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Quote by Orson Scott Card

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Speaker for the Dead

In this science fiction novel, the protagonist is a 'speaker for the dead,' a role that allows them to communicate with the deceased. The story explores the moral and ethical implications of this ability, as well as the profound impact of loss and the quest for justice. more

Author

Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card, born on August 24, 1951, is a renowned science fiction novelist from the United States. His works are known for their profound philosophical insights and rich imagination, with 'Ender's Game' series being particularly famous and influential in the science fiction genre. more

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“You have the effrontery to be squeamish, it thought at him. But we were dragons. We were supposed to be cruel, cunning, heartless and terrible. But this much I can tell you, you ape – the great face pressed even closer, so that Wonse was staring into the pitiless depths of his eyes – we never burned and tortured and ripped one another apart and called it morality.”

“You’d better tell me what you know, toad,” said Tiffany. “Miss Tick isn’t here. I am.” “Another world is colliding with this one,” said the toad. “There. Happy now? That’s what Miss Tick thinks. But it’s happening faster than she expected. All the monsters are coming back.” “Why?” “There’s no one to stop them.” There was silence for a moment. “There’s me,” said Tiffany.”

“An apocryphal story - the word "apocryphal" here means "obviously untrue" - tells of two people, long ago, who were very bored, and that instead of complaining about it they sat up all night and invented the game of chess so that everyone else in the world, on evenings when there is nothing to do, can also be bored by the perplexing and tedious game they invented.”

“It is much, much worse to receive bad news through the written word than by somebody simply telling you, and I’m sure you understand why. When somebody simply tells you bad news, you hear it once, and that’s the end of it. But when bad news is written down, whether in a letter or a newspaper or on your arm in felt tip pen, each time you read it, you feel as if you are receiving the bad news again and again.”