Luke Niland

“Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps.”
― Ann Patchett

“Without persistence, what remains is an enthusiasm of the moment. Without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism.”
― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents

“An ancient military leader supposedly once said that it is well that war is so terrible, because otherwise people would grow too fond of it,”
― Jack Campbell, Leviathan

“In stories, any number of imbeciles may be encountered, ready to deliberately insult strangers who are aiming deadly weapons at them. In real life, there are only a few folk so suicidally inclined.”
― Fred Saberhagen, The Holmes-Dracula File