Nightside, cities glistened in chains, and a spray of tinkertoy habitats girdled the planet. Gossamer starbridges reached from the equator towards orbit.
Alastair ReynoldsIt looked like a biology lesson for gods, or a snapshot of the kind of pornography which might be enjoyed by sentient planets.
Alastair ReynoldsLooking at where the planet is now, we could screw things up massively or we could wise-up on a species level and actually make things better. If I had to put my money where my mouth is, I think we'll wise up globally but there will still be outbreaks of local stupidity.
Alastair Reynolds