“I could try composing wonderful musical works, or day-long entertainment epics, but what would that do? Give people pleasure? My wiping this table gives me pleasure. And people come to a clean table, which gives them pleasure. And anyway" - the man laughed - "people die; stars die; universes die. What is any achievement, however great it was, once time itself is dead? Of course, if all I did was wipe tables, then of course it would seem a mean and despicable waste of my huge intellectual potential. But because I choose to do it, it gives me pleasure. And," the man said with a smile, "it's a good way of meeting people. So where are you from, anyway?” PeopleDeathTimeStarsPleasureAchievementChoiceUtopiaThe UniverseMeeting PeopleWiping Tables Book:Use Of Weapons Source: Use Of Weapons
“Don't you have a religion?" Dorolow asked Horza. "Yes," he replied, not taking his eyes away from the screen on the wall above the end of the main mess-room table. "My survival." "So... your religion dies with you. How sad," Dorolow said, looking back from Horza to the screen. The Changer let the remark pass.” DeathReligionSurvivalBora Horza GobuchulChangerDorolowMess Room Book:Consider Phlebas Source: Consider Phlebas
“From somewhere came the idea that there were many different levels of sleeping, of unconsciousness, and therefore of awakening. In the midst of this pleasant woozy calm - warm, pleasantly swaddled, self-huggingly curled up, a sort of ruddy darkness behind the eyelids - it was an easy and comforting thing to contemplate the many ways one might be away, and then come back.” DeathSleepUnconsciousness Book:Surface Detail Source: Surface Detail