" Jane asked. "You die, too," I said. "And you wait around for your body to catch up."		John Scalzi
de97da0	Ensign Davis thought, Screw this, I want to live, and swerved to avoid the land worms. But then he tripped and one of the land worms ate his face and he died anyway.		John Scalzi
892cbda	She was my friend. Briefly, she was my lover. She was braver than I ever would have been in the moment of death. And I bet she was a hell of a shooting star.	lover death star friend moment shooting hell	John Scalzi
85d3504	When you're a kid all you want to do is be somewhere else.	wanderlust childhood	John Scalzi
d24a683	I'm going to go pee. If the universe is bigger and stranger than I can imagine, it's best to meet it with an empty bladder.	universe bigger bladder pee empty imagine stranger meet	John Scalzi
bde8f42	I have always found that there's an inverse relationship between the number of people in a room and the amount of useful work that can be done.		John Scalzi
0e72308	My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. I wouldn't do for my characters what they needed for me to do - be courageous enough in my writing to make them interesting.		John Scalzi
a58f213	Q'eeng had just attempted in the third dialect the traditional rightward schism greeting of "I offer you the bread of life," but his phrasing and accent had transmuted the statement into "Let us violate cakes together."		John Scalzi
2c49906	Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out.		John Scalzi
306e202	After another few days, I noticed I became annoyed whenever I would actually have to ask Asshole for something. How quickly the creepy becomes commonplace.	commands commonplace creepy	John Scalzi
4caafbc	I propose a toast. Here's to being right all the time. May God and history forgive us." They all clinked glasses to that."		John Scalzi
96ba777	Occam's razor theory of combat: The simplest way of kicking someone's ass was usually the correct one.		John Scalzi
460e684	This is my rife. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rife is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I have master my life. My rife, without me, is useless. Without my rife, I am useless. I must fire my rife true. I must shoot before he shoots me. And I will. - Marine Rife Creed		John Scalzi
0c129c2	Captain Sophia Coloma looked every inch of what she was, which was the sort of person who was not here to put up with your shit.		John Scalzi
f39e22b	Which is why Mom, when she's being indiscreet, refers to the trophy room as the "vet's office." Because that's where Dad brings people to take their balls."		John Scalzi
fa402eb	How do you like your peace now, motherfucker?		John Scalzi
482cf08	Whether you're an extra or the hero, this story is about to end. When it's done, whatever you want to be will be up to you and only you. It will happen away from the eyes of any audience and from the hand of any writer. You will be your own man.		John Scalzi
33c4ba1	You're an interesting person, Jack." Sullivan said. "I wish I could figure out what you were thinging when you punched Stern and turned on Isabel." "Well, I think that's the thing." Holloway said. "I think it's clear that sometimes I just don't think." "I think you do." Sullivan said. "It's just you think about you first. The not thinking part comes right after that."		John Scalzi
9e025b8	Other science fiction shows had science advisers and consultants," Hanson pointed out. "It's science fiction, " Weinstein said. "The second part of that phrase matters too." "But you're making it bad science fiction," Hester said. "And we have to live in it."		John Scalzi
87b5c73	Attempting to use a biological agent against your enemy while avoiding its effects on you is like trying to use a grenade by holding onto it and hoping all the shrapnel flies in the direction of the person you want to kill.		John Scalzi
9cb2c18	the cynical could afford the luxury of their cynicism because of the stability of the system they mocked.		John Scalzi
de46484	Well, I miss my wife, you know," I said. "But I also miss the feeling of, I don't know, comfort. The sense you're where you're supposed to be, with someone you're supposed to be with."	supposed feeling with wife sense miss someone	John Scalzi
77f6759	Relations were never good (how comfortable can you really be with a race that sees you as a nutritious part of a complete breakfast).	good nutritious comfortable relations complete race	John Scalzi
de9f364	Anyway, I might have just gone on about porn too long.		John Scalzi
e448b71	I've been told my liminal space is like the dark of the grave. But I think of it as the dark from the other end of life entirely. The dark of everything ahead, not everything behind.		John Scalzi
b0e327a	Well, that's science fiction television for you, though," Abnett said. "Someone's got to be the red shirt."		John Scalzi
f39bb49	I didn't mind getting old when I was young, either," I said. "It's the being old now that's getting to me."		John Scalzi
0e09cab	It was interesting what you could do, when your enemy was officially your ally. And unaware you knew it was your enemy.		John Scalzi
04b9556	There's a saying: "May you live in interesting times." To begin, it's a curse. "Interesting" in this case uniformly means "Oh god, death is raining down upon us and we shall all perish wailing and possibly on fire."		John Scalzi
e829d40	Do your people have racists? People who believe they are inherently superior to all other types of intelligent people?" "We have some," Sorvalh said. "They're generally agreed to be idiots."		John Scalzi
ea99137	After our negotiations were completed, the dome would be imploded and launched toward the nearest black hole, so that none of its atoms would ever contaminate this particular universe again. I thought that last part was overkill.	universe completed contaminate dome imploded launched overkill negotiations particular hole black	John Scalzi
ab7484d	It's not an effective protest if it's not pissing people off.	demonstration effectiveness social-change protest	John Scalzi
8694ce3	Yes, he's an equal opportunity asshole," Szilard said. "And he's aware of it, which he thinks means it's okay." --		John Scalzi
1dc3139	Mom, I remember Lizzie," Hart said. "She's really not my type." "She has a brother," Wes said, from his lounge. "He's not my type, either," Hart said."		John Scalzi
9bb37b9	That's the human brain," Attavio VI said. "It creates patterns when there aren't any. Imagines causality when there is none. Imagines a narrative where none exists. It's in the design of the brain itself. It's primed to lie." "And primed to believe the lie."		John Scalzi
8e4c61a	We don't get to choose our battles.	choose	John Scalzi

