Foundation And Empire Quotes

“It's a weakness of mine-I want people to understand me.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“Unfortunately, an uninformed public tends to confuse scholarship with magicianry, and love life seems to be that factor which requires the largest quantity of magical tinkering.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“It is an affair of a romantic idiot; but even a romantic idiot can be a deadly weapon when an unromantic rebel uses him as a tool.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“But I'd be killed, and I never like to count on that when I'm making plans. It doesn't pay off.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“Look. I spend my life in space for my five-and-dime gadgets and my beer-and-pretzel kickback from the Combines. There's fat fellows back there,' his thumb jerked over his shoulder and back, 'that sit at home and collect my year's income every minute-out of skimmings from me and more like me. Suppose you run the Foundation. You'll still need us.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“Inevitably, he said, "What is the meaning of this?"
It is the precise question and precise wording thereof that has been put to the atmosphere on such occasions by an incredible variety of men since humanity was invented. It is not recorded that it has ever been asked for any purpose other than dignified effect.”
― Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy

“The friend of a conqueror is but the last victim.”
― Isaac Asimov, Foundation and Empire