Sidney Showden > Sidney's Quotes

“A city's only ever three hot meals away from anarchy.”
― Alastair Reynolds, Terminal World

“It’s the people who don’t worry—those who never have any doubts that what they’re doing is good and right—they’re the ones that cause the problems.”
― Alastair Reynolds, Redemption Ark

“I think I've reduced the amount of blood in my caffeine system to an acceptable level.”
― Alastair Reynolds, Revelation Space

“To see something marvellous with your own eyes - that’s wonderful enough. But when two of you see it, two of you together, holding hands, holding each other close, knowing that you’ll both have that memory for the rest of your lives, but that each of you will only ever hold an incomplete half of it, and that it won’t ever really exist as a whole until you’re together, talking or thinking about that moment ... that’s worth more than one plus one. It’s worth four, or eight, or some number so large we can’t even imagine it.”
― Alastair Reynolds, House of Suns

“You worry that we're becoming monsters. Merlin, we already were monsters. You didn't make us any worse.”
― Alastair Reynolds, Thousandth Night / Minla's Flowers

“promised me you’d be my anchor, and I always promised myself to be yours if you ever needed me. I’m here because of the promises we made, but right now I don’t even know who you are,” I whispered. “The boy I knew wouldn’t yell at me. Never. The boy I knew wouldn’t beat himself down so much.” “Maggie.” “Brooks.”
― Brittainy C. Cherry, The Silent Waters

“but Elizabeth had the conviction of the desperate and would brook no argument.”
― Maggie Mooha, Elizabeth in the New World

“Under the Sun by Maisie Aletha Smikle

The year was seventeen ten
When I turned ten
I played with Maggy my hen
And wrote a skit for a friend

I fed Maggy corn
That was fetched from the barn
And milked the goats
For breakfast I made porridge from oats

On a bench I sat
Eating my Pop
When out flew Maggy my hen
From her pen

I left my meal
This was unreal
The hen had left her coop
So I got some grain and stooped

Then called out to Maggy my hen
Maggy O Maggy come back to your pen
The hen flapped her wings
Her leg was caught between two strings

Two men got my poor hen
They grabbed me and my hen
And stuffed us in a pen
Then sold us for a stipend

My precious hen they took
Made fire slaughter and cook
Then gulped water from a nearby brook
My poor neck was hooked

In chains like a crook
It must be a nightmare
The crooks were here
To get more than their share

Have I died and gone to hell
I simply couldn’t tell
I always do good
And was never misunderstood

Are these vultures
One could not tell
Their skin looked like the skin of bald head vultures
O dear me roaming wingless vultures

Are these aliens from hell
One could not tell
They looked like me head hands and feet
They don't have four feet

O Lord I did not make it to heaven
Even though I had forgiven
Heated red hot metal pierced my body
Steam gushed from my broiling flesh

There is no doubt these are the demons of hell
Brandishing fiery stones and red hot iron
Burning those who did not make it to heaven
Shoving them into hell’s decked unlit pit

The year was seventeen ten
When I turned ten
Maggy my hen flew from her pen
And the sun stopped shining at half past ten”
― Maisie Aletha Smikle

“Heidi's role as grand master was to monitor all the women and to manage their locations and communication. Even though she’d done this many times on multiple missions, her heartbeat still pounded in her ears.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Trouble on Main Street

“Adam offered her a heart-melting smile and a wink, then headed for the door. With his hand on the door, he paused and turned back.
Heidi’s eyes jumped up from his butt to his face.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Trouble on Main Street

“If Adam were honest with himself, which he rarely was, he’d come to terms with the fact that beyond his work and the view, he was floundering a bit. His plan had been to take the insurance money, leave his old life behind, and start completely over somewhere new. A place where memories didn’t lurk around every corner.
He hadn’t figured on the memories coming along with him.”
― Kirsten Fullmer

