Steven Brust Quotes

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It is always man's ideas which drive his actions. This has, at times, resulted in great evil; but as we look around us, we cannot doubt that it has resulted in greater good.

Steven Brust

Men, Ideas, Evil

Steven Brust (2010). “Sethra Lavode”, p.324, Macmillan

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To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity.

Steven Brust

Fashion, Understanding, Eccentric

Steven Brust (2003). “The Paths of the Dead: Book One of the Viscount of Adrilankha”, p.98, Macmillan

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Always speak politely to an enraged Dragon.

Steven Brust

Dragons, Speak

Steven Brust (1999). “The Book of Jhereg”, p.67, Penguin

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In our memories, there is a graveyard where we bury our dead. They all lie there together, the loved ones and the ones we hated, friends and foes and kin, with no distinction among them. We have to mourn every one of them, because our memories have made them as much a part of us as our bones or our skin. If we don't, we've no right to remember anything at all.

Steven Brust

Memories, Lying, Skins

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The struggle is always worthwhile, if the end be worthwhile and the means honorable; foreknowledge of defeat is not sufficient reason to withdraw from the contest.

Steven Brust

Struggle, Mean, Defeat

Steven Brust (2009). “Five Hundred Years After”, p.525, Macmillan

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A young man without ambition is an old man waiting to be.

Steven Brust

Ambition, Men, Waiting

Steven Brust (2003). “The Paths of the Dead: Book One of the Viscount of Adrilankha”, p.83, Macmillan

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A stupid person can make only certain, limited types of errors; the mistakes open to a clever fellow are far broader. But to the one who knows how smart he is compared to everyone else, the possibilities for true idiocy are boundless.

Steven Brust

Clever, Mistake, Smart

Steven Brust (2010). “Iorich”, p.172, Macmillan

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There is no excuse for bad manners, except fast reflexes.

Steven Brust

No Excuses, Manners, Reflexes

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Why do you work so hard to make yourself disliked? I should think you'd find it happens enough on its own without putting yourself to any extra trouble.

Steven Brust

Thinking, Trouble, Enough

Steven Brust (2011). “Tiassa”, p.57, Macmillan

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I'm told I'm very charming when people do what I want.

Steven Brust

People, Want, Charming

Steven Brust (2011). “Tiassa”, p.128, Macmillan

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Most people seem to take pleasure in feeling superior to someone. I'm not like that, which pleases me because it makes me feel superior.

Steven Brust

Please Me, People, Feelings

Steven Brust (2008). “Jhegaala”, p.251, Macmillan

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Appropriate action means to advance your own goals, without unintentional harm to anyone else.

Steven Brust

Mean, Goal, Action

Steven Brust (2014). “The Book of Dragon: Dragon and Issola”, p.336, Macmillan

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True heroics must be carefully planned - and strenuously avoided.

Steven Brust

Avoided

Steven Brust (1999). “The Book of Jhereg”, p.58, Penguin

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Don't explain why it works; explain how you use it.

Steven Brust

Writing, Design, Use

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Everybody generalizes from one example. At least, I do.

Steven Brust

Example

Steven Brust (2002). “Issola”, p.201, Macmillan

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No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.

Steven Brust

Knives, Style, Wizards

Steven Brust (2003). “The Book of Athyra”, p.134, Penguin

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Because here’s the thing: No matter how much one tells stories of magical beasts or impossible worlds, in the end, it is always the world of here and now one is writing about. The better one understands that world, the more powerful the stories will be.

Steven Brust

Powerful, Writing, Stories

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You have been asking what you could do in the great events that are now stirring, and have found that you could do nothing. But that is because your suffering has caused you to phrase the question in the wrong way.

Steven Brust

Suffering, Events, Needs

"The Paths of the Dead". Book by Steven Brust, 2003.

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You can't put something together again unless you've torn it apart first.

Steven Brust

Together Again, Together, Firsts

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One nice thing about putting the thing away for a couple of months before looking at it is that you start appreciate your own wit. Of course, this can be carried too far. But it's kind of cool when you crack up a piece of writing, and then realize you wrote it. I recommend this feeling.

Steven Brust

Couple, Nice, Writing

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The others followed, and found themselves in a small, stuffy basement, which would have been damp, smelly, close, and dark, were it not, in fact, well-lit, which prevented it from being dark.

Steven Brust

Dark, Facts, Found

Steven Brust (2008). “The Phoenix Guards”, p.28, Macmillan

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Minneapolis has two seasons: Road Removal and Snow Repair.

Steven Brust

Two, Snow, Minneapolis

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Plan. Yes. Good idea. I should come up with a plan.

Steven Brust

Ideas, Should, Come Up

Steven Brust (2010). “Dzur”, p.75, Macmillan

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Absolute truisms rot brains absolutely.[...]'Power corrupts' is useless as a tool for understanding the past, and gives us nothing as a guide to action.

Steven Brust

Past, Giving, Understanding

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It's just that no one wants to be the one being rescued, we all want to do the rescuing.

Steven Brust

Want

Steven Brust (2010). “Iorich”, p.309, Macmillan

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Born: November 23, 1955
Occupation: Author
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