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Philip Reeve Quotes

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Philip Reeve is a British author known for his science fiction novels. Born on February 28, 1966, he is celebrated for his unique imagination and profound insights into the future.

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Famous Philip Reeve Quotes

“I don't think we are cut out to be evil sorcerers, brothers," said Fentongoose. "If we were truly evil, we would not feel such sorrow at the deaths of our friends. We would just go, 'Ha! Ha! Ha!' or something.”

Humor Evil

Book:Goblins

Source: Goblins

“There is the dragon, my lord, and then there is the fear of the dragon. It is hard to say which is worse. And even if you doubt the dragon, you must admit the fear is real.”

Fear Mystery Thoughtful Dragons Knights

Book:No Such Thing as Dragons

Source: No Such Thing as Dragons

“I try to be nice,” she said. “Nobody’s ever made me feel they like me before, the way you do. So I try to be kind and smiley, like you want me to be, but then I catch sight of my reflection or I think of him and it all goes wrong and I can only think horrible things and scream at you and try and hurt you. I’m sorry.”

Pain Revenge Repentance

Book:Mortal Engines

Source: Mortal Engines

“He was going to miss everything. But he guessed that was how everybody always felt. Everyone was losing things, leaving things behind, clinging to old memories as they rushed into the future. Everyone was a passenger on a runaway train.”

Life Moving On Runaway Train Starting Afresh

Book:Railhead

Source: Railhead

“The trouble with space is, there's so much of it. An ocean of blackness without any shore. A neverending nothing. And here, all alone in the million billion miles of midnight, is one solitary moving speck. A fragile parcel filled with sleeping people and their dreams.”

Space Dreams Alone Night Sky

Book:Cakes in Space

Source: Cakes in Space

“Her face was very beautiful, he thought. He hadn't been sure before, but he was now. The mind that lived behind it made it beautiful, the same way that the flame inside a lantern makes the lantern beautiful.”

Romance Beauty Inner Beauty

Author:Philip Reeve

“And now he was dead, his soul fled down to the Sunless Country and his body lying cold in the cold mud, somewhere in the city's wake.”

Sad

Book:Mortal Engines

Source: Mortal Engines

“How should I remember the child's name? It was fifteen, sixteen years ago and I have never liked babies; nasty creatures, leak at both ends and have no respect for ceramics.”

Humor Babies Ceramics

Book:Mortal Engines

Source: Mortal Engines

“The gondola was much bigger inside than she expected. In fact, it was a lot like Clio house, and Dog and Bevis were both waiting for her there, and her hiccups had stopped, and her wound wasn’t as bad as everyone had thought, it was just a scratch. Sunlight streamed in through the windows as Tom flew them all up and up into a sky of the most perfect crystal blue, and she relaxed gratefully into her father’s arms.”

Death Hope

Book:Mortal Engines

Source: Mortal Engines

“Elementary, my dear colonel,' she said. 'When every sensible explanation has been disproved, then whatever remains, however silly, must be the truth.”

Humor Homage Sherlock Holmes Steampunk Alternate History

Book:Starcross

Source: Starcross

“The Scriven men wore stack-heeled boots and pearl-studded evening coats; the ladies in their vast skirts looked like mythical creatures, half woman, half sofa.”

Humor Dresses Mythical Creatures

Book:Fever Crumb

Source: Fever Crumb

“I am Nom-O-Tron,' said the machine, in a big, boomy voice, so loud that Astra was afraid her mum and dad or some other grown-ups would hear and come to see who was sneaking a bedtime snack. 'Shhh!' she said. 'Have you got any biscuits?”

Space Deep Thought Biscuits

Book:Cakes in Space

Source: Cakes in Space

“I have had it with these dumb cakes on this dumb spaceship!”

Science Fiction Spaceships Cakes I See What You Did There

Book:Cakes in Space

Source: Cakes in Space

“I’ve studied History all my life, and the one thing I’ve learned for certain I’d that you can’t stand against it. It’s like a river in a flood, and we are just swept along in it. The big people might try to swim against the current for a time, but little people like us, the best we can hope for is to keep our heads above the water for as long as we can.”

People Time Water History River

Book:A Darkling Plain

Source: A Darkling Plain

“I’ll circle back…” “I’ll be dead.” “I’ll circle back anyway.‘ “There’s no point, Tom.” “I’ll circle back and pick you up.”

Love Hope Friendship

Book:Mortal Engines

Source: Mortal Engines

“I still feel, as I did when I was six or seven, that books are simply the best way to experience a story.”

Way Feels Stills Book Stories Six Seven Best Way

Author:Philip Reeve

“I was fascinated by The Lord of the Rings from about the age of eight and that lasted well into my teens.”