If you're the best that the Earth has got to offer, it's time we bend over and get a tentacle right up the ass.

John Scalzi

100ae02

I'm a monster. You're a monster. We're fucking inhuman monsters, and we don't see a damned thing wrong with it.

wrong inhuman thing monster fucking

John Scalzi

1d32b67

Is it a shark made of ice?" Hanoen asked. "Or a shark that lives in ice?"

John Scalzi

fc4dcf1

Part of what makes us human is what we mean to other people, and what people mean to us. I miss meaning something to someone, having that part of being human.

people something mean someone

John Scalzi

72a4dc7

Every creature has a survival instinct. It looks like fear but it's not the same thing. Fear isn't the desire to avoid death or pain. Fear is rooted in the knowledge that what you recognize as yourself can cease to exist. Fear is existential.

John Scalzi

98033ed

Is it good? It ain't Shakespeare, but then, Shakespeare wrote , so you tell me.

John Scalzi

3b6862d

Filled with existential ennui about your place in the universe? Get over yourself. Yes, you're an inconsequential worm in the grand scope of history. But you're an inconsequential worm who makes shit up for a living, which means that you don't have to lift heavy boxes or ask people if they want fries with that. Grow up and get back to work.

writing work life

John Scalzi

d725cfb

Confidence isn't about knowing you're right. Confidence is about knowing you can make it right.

John Scalzi

e281f04

What is it like when you lose someone you love?" Jane asked. "You die, too," I said. "And you wait around for your body to catch up."

John Scalzi

de97da0

Ensign Davis thought, Screw this, I want to live, and swerved to avoid the land worms. But then he tripped and one of the land worms ate his face and he died anyway.

John Scalzi

892cbda

She was my friend. Briefly, she was my lover. She was braver than I ever would have been in the moment of death. And I bet she was a hell of a shooting star.

lover death star friend moment shooting hell

John Scalzi

85d3504

When you're a kid all you want to do is be somewhere else.

wanderlust childhood

John Scalzi

d24a683

I'm going to go pee. If the universe is bigger and stranger than I can imagine, it's best to meet it with an empty bladder.

universe bigger bladder pee empty imagine stranger meet

John Scalzi

bde8f42

I have always found that there's an inverse relationship between the number of people in a room and the amount of useful work that can be done.

John Scalzi

0e72308

My characters were...rebelling against something...My own bad writing. I wouldn't do for my characters what they needed for me to do - be courageous enough in my writing to make them interesting.

John Scalzi

a58f213

Q'eeng had just attempted in the third dialect the traditional rightward schism greeting of "I offer you the bread of life," but his phrasing and accent had transmuted the statement into "Let us violate cakes together."

John Scalzi

2c49906

Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out.

John Scalzi

306e202

After another few days, I noticed I became annoyed whenever I would actually have to ask Asshole for something. How quickly the creepy becomes commonplace.

commands commonplace creepy

John Scalzi

4caafbc

I propose a toast. Here's to being right all the time. May God and history forgive us." They all clinked glasses to that."

