Of all the sciences, astronomy was the one the superstitious liked least.

I don't really believe in the Devil, but if the Devil is the Father of Lies, then he certainly invented the Internet.

It had long been established in the Civil Worlds that public business was to be transparent, and personal business opaque; but it was as well recognised that the two would always have a turbulent interface, and that the clique, the caucus, and the conspiracy were as ineradicable features of civility as the council or the committee.

Science fiction made me aware of how big and strange the universe was, leaving aside the whole question of aliens.

I enjoyed Old Man's War immensely. A space war story with fast action, vivid characters, moral complexity and cool speculative physics, set in a future you almost want to live into, and a universe you sincerely hope you don't live in already.

Change the problem by changing your mind.

I'm a long-term optimist, and I don't think the problems with our society are from being overly optimistic.