Axiom's End (Noumena, #1)

by Lindsay Ellis

“Amygdalines don’t have biological families,” said Cora, continuing to paraphrase. “He says, ‘We do not have parents, or spouses, or siblings—we have symphyles, but if you find ‘family’ or ‘sibling’ more appropriate, you may use those terms instead. Your language has no terms for these concepts.’”

“This is what happens when you go through a middle school phase where you both have a massive crush on and also want to be Ani DiFranco.”

It is in the nature of all organisms, intelligent and non-intelligent alike, to understand other entities only through their own prism of existence. We understand each other only insofar as we understand ourselves.’”

“Trauma can cause cognitive impairment in all sapient species.”

“Not just human morality. A fast-changing brand of morality, unique to this time, place, and culture. It will be a different morality a day from now. A year from now.”