Though opposition is a hopeless task, acquiescence would be worse.

The gods, after all, are only human, and once their rage has been placated they are perfectly capable of acts of mercy and grace.

All children... feel a demonic sympathy with those things that cause disorder in the grown-up world.

Creativeness is finding patterns where none exist.

So, without saying anything to the others, it made its way to the farthest corner of the meadow and began to toast an imaginary muffin. That was always the best way to unwind when things got to be too much for it.

But the toaster was quite satisfied with itself, thank you. Though it knew from magazines that there were toasters who could toast four slices at a time, it didn't think that the master, who lived alone and seemed to have few friends, would have wanted a toaster of such institutional proportions. With toast, it's quality that matters, not quantity.

America is a nation of liars, and for that reason science fiction has a special claim to be our national literature, as the art form best adapted to telling the lies we like to hear and to pretend we believe.