All quotes

'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'

The earliest histories were medleys of self-serving heroisms and mini-dramas that were meant as morality plays and were not to be taken literally.

Anyone on the receiving end of the Juvenile Delinquent Education Facility in Johannesburg called it the Grinder. The education given there was two-fold: learn your books and learn to never come back. Six hours a day spent in class. Six…

In his experience, war made hypocrites out of everyone. It turned black and white into gray, right and wrong into neutral, perhaps war could even mix water and oil. He considered himself to be a man with clear principles and allegiance…

His six colleagues — each representing one of the members of the United Planets — were all present in the flesh. They had to be; electronic diplomacy was not possible over solar-system distances. Some elder statesmen, accustomed to the…

A hundred years earlier, a much poorer world, with far feebler resources, had squandered its wealth attempting to destroy weapons launched, suicidally, by mankind against itself. The effort had never been successful, but the skills…

What did depress him sometimes was the need for dealing, year after year, with the same familiar faces. The marvels of medicine were all very well — and certainly he had no desire to put back the clock — but there were men around this…

Yes, Mr. Ambassador, I think I have some information of interest. What we have here is undoubtedly a 'space ark.' It's an old idea in the astronautical literature. I've been able to trace it back to the British physicist J. D. Bernal, who…

Rama was a prize worth any risk short of a suicide mission. And, of course, it might even come to that. Commander Norton had no illusions on this score. For the first time in a hundred years, an element of total uncertainty had entered…

A particular event may be infinitesimally probable, but the probability is always greater than zero.

Nothing has to be true, but everything has to sound true.

The most hopelessly stupid man is he who is not aware that he is wise.

Tests are a gift. And great tests are a great gift. To fail the test is a misfortune. But to refuse the test is to refuse the gift, and something worse, more irrevocable, than misfortune.

That’s one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones.

It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a…

When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I…

Billy Pilgrim: Why me? Tralfamadorians: That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? Billy Pilgrim: Yes…

Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. Billy has gone to sleep a senile widower and awakened on his wedding day. He has walked through a door in 1955 and come out another one in 1941. He has gone back through that door to find…

You know—we’ve had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock. ‘My God, my…

Spock: As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create. McCoy: Not anymore! Now we can do both at the same time! According to myth, the Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis…

He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. I'll chase him round the moons of Nibia and round the Antares maelstrom and round Perdition's flames before I give him up!

Kirk: A no-win situation is a possibility every commander may face. Has that never occurred to you? Saavik: No sir. It has not. Kirk: How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn't you say?

I don't believe in a no-win scenario.

Ah, Kirk, my old friend. Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold in space.

Spock: In any case, were I to invoke logic, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Kirk: Or the one.

If I may be so bold, it was a mistake for you to accept promotion. Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny. Anything else is a waste of material.

Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me.

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

Your powers are weak, old man.

The Force is strong with this one.