“From the antique Persian rugs covering the gleaming hardwood floors to the molded tin ceilings and ornate chandeliers, the house was a showstopper. Throughout its long life, no one had allowed this home to fall into disrepair. Every detail of the wainscoting, every pocket door, every window, floor tile, and bathtub was original to the house.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Trouble on Main Street

“She gripped the wheel and squared her shoulders. She didn’t have to do any of this alone. All she had to do was notify the society and put out an All Points Bulletin on Adam and she’d know everything there was to know about the man within 24 hours.”
― Kirsten Fullmer

“Mildred adjusted the papers and scribbled some more. When she was finished, she took off her glasses, leaving them to swing from the chain around her neck. She gave the women around the table a pointed look. “Now think hard, ladies, can you come up with anything else?”
― Kirsten Fullmer

“The mayor stood, his surprise at her interruption apparent by his twitching mustache. “You—you can’t just burst in here. Who are you?”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Trouble on Main Street

“Where did you see him?” Heidi asked.
“At the grocery store,” Mildred replied. “He was picking out a cantaloupe. Of course, I had to give him some tips. He was about to pick one that wasn’t anywhere near ripe.” The women tossed each other knowing looks.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Problems at the Pub

“Monique bit at the side of lip. “He’s pretty active, I don’t want to impose…”
Tony stood and scooped up the puppy. “No, seriously, I’d love a little company.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Problems at the Pub

“The poor man’s face twisted into a grimace and he pounded on the bar, protesting loudly. “Oh, you shush,” Kim demanded as she continued to knead his shoulders, jerking his whole body as she worked. “You’ll like this in a minute.”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Problems at the Pub

“The big question was, what all was this society up to? They’d certainly been in and out of his office, as well as accidently running into him all around town. Had he inadvertently missed what this group of ladies knew? And worse yet, had he given himself away?”
― Kirsten Fullmer, Problems at the Pub

“Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.”
― Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them.... I destroy them.”
― Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

“If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault.”
― Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

“Ethan Wyeth: I hope you're thirsty."
Gideon Wyeth:"Why?"
Ethan: "Cause your dumb and ugly, but I can do something about thirsty.”
― Orson Scott Card

“This is how humans are: We question all our beliefs, except for the ones that we really believe in, and those we never think to question.”
― Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead

“The money we spend to help you is really to help ourselves. We invest in you because you will do great things, and we want to be part of it.”
― Steven Decker, Projector for Sale

“She’d always loved the mountains, but as she turned back to face the spectacular seascape in the distance, she nearly lost her breath at the diversity of beauty to be found on this ancient, tiny island. She remembered a thought she’d had, just briefly, during her first day ever walking in Ireland, when they were going down through the forest on the way from Glenmalure to Glendalough. I could live my life doing this, she’d thought. And she’d done that, for a while.”
― Steven Decker, Projector for Sale

“In my country, we value achievement. People are free to decide what that means to them, and I’ve always considered helping others to be my way of accomplishing something important. I was hoping to serve others with my new job, but that’s history now, so I’m going to have to accomplish something big, or I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
― Steven Decker, Projector for Sale

“We needed that Border Patrol stop like a hole in the head. Won’t take much digging to figure out who took a close look at their bunker,” said Decker. “This is going to come back at us pretty fast.”
― Steven Konkoly, The Raid

“After lunch, they went for a walk around the island. The sun was out, but the wind was brisk, bringing a chill into their hands and faces. They arrived at the viewing point on the northwest corner of the island. The waves from the Atlantic crashed relentlessly against the rocks. They took a seat together on a large, smooth stone and gazed out at the sea and the barrier islands. Orla sat between Aideen and Dani. They all held hands. For a while, no words were spoken, but then Orla broke the silence. “What do ya’ think will happen to us in 2253?” she asked.”
― Steven Decker, Time Chain

“They enjoyed ham and butter sandwiches for lunch and washed them down with carbonated iced tea.”
― Steven Decker, Time Chain: A Time Travel Novel