McCaffrey Quote Contexts

All of this week’s quotes but the last are from books by Anne McCaffrey.

“One had to know the rules before one could break them.” Pegasus in Flight. Something Tirla learned early from one of her mother’s men.

“We can’t do something right without doing something wrong” Pegasus in Flight. Rhyssa to Peter, shortly after he has demonstrated his ability to land a shuttle full of aid workers in impossible weather.

“There’s been no major forward progress in all of human history that has not been accompanied by some problems.” Pegasus in Flight. Rhyssa speaking to Peter, trying to comfort him for inadvertently creating a problem.

“Bureaucracy in its usual obstructive role.” Pegasus in Space. Rhyssa and Dorotea discussing Admiral Coetzer’s problems with the Space Authority.

“I was told that there were no old, bold pilots.” Pegasus in Space. Peter when their on-board computers do not agree on whether they are go for a moon voyage. The usual form, often heard here in Alaska, is “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”

“The people who do the work are the last ones to know.” Pegasus in Space. Peter and Johnny, after finding that their telekinetic abilities are explained by quantum mechanics, and saying that this should be one of Murphy’s laws.

“It was hard to trust the judgment of the three youngsters.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik is beginning to suspect Roi is having more problems in school than he is willing to admit, but getting Roi and his two friends to tell him what’s wrong is a problem.

Mercedes Lackey Quotes

All but the last of the quotes I tweeted this past week from @sueannbowling are from a single book, Storm Warning.

“If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal can’t remember whether Ulrich or Solaris said that, but he’s having a hard time remembering Heralds aren’t really White Demons.

“You don’t go into a pairing intending to try and change someone to suit you.”  Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Elspeth is trying to explain to An’desha that Firewind’s apparent attempt to seduce Darkwind was only teasing.

“Everything in this world is paid for, in the end.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal’s thoughts, his first night at Haven.

“It is wise to be remote in the presence of one who conjures demons.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. A Shin’a’in proverb, quoted by Talia as she tries to explain to Karal that one of the reasons he finds trouble making friends is that people fear him.

“It’s a cliché precisely because it is so often true.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Talia again, and this time the cliché is that “the only cure for anything is time.” She’s speaking to Karal about his homesickness.

“Anyone who is more intelligent than the people around him has troubles as a child.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. An’desha, Karal and Natoli are comparing childhoods.

“Does it matter who he is, then, if you trust him?” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Roi to Marna, on hearing her explanation of Win. Marna’s not sure whether Win is a ghost, her own subconscious, or a guardian angel. (Neither am I.)

Quotes from (mostly) Terry Pratchett

These are the quotes that have been tweeted over the past week from @sueannbowling:

“Positions of power like to keep an eye on one another.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. In this case the positions of power are Lord Vetinari and the Unseen University.

“Smart is only a polished version of dumb. Try intelligence.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Nutt is speaking to Trevor Likely.

“You seldom saw a goddess portrayed as ugly.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. “This probably had something to do with their ability to strike people down instantly.” Glenda’s thoughts on seeing The Truth’s story about an urn with the alleged early rules of football. (Soccer to us Americans.)

“When you watch people, you forget that people are watching you.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Glenda is too fascinated at the dwarf style show to notice that she and Juliet are being watched.

“If I had my way, silk would be reclassified as a metal.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Madame Sharn at the style show. She is discussing micromail (soft as cloth, better than leather and it doesn’t chafe) and lamenting that the more traditional dwarf will not wear cloth.

“A whole box of chocolates is not depraved.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Madame Sharn is defending herself against Pepe’s accusation that “when she last had some depravity” was Tuesday.

“It all has to fit together. The religion and morality, the economics, the ecology.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Roi trying to explain to Penny what he has learned about societies.

Don’t forget the drawing.

Mercedes Lackey Quotes

The quotes during the last week were again mostly from Mercedes Lackey, for the same reason as two weeks ago: they’re easy to find and Shin’i’an proverbs are just the right length to tweet.

“Just because you feel that an enemy is lurking behind every bush, it doesn’t follow that you are wrong. Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Elspeth, quoting Kero –another Shin’i’an proverb. Elspeth is worried by the apparent malevolence of the K’Sheyna Heartstone.

“In these times, it was no longer possible to hide behind a veil of politeness.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Starblade has invited Tre’valen to his ekele for a purpose, and the normal verbal dance between the two is being curtailed.

“Fire can warm you from a distance, but it burns when you get too close to it.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Elspeth’s comment on Firesong.

“People were often like rabbits; frighten them, and their minds ceased to work.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury  An‘desha reporting Falconsbane’s thoughts to the Avatars, and thinking that Ancar has some reason behind merely frightening his subordinates.

“Love is worth fighting for!” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. Stephen’s ghost to Skif and Nyara

“Knowledge is good! History is better! Tell me! Tell me all!” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. Who else but Rris would put that many exclamation points into one utterance? Of course once the destruction of Ancar and Falconsbane is over, he wants to make it into oral history.

“The planet’s name must have been picked out by a publicity agent.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Marna’s initial thought about the planet Eversummer, which has its rotational axis perpendicular to its ecliptic, and hence no seasons.