The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)

by John Scalzi

People don’t mind having the mystical aspect of a church being poorly defined as long as you make the rules of the church clear.

“I’m continually confronted with the human tendency to ignore or deny facts until the last possible instant. And then for several days after that, too.”

We’ve all been agreeing to live with this and continue this lie. For centuries.”

Knowing that we created the Interdependency for our benefit, and pretended it was something that benefitted everyone. It makes this collapse feel like it’s the universe commenting on our choice.”

“That’s the human brain,” Attavio VI said. “It creates patterns when there aren’t any. Imagines causality when there is none. Imagines a narrative where none exists. It’s in the design of the brain itself. It’s primed to lie.” “And primed to believe the lie.”