The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)

by John Scalzi

The story of how I left Huckleberry begins—as do all worthy stories—with a goat.

On the other hand any public servant is likely to tell you that just a few annoying people in their community will take up the vast majority of their time.

we know what any life system does to a foreign body in its midst: it tries to kill it as quickly as possible.

“I’ve been to the afterlife. Coming back from that’s not a problem. It’s life you don’t get over.”

Teenagers can be idiotic and stupid, but teenagers also model their behavior from the signals they get from adults.

When you control communication, you can hide anything you want.” “I don’t think that’s really true,” I said. “Sooner or later, everything leaks.

And for the first time in my life I knew my life was more than what was directly in front of me. I learned to see the constellations, not just the stars.

When you make someone more than human, you make them less than human, too.

“Not having to pee in a bucket is not indolence,” Savitri said. “It’s one of the hallmarks of civilization, along with having solid walls.

“I don’t understand religion,” Jane said. “It makes more sense from the inside,” I said.

“I don’t appreciate the suggestion that I’m acting irrationally,” he said. “Then don’t act irrationally,” Jane said,

“He chose to respond differently than total honesty would dictate,” I said. “I’m not sure that’s exactly a lie.”

Empires of conquest don’t last, Administrator Perry. They hollow out from within, from the greed of rulers and the endless appetite for war.

“I seem to be good at speaking the politicians’ language,” Szilard said. “Apparently there’s an advantage around here to being mildly socially retarded, and that’s the Special Forces for sure.”