The deeds of men, as footprints in the desert. Nothing under the circling moons is fated to last. Even the sun goes down.

After a while, you start to realize that you should write a book you would want to read. I try to write a book I would enjoy.

As many have noted, the peril for authors is that our work space is too easily our play space.

Some writers later, describing the events of that night and day, wrote that Wan'yen of the Altai had seen a spirit-dragon of the river and become afraid. Writers do that sort of thing. They like dragons in their tales.

The military preferred - invariably - those who could be readily defined, assigned roles, understood, and controlled.

It is always difficult, even with the best will in the world, to look back a long way and see anything resembling the truth.

How we remember changes how we have lived. Time runs both ways. We make stories of our lives.