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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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“Women believe -- or at least often pretend to believe -- that all our tenderness for them springs from desire; that we love them when we have not for a time enjoyed them, and dismiss them when we are sated, or to express it more precisely, exhausted. There is no truth in this idea, though it may be made to appear true. When we are rigid with desire, we are apt to pretend a great tenderness in the hope of satisfying that desire; but at no other time are we in fact so liable to treat women brutally, and so unlikely to feel any deep emotion but one.”

“I HAVE no patience with the hypothesis occasionally expressed, and often implied, especially in tales written to teach children to be good, that babies are born pretty much alike, and that the sole agencies in creating differences between boy and boy, and man and man, are steady application and moral effort. It is in the most unqualified manner that I object to pretensions of natural equality. The experiences of the nursery, the school, the University, and of professional careers, are a chain of proofs to the contrary.”

“A really intelligent nation might be held together by far stronger forces than are derived from the purely gregarious instincts. A nation need not be a mob of slaves, clinging to one another through fear, and for the most part incapable of self-government, and begging to be led; but it might consist of vigorous self-reliant men, knit to one another by innumerable ties, into a strong, tense, and elastic organisation.”

“There is no other course but the one we have chosen, except the course of humiliation and darkness, after which there will be no bright sign in the sky or brilliant light on earth? All this will make us more patient and steadfast, and better prepared for the battle which God blesses and which good men support. Then there will only be a glorious conclusion, where a brilliant sun will clear the dust of battle, and where the clouds of battles will be dispelled.”