Robert Reed > Quotes

“The burden of intelligence: you can always imagine all those wonderful places where you can never belong.”
― Robert Reed, Marrow

“Perfection is insignificant. Is boring.”
― Robert Reed, Marrow

“In Reagan's world, we have to be geared up to fight a foe that could barely feed its own people. And meanwhile, our real troubles have to be mocked. Global warming. Nuclear proliferation. Corrupt governments supported by my tax dollars and everyone's complacency.”
― Robert Reed, Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 108, September 2015

“even what seems stable and true skids upon a razor balanced upon another razor perched upon the thinnest, keenest slice of luck.”
― Robert Reed, The Greatship

“A person can spend every day of his life finding examples of our spectacular oddness, and if that's what he likes to do, then his life is destined to be full and rich.”
― Robert Reed, Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 108, September 2015

“At this particular instant, what she sees is a distant, long-dead relative sitting on a white porcelain bowl, bare feet dangling, his orifices voiding mountains of waste and an ocean of water.”
― Robert Reed, Coelacanths

“With a whisper, Ash asked Shadow, “But why do you live this way?  With him, in this kind of role?” In an Aaback fashion, the creature grinned.  Then Shadow peered over the edge of the canyon, speaking to no one in particular when he explained, “He needs me so much.  This is why.” “As a servant?” “And as a friend, and a confidant.”  With a very human shrug, he asked Ash, “How could anyone survive even a single day, if he didn’t feel as if he was, in some little great way, needed?”
― Robert Reed, The Greatship

“A cold moment passed. Then with a black, hard voice, Quee Lee said to her long-time friend, “Really, it would be best if you left. Now, this moment. And if you can, I think you should run. Because in another moment, or two, I’m going to find a very long knife, and I’m going to cut out your ugly heart.”
― Robert Reed, River of the Queen

“Without data, opinions are gusts of wind best used for other purposes.”
― Robert Reed, The Greatship

“the endless easy joy that came with pissing into the morning sun.”
― Robert Reed, The Memory of Sky

“Things that are impossible usually take time.”
― Robert Reed, Marrow

“I don’t have the barest skills to be any kind of captain. And even worse, I don’t have a flicker of the fire that I would need.” Washen was injured, and in ways she hadn’t imagined, she was impressed by his honesty and relieved to be free of her own motherly ambitions. Quietly, she asked Locke, “What do you have a fire for?” Shrugging amiably, he said, “I’m usually clever, and in narrow ways, I can be very smart. Plus I see things from odd angles.”
― Robert Reed, The Well of Stars

“I avoid opinions,” Nissim said. “It’s easier that way to accept both answers equally, and deny both of them at the same time. That’s how I treat problems that I don’t understand.”
― Robert Reed, The Memory of Sky

“The monkey said, “Bad. Bad, shitty bad.”
― Robert Reed, The Memory of Sky