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Quote by Gene Wolfe

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The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction

This book is a comprehensive compilation of Gene Wolfe's most celebrated short stories, offering readers a glimpse into the depth and diversity of his literary talent. Wolfe's work is characterized by its richly detailed worlds and complex characters, making this collection a must-read for fans of speculative fiction. more

Author

Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe

Gene Wolfe is a renowned American science fiction and fantasy writer, born on May 7, 1931. His works are known for their unique narrative style and profound philosophical insights, with notable series such as 'The Book of the New Sun' and 'The Urth of the New Sun'. Wolfe's writing career spans over half a century, and his influence on science fiction and fantasy literature has been profound. more

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“Martin said, "It feels as though part of my self has detached and gone to Amsterdam, where it—she—is waiting for me. Do you know about phantom-limb syndrome?" Julia nodded. "There's pain where she ought to be. It's feeding the other pain, the thing that makes me wash and count and all that. So her absence is stopping me from going to find her. Do you see?”

“We are all prone to brood on the evil done us. That brooding becomes as a gnawing and destructive canker. Is there a virtue more in need of application in our time than the virtue of forgiving and forgetting? There are those who would look upon this as a sign of weakness. Is it? I submit that it takes neither strength nor intelligence to brood in anger over wrongs suffered, to go through life with a spirit of vindictiveness, to dissipate one’s abilities in planning retribution. There is no peace in the nursing of a grudge. There is no happiness in living for the day when you can ‘get even.”

“When you look into the faces of these quiet creatures who don't know how to tell stories--who are mute, who can't make themselves heard, who fade into the woodwork, who only think of the perfect answer after the fact, after they're back at home, who can never think of a story that anyone else will find interesting--is there not more depth and more meaning in them? You can see every letter of every untold story swimming on their faces, and all the signs of silence, dejection, and even defeat. You can even imagine your own face in those faces, can't you?”

“Until we have courage to recognize cruelty for what it is - whether its victim is human or animal - we cannot expect things to be much better in the world. There can be no double standard. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing, we set back the progress of humanity.”

“You don't get it, Clary. You don't understand what it's like to live always at war, to grow up with battle and sacrifice. I guess it's not your fault. It's just how you were brought up-”