John Scalzi

96ba777

Occam's razor theory of combat: The simplest way of kicking someone's ass was usually the correct one.

John Scalzi

460e684

This is my rife. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rife is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I have master my life. My rife, without me, is useless. Without my rife, I am useless. I must fire my rife true. I must shoot before he shoots me. And I will. - Marine Rife Creed

John Scalzi

0c129c2

Captain Sophia Coloma looked every inch of what she was, which was the sort of person who was not here to put up with your shit.

John Scalzi

f39e22b

Which is why Mom, when she's being indiscreet, refers to the trophy room as the "vet's office." Because that's where Dad brings people to take their balls."

John Scalzi

fa402eb

How do you like your peace now, motherfucker?

John Scalzi

482cf08

Whether you're an extra or the hero, this story is about to end. When it's done, whatever you want to be will be up to you and only you. It will happen away from the eyes of any audience and from the hand of any writer. You will be your own man.

John Scalzi

33c4ba1

You're an interesting person, Jack." Sullivan said. "I wish I could figure out what you were thinging when you punched Stern and turned on Isabel." "Well, I think that's the thing." Holloway said. "I think it's clear that sometimes I just don't think." "I think you do." Sullivan said. "It's just you think about you first. The not thinking part comes right after that."

John Scalzi

9e025b8

Other science fiction shows had science advisers and consultants," Hanson pointed out. "It's science fiction, " Weinstein said. "The second part of that phrase matters too." "But you're making it bad science fiction," Hester said. "And we have to live in it."

John Scalzi

87b5c73

Attempting to use a biological agent against your enemy while avoiding its effects on you is like trying to use a grenade by holding onto it and hoping all the shrapnel flies in the direction of the person you want to kill.

John Scalzi

9cb2c18

the cynical could afford the luxury of their cynicism because of the stability of the system they mocked.

John Scalzi

de46484

Well, I miss my wife, you know," I said. "But I also miss the feeling of, I don't know, comfort. The sense you're where you're supposed to be, with someone you're supposed to be with."

supposed feeling with wife sense miss someone

John Scalzi

77f6759

Relations were never good (how comfortable can you really be with a race that sees you as a nutritious part of a complete breakfast).

good nutritious comfortable relations complete race

John Scalzi

de9f364

Anyway, I might have just gone on about porn too long.

John Scalzi

e448b71

I've been told my liminal space is like the dark of the grave. But I think of it as the dark from the other end of life entirely. The dark of everything ahead, not everything behind.

John Scalzi

b0e327a

Well, that's science fiction television for you, though," Abnett said. "Someone's got to be the red shirt."

John Scalzi

f39bb49

I didn't mind getting old when I was young, either," I said. "It's the being old now that's getting to me."

John Scalzi

0e09cab

It was interesting what you could do, when your enemy was officially your ally. And unaware you knew it was your enemy.

John Scalzi

04b9556

There's a saying: "May you live in interesting times." To begin, it's a curse. "Interesting" in this case uniformly means "Oh god, death is raining down upon us and we shall all perish wailing and possibly on fire."

John Scalzi

e829d40

Do your people have racists? People who believe they are inherently superior to all other types of intelligent people?" "We have some," Sorvalh said. "They're generally agreed to be idiots."

John Scalzi

ea99137

After our negotiations were completed, the dome would be imploded and launched toward the nearest black hole, so that none of its atoms would ever contaminate this particular universe again. I thought that last part was overkill.

universe completed contaminate dome imploded launched overkill negotiations particular hole black

John Scalzi

ab7484d

It's not an effective protest if it's not pissing people off.

demonstration effectiveness social-change protest

John Scalzi

8694ce3

Yes, he's an equal opportunity asshole," Szilard said. "And he's aware of it, which he thinks means it's okay." --

John Scalzi

1dc3139

Mom, I remember Lizzie," Hart said. "She's really not my type." "She has a brother," Wes said, from his lounge. "He's not my type, either," Hart said."

John Scalzi

9bb37b9

That's the human brain," Attavio VI said. "It creates patterns when there aren't any. Imagines causality when there is none. Imagines a narrative where none exists. It's in the design of the brain itself. It's primed to lie." "And primed to believe the lie."

John Scalzi

8e4c61a

We don't get to choose our battles.

choose

John Scalzi