Quotes from Steven Barnes

Saying spirituality cannot exist without religion is like saying hamburgers cannot exist without McDonald's.

Someone asked me about the difference between love and lust. Hmmm. That will take a little thought. How to tell the difference? Well, for guys, if she looks better AFTER you've made love to her than before, that might be love. If you find yourself itching to get out the door afterward, probably just lust, y'know?

Saying spirituality cannot exist without religion is like saying hamburgers cannot exist without McDonald's.

in life every thing comes with a price even freedom

Perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control.

Every father wants his son to have the advantages he himself was denied. But then, if you provide those advantages, you risk producing a weakling. The core parental paradox.

And whatever Aidan's secret thoughts might have been, for those moments his smiles and joy were genuine. His sweat and bruises were his own. Sometimes he won, usually he lost. But here, in these moments with Kai, they were just two boys, and Aidan managed almost to forget that Kai could have him killed and suffer no punishment at all.

All either of us needed was the right dream.

If Mozart had been born a Kalahari Bushman, he'd have been known as the best drummer in his family.

Kai looked after him, saddened. Why couldn't Aidan understand? Brian has virtually begged for his punishment. The maintenance of a household demanded order— his father had said so a thousand times. Such a savage thing would never happen to Aidan, who was obedient and polite. Never. Why couldn't he see that? Why couldn't he play? It was disturbing, and confusing, and just a bit irritating to be so dependent on the availability of a slave.

He had life. And therefore, hope. Given that much, he would create the rest.

Aidan and Kai were almost the same height, but frequently Kai seemed smaller, even less mature. Aidan couldn't completely explain it. Certainly, Kai had suffered far less in his life. Aidan wondered how Kai would have coped with the horrors he himself had endured, and allowed himself a cold smile at the thought of the bookish Kai chained in a screwship's dark hold, squirming in his own shit.

Not for the first time, Aidan reflected that those titillated by horror were least likely to have ever experienced it personally.

Their eyes met again, and this time there were no great answers there, only questions that would never be satisfied. A

Better a live dog than a dead lion.