I understand the technique of eccentricity; it would be futile for a man to labor at establishing a reputation for oddity if he were ready at the slightest provocation to revert to normal action.

Genius is fine for the ignition spark, but to get there someone has to see that the radiator doesn't leak and no tire is flat.

It is always wiser, where there is a choice, to trust inertia. It is the greatest force in the world.

The only two kinds of books could earn an American writer a living are cookbooks and detective novels.

Everything in a story should be credible.

In a world that operates largely at random, coincidences are to be expected, but any one of them must always be mistrusted.

Afraid? I can dodge folly without backing into fear.