Why must conversions always come so late? Why do people always apologize to corpses? – David Brin
Predicting has a spotty record in science fiction. Ive had some failures. On the other hand, I also predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of fundamentalist Islam… and Im not happy to be right in all of those cases. – David Brin
The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal. – David Brin
It is said that power corrupts, but actually its more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. – David Brin
There was George, throwing away in hideous sloth the inestimable gift of time; his valuable life, every second of which he would have to account for hereafter, passing away from him, unused…. sprawling there, sunk in soul-clogging oblivion. – Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), 1889