“Thoughts are ephemeral, they evaporate in the moment they occur, unless they are given action and material form. Wishes and intentions, the same. Meaningless, unless they impel you to one choice or another, some deed or course of action, however insignificant. Thoughts that lead to action can be dangerous. Thoughts that do not, mean less than nothing.”
― Ancillary Justice
― Ancillary Justice
“Nothing is so privileged as thinking history belongs to the past.”
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
“We are powerful enough to light the world at night, to artificially refrigerate food, to leave Earth’s atmosphere and orbit it from outer space. But we cannot save those we love from suffering. This is the story of human history as I understand it—the story of an organism that can do so much, but cannot do what it most wants.”
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
― Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
“We live our comfortable lives in the shadow of a disaster of our own making. That disaster is being brought about by the very things that allow us to live our comfortable lives.”
― A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
― A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
“If you’ve made something that brings joy to yourself and to others, even if it’s only a few people, you’re a success.”
― Everybody Has a Podcast
― Everybody Has a Podcast
Allen’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Allen’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Allen
Lists liked by Allen