Wells Age Lord Eight Rings Fascinated Teens

Author:Philip Reeve

“Moving cities are a fairly hoary old sci-fi trope - I seem to recall they were always cropping up on Doctor Who when I was young, though I may be misremembering.”

May Seems Moving Young Cities Doctors Sci Fi Recalls Doctor Who Tropes

Author:Philip Reeve

“Even tiny children looking at a picture book are using their imaginations, gleaning clues from the images to understand what is happening, and perhaps using the throwaway details which the illustrator includes to add their own elements to the story.”

Children Book Stories Imagination Elements Happenings Add Details Tiny Clue Picture Books Illustrators Gleaning

Author:Philip Reeve

“As a child I always steered clear of science fiction, but in the autumn of 1977 the bow-wave of publicity for the first Star Wars movie had already reached me, so I was eager for anything science-fictional.”

Firsts Children War Stars Fiction Clear Science Fiction Wave Autumn Bows Publicity War Movie Star Wars Movie

Author:Philip Reeve

“I used to be very fascinated by Victorian stuff, and my best known books, the Mortal Engines series, have a sort of retro, Victorian vibe, despite being set in the far future.”

Book Used Stuff Known Series Despite Used To Be Mortals Engines Fascinated Victorian Retro

Author:Philip Reeve

“But we're alive, and together, and we're going to be all right.”

Together Alive

Book:Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

Source: Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

“he cut through the 21st Century Gallery, past the big plastic statues of Pluto and Mickey, animal headed gods of lost America”

Bigs America Past Lost Animal Cutting Century Plastic 21st Century Statues Gallery Mickey Pluto

Author:Philip Reeve

“But boys will be boys, even the ones who are only girls dressed up: That's one of the rules of the world.”

World Girl Boys Dressed Up

Book:Here Lies Arthur

Source: Here Lies Arthur

“The one thing worse than an enemy is a friend turned false.”

Enemy One Thing

Book:Here Lies Arthur

Source: Here Lies Arthur

“That's the trouble with a story spinner. You never know what's real and what's made up. Even when they are telling the truth, they can't stop themselves from spinning it into something better; something prettier, with more of a pattern to it.”

Knows Made Real Stories Trouble Patterns Telling The Truth Spinning Something Better Spinner

Book:Here Lies Arthur

Source: Here Lies Arthur

“Sometimes, on our way through the world, we meet someone who touches our heart in a way others don't.”

World Way Heart Sometimes People In Your Life

Book:Here Lies Arthur

Source: Here Lies Arthur

“Is it...dead?" asked Tom, his voice all quivery with fright. "A town just ran over him," said Hester. "I shouldn't think he's very well.”

Thinking Wells Said Voice Towns Ran Toms Fright

Book:Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

Source: Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

“You aren't a hero and I'm not beautiful and we probably won't live happily ever after " she said. "But we're alive and together and we're going to be all right.”

Life Said Together Beautiful Alive Hero Happily Ever After Ever After

Book:Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

Source: Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

“Godshawk looked surprised, the way that people generally do when you ask them philosophical questions in shrubberies in the middle of the night.”

People Way Night Asks Middle Philosophical Middle Of The Night Philosophical Questions

Book:Fever Crumb

Source: Fever Crumb

“It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.”

Dark Cities Sea Bed Spring Towns London Afternoon Chasing Mining City Of London North Sea

Book:Predator Cities x 4 and The Traction Codex

Source: Predator Cities x 4 and The Traction Codex

“An Engineer is no match for a Historian with his dander up!”

Historian Engineers

Book:Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

Source: Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

“Fever jumped aside just in time to dodge the shower of urine, and stumbled into the path of a religious procession - celebrants in robes and pointed hats whirling and clapping and chanting the name of some old-world prophet, 'Hari, Hari! Hari Potter!'”

World Names Religious Path Prophet Hats Showers Potters Fever Robes Old World Chanting Procession Dodge Clapping

Author:Philip Reeve

“That's what History teaches us, I think, that life goes on, even though individuals die and whole civilizations crumble away: The simple things last; they are repeated over and over by each generation.”

Thinking Whole Lasts Dies Individual Simple Teach Generations Goes On Civilization Simple Things Life Goes On

Book:Predator Cities #4: A Darkling Plain

Source: Predator Cities #4: A Darkling Plain

About the Author

Born: February 28, 1966
Known for: Author
Quotes: 34

Books & Sources

Mortal EnginesRelated source material

Here Lies ArthurRelated source material

Predator Cities #1: Mortal EnginesRelated source material

Cakes in SpaceRelated source material

Fever CrumbRelated source material

A Darkling PlainRelated source material

GoblinsRelated source material

No Such Thing as DragonsRelated source material

Predator Cities #4: A Darkling PlainRelated source material

Predator Cities x 4 and The Traction CodexRelated source material

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