A reader is not supposed to be aware that someone's written the story. He's supposed to be completely immersed, submerged in the environment.

I do read books. I suppose it's more or less the same thing, but at least I'm alone and I'm an individual. I can stop anytime I want, which I frequently do.

Jack Vance's Lyonesse books are the greatest fairy tale of the twentieth century.

Law cannot reach where enforcement will not follow. —Popular aphorism.

What is an evil man? The man is evil who coerces obedience to his private ends, destroys beauty, produces pain, extinguishes life.

What are your fees?" inquired Guyal cautiously. "I respond to three questions," stated the augur. "For twenty terces I phrase the answer in clear and actionable language; for ten I use the language of cant, which occasionally admits of ambiguity; for five, I speak a parable which you must interpret as you will; and for one terce, I babble in an unknown tongue.

I worked for half a cent a word. I'm not a fast writer to begin with, so for the first few years I had do other things.