Science fiction quotations : from the inner mind to the outer limits

2005·5.5 MB·English

by  Westfahl, Gary

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SCIENCE
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SCIENCE
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FICTION
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3 From the Inner Mind to the Outer Limits
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Gary Westfahl
edited by
With a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke
Yale University Press / New Haven and London

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F Copyright©2005byYaleUniversity.
CE Allrightsreserved.
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IE Thisbookmaynotbereproduced,inwholeorinpart,includingillustrations,inany
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Lawandexceptbyreviewersforthepublicpress),withoutwrittenpermissionfrom
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DesignedbyMaryValencia
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PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyVail-BallouPress
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Sciencefictionquotations:fromtheinnermindtotheouterlimits/editedby
GaryWestfahl;withaforewordbyArthurC.Clarke.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN0-300-10800-1(paperback:alk.paper)
1.Sciencefiction—Quotations,maxims,etc.I.Westfahl,Gary.
PN6084.S34S352005
808.83'876—dc22
2005003195
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
Thepaperinthisbookmeetstheguidelinesforpermanenceanddurabilityofthe
CommitteeonProductionGuidelinesforBookLongevityoftheCouncilonLibrary
Resources.
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et CONTENTS
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F Acknowledgments xiii
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C Introduction xv
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hl Actions 1 CosmologyandEschatology 69
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tf Aliens 3 CourageandCowardice 73
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We AlienWorlds 9 CulturesandAnthropology 75

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2 AmbitionandHope 13
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Animals 15 D
Apocalypse 18 DarknessandLight 78
TheArts 24 Death 80
AstronautsandSpaceTravelers 27 Destiny 90
Dimensions 91
B DreamsandSleep 95
Beauty 30
Belief 31 E
TheBody 34 Earth 100
Books 36 Education 103
BuildingsandArchitecture 38 Emotions 107
BusinessandEconomics 40 Evil 110
Evolution 113
C ExplorationandAdventure 116
Change 44
ChildrenandYoungPeople 47 F
Choice 50 FearandHorror 121
Cities 52 Flying 124
CivilizationandBarbarism 54 FollyandStupidity 125
ClassSystem 58 FoodandDrink 127
ClothingandNudity 60 Freedom 130
CommunicationandSpeech 61 Friendship 132
Communities 64 TheFuture 134
Computers 66

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S G Marriage 238
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IO God 139 Mathematics 240
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TA GodsandDemons 143 Media 241
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QU Governments 145 MedicineandDisease 243
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O Memory 245
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C H Money 247
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HappinessandSadness 150 Monsters 248
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N HeroesandSuperheroes 154 Morality 252
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32 ImaginationandIdeas 180
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Immortality 182 O
Impossibility 185 OldAge 261
IndividualismandIdentity 186 Overpopulation 263
Intelligence 189
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J PainandSuffering 265
Justice 193 Paradoxes 267
Paranoia 268
K PerceptionandVision 270
Kindness 196 Plants 274
KnowledgeandInformation 198 Politics 276
Power 279
L Problems 283
Language 204 Progress 285
LawsandCrimes 208 PsychicPowers 291
TheLawsofScienceFiction 211 Psychology 292
Life 215
Logic 221 Q
LonelinessandSolitude 223 QuestionsandAnswers 297
LoveandRomance 226
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M RaceRelations 300
MachinesandTechnology 230 Reality 302
MadnessandSanity 234 Religion 306

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S RevolutionandRebellion 311 TimeTravel 375
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IO RoadsandAutomobiles 313 Travel 378
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ScienceFiction 323 TheUnknown 392
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N Scientists 332 Utopia 393
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32 SpaceTravel 347 WarandPeace 400
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Stars 355 WealthandPossessions 405
StoriesandWriters 358 Weapons 408
Surrealism 361 Wisdom 409
Survival 364 WomenandMen 412
Work 417
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Thinking 367 IndexofAuthors 421
Time 370 IndexofTitles 437

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C Letmeopenwithaquotationfromthatmostprolificsource,Anonymous:
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I ‘‘Ifyouhavetoaskwhatsciencefictionis,you’llneverknow.’’
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Inspiteofthis,attemptstodefinesciencefictionwillcontinueaslong
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hl aspeoplewritePh.D.theses.Meanwhile,IamcontenttoacceptDamon
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tf Knight’smagisterial:‘‘ScienceFictioniswhatIpointtoandsay‘That’s
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We sciencefiction.’’’

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betweensciencefictionandfantasy.Somewhereintheliterarylandscape,sci-
encefictionmergesintofantasy,butthefrontierbetweenthetwoisasfuzzy
astheboundaryoffractalimageslikethefamousMandelbrotSet.Ihave
thereforesuggestedanoperationaldefinition:sciencefictionissomething
thatcouldhappen—butusuallyyouwouldn’twantitto.Fantasyissomething
thatcouldn’thappen—thoughoftenyouwishitwould.
Thewriterofsciencefictionisfacedwithaproblemwhichthewritersof
so-calledmainstreamfiction—devotedtoatinysubsectionoftherealuni-
verse—don’thavetoworryabout.Theyseldomneedtospendpagessetting
thescene:sometimesonesentencewilldothetrick.Whenyouread‘‘Itwas
afoggyeveninginBakerStreet,’’you’rethereinamillisecond.Thescience
fictionwriter,constructingatotallyalienenvironment,mayneedseveral
volumestodothejob:theclassicexampleisFrankHerbert’smasterwork
Duneanditssequels.
Notwithstandingthisslighthandicap,manyofthefinestworksofscience
fictionareshortstories.IcanstillrecalltheimpactofStanleyWeinbaum’s
‘‘AMartianOdyssey’’whentheJuly1934WonderStoriesarrived.WhenIclose
myeyes,IcanstillseethatcharacteristicFrankR.Paulcover:neverbeforeor
sincedidIreadastory—andthengostraightbacktothebeginningandread
itrightthroughagain...
Soperhapstheshortstoryistosciencefictionwhatthesonnetistothe
epicpoem.Thechallengeistocreateperfectioninassmallaspaceaspos-
sible—somethingIhaveoftendabbledin,withvaryingdegreesofsuccess.
Thisenrichmentprocessiscarriedtoanewlevelwhenworksofsciencefic-

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