Steven Barnes > Quotes

“Someone asked me about the difference between love and lust. Hmmm. That will take a little thought. How to tell the difference? Well, for guys, if she looks better AFTER you've made love to her than before, that might be love. If you find yourself itching to get out the door afterward, probably just lust, y'know?”
― Steven Barnes

“Saying spirituality cannot exist without religion is like saying hamburgers cannot exist without McDonald's.”
― Steven Barnes

“Perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control.”
― Steven Barnes

“in life every thing comes with a price even freedom”
― Steven Barnes, The Descent of Anansi

“Thank you, for creating this vast and flexible playground. Thank you for creating one of the twentieth century's most popular myths, a gift that has brought billions of happy viewing hours at a critical time in world history, a time when perhaps, we need more than ever to blieve in honor, sacrifice, heart, and that special magic called life itself.
As long as I live I will never forget The Moment when Luke Skywalker flew so desperately into the Death Star's trench, John William's score soaring magnificently, and the audience overwhelmed by Industrial Light and Magic's mind-bending inaugural. At that pulse-pounding moment, a moment when it seemed the individual human being could have no point or purpose, no meaning in a universe so vast and cybernetic, we heard Obi-Wan Kenobi whisper that we should trust our feelings.
The Force flows through us. It controls us. We control it. Life creates it. It is more powerful than any Death Star.
Hundreds of millions of people said yes, and sighed, and applauded, and went home or turned off their videos feeling just a little more empowered than they did before the lights went down and the Twentieth Century-Fox fanfare came up.
No small feat.
May the Force be with you, Mr. Lucas.
And with us all. Always".”
― Steven Barnes, Star Wars: The Cestus Deception

“Every father wants his son to have the advantages he himself was denied. But then, if you provide those advantages, you risk producing a weakling. The core parental paradox.”
― Steven Barnes, The Moon Maze Game

““Turn pain into power,” Qui- Gon had once told him.”
― Steven Barnes, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss

“Not for the first time, Aidan reflected that those titillated by horror were least likely to have ever experienced it personally.”
― Steven Barnes , Zulu Heart

“All either of us needed was the right dream.”
― Steven Barnes, Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures

“Aidan and Kai were almost the same height, but frequently Kai seemed smaller, even less mature. Aidan couldn't completely explain it. Certainly, Kai had suffered far less in his life. Aidan wondered how Kai would have coped with the horrors he himself had endured, and allowed himself a cold smile at the thought of the bookish Kai chained in a screwship's dark hold, squirming in his own shit.”
― Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood

“If Mozart had been born a Kalahari Bushman, he’d have been known as the best drummer in his family.”
― Steven Barnes, Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures

“And whatever Aidan's secret thoughts might have been, for those moments his smiles and joy were genuine. His sweat and bruises were his own. Sometimes he won, usually he lost. But here, in these moments with Kai, they were just two boys, and Aidan managed almost to forget that Kai could have him killed and suffer no punishment at all.”
― Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood

“He had life. And therefore, hope. Given that much, he would create the rest.”
― Steven Barnes , Lion's Blood

“Better a live dog than a dead lion.”
― Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood

“Their eyes met again, and this time there were no great answers there, only questions that would never be satisfied. A”
― Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood

“Kai looked after him, saddened. Why couldn’t Aidan understand? Brian has virtually begged for his punishment. The maintenance of a household demanded order— his father had said so a thousand times. Such a savage thing would never happen to Aidan, who was obedient and polite. Never. Why couldn’t he see that? Why couldn’t he play? It was disturbing, and confusing, and just a bit irritating to be so dependent on the availability of a slave.”
― Steven Barnes , Lion's Blood