Hank Cradic

“He examined the chess problem and set out the pieces. It was a tricky ending, involving a couple of knights.
'White to play and mate in two moves.'
Winston looked up at the portrait of Big Brother. White always mates, he thought with a sort of cloudy mysticism. Always, without exception, it is so arranged. In no chess problem since the beginning of the world has black ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil? The huge face gazed back at him, full of calm power. White always mates.”
― George Orwell, 1984

“And what was I if not death's ghostwriter?”
― Poppy Z. Brite, Exquisite Corpse

“هكذا هي الحياة، إنها مليئة بكلمات لا تستحق النطق بها، أو أنها استحقت ذلك في وقت ما، ولم تعد تستحقه، فكل كلمة نقولها تنتزع مكان كلمة أخرى أكثر جدارة منها.”
― José Saramago, The Cave

“that was when it happened. A click of her jaw, like a pit bull’s or cobra’s unlocking”
― Megan Abbott, Give Me Your Hand