Quotes from Jack Vance

Except for a few special cases, title to every parcel of real property derives from an act of violence, more or less remote, and ownership is only as valid as the strength and will required to maintain it. This is the lesson of history, whether you like it or not." "The mourning of defeated peoples, while pathetic and tragic, is usually futile," said Kelse.

To the furthest reach of my memory, Rogol Domedonfors ruled the city. He knew lore of all ages, secrets of fire and light, gravity and countergravity, the knowledge of superphysic numeration, metathasm, corolopsis.

If religions are diseases of the human psyche, as the philosopher Grintholde asserts, then religious wars must be reckoned the resultant sores and cankers infecting the aggregate corpus of the human race. Of all wars, these are the most detestable, since they are waged for no tangible gain, but only to impose a set of arbitrary credos upon another's mind. Few such conflicts can match the First Vegan Wars for grotesque excess.

We are a down-trodden race." "You are a down-trodden race because you are lazy," said Chilke. "If I am lazy and you are not, how is it that I am carrying your baggage while you walk light-foot?" For a moment or two Chilke deigned no explanation of the seeming paradox; then he said: "If you knew anything about the laws of economics, you would not ask such a banal question.

Extraordinary that those who command the perquisites of place are those most ready to ignore them! It is as if the blessings of Providence are specious, and notable only in their absence. Ah well, I refuse to speculate.

Somewhere there is mystery. It impels one to theosophy: to the worship of a space-god, or a god of light." "Theory dissolves the mystery, though it lays bare a cryptic new stratum. Quite likely there is an endless set of these layers, mystery below mystery.

Now then!" cried Vita Palas. "Don't you go slanging me, you raddled old hussy! I know your kind, all skin and spleen, and wrinkles to wrap over all! Your own morals are sewage, you with your dancing-boys and gigolos! Don't you try slanging me any more, or I'll snatch off your wig and really explain what I think of you! It will not be nice! It will turn your long nose blue!

First coming aboard, a new arrival makes a cautious survey of the crew, trying to winnow the affable and good-natured from the surly and truculent. Some of the crewmen will seem easygoing, happy-go-lucky, good-fellows-all; others may appear to be reserved or even aloof. Yet I found that at the end of a voyage these aloof ones were often the persons whom I grew to like and respect the most, while those who seemed so agreeable turned out to be rascals.

Where cowards never venture, heroes find splendor. So

The police mentality cannot regard a human being in terms other than as an item or object to be processed as expeditiously as possible.

If there were no such creatures as minstrel-maidens, it would be necessary to invent them.

Together they went to the chamber and performed a number of erotic exercises, after which Cugel collapsed into a sleep of utter exhaustion

You're an idealist. The idealists are always the revolutionaries, the cat's paws. Then the realists consolidate, compromise and liquidate the opposition.

The front door opened; Gersen whirled. In the opening stood a middle-aged man no larger than a boy of ten. His head was round; his eyes brimmed with curiosity, flicking over Gersen, around the room. He had large features, long pointed ears, a heavy protuberant mouth: a Highland Imp from the Highlands of Krokinole, one of the more specialized races of the Concourse.

Je me demande si ma vie ne sera jamais rien de plus: quelque chose où rien ne sera jamais réalisé, sans victoire, sans signification d'aucune sorte

Pirmence sighed and shook his head. 'Who knows? I hate you, and yet truly I love you. I sneer at your callow simplicity, but I glory in your enterprise. I crave your success, but I strive for your despair. What is wrong with me? Where is my flaw? Perhaps I wish that I were you, and since this cannot be I must punish you for the fault. Or if you prefer the crude facts, they are these:

Teehalt looked at him sidewise. "You are very interested in Malagate." Gersen shrugged. "One hears many strange tales." "True. But I do not care to document them. And do you know why?" "No." "I have changed my thoughts about you. Now I suspect you of weaselry." "If I were a weasel," said Gersen smiling, "I'd hardly admit it. The IPCC has few friends Beyond.

If you are careless enough to be killed," said Kelle, "you put us to enormous inconvenience.

Have you any further questions?" "Bah," grumbled Kalash. "What good are questions, when the answers are all non-sequiturs?" Maloof nodded in agreement. "There is something in what you say.

I inquire yours?" "I am Kirth Gersen.

Detteras said thoughtfully, "You know, I think it only fair that you leave the filament here. Why victimize us?" "I don't plan to be killed, Mr. Detteras." "Your plans might go awry." "If so, your troubles will seem very trivial in comparison to mine. May I have my weapons?

But what a pity; I have business to transact with Lugo Teehalt!" "It is pointless then to approach me.

There's an elemental mystery to the universe: the why of things. Everyone is free to speculate. I speak not for atheism, but against compulsory theism, or compulsory dogma of any kind.

Attel Malagate (the Woe) Howard Alan Treesong Viole Falushe Kokor Hekkus (the Killing Machine) Lens Larque