World Building Quotes

“This tremendous world I have inside of me. How to free myself, and this world, without tearing myself to pieces. And rather tear myself to a thousand pieces than be buried with this world within me.”
― Kafka Franz, Diaries, 1910-1923

“To build a world for someone seems a romantic thing from where I stand." Dov shook his head. "Sam Masur, that fucked-up, romantic kid.”
― Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“...we could think or feel as we wished toward the characters, or as the poet, discounting history, invited us to; we were the poet's guest, his world was his own kingdom, reached, as one of the poems told us, through the 'Ring of Words'...”
― Janet Frame

“Second star to the right-"

"-and straight on till morning? Yeah, I've heard that one before. Lit of the Ancient Homeworlds 101....”
― Linnea Sinclair, Gabriel's Ghost

“Even so, it was difficult to quantify what he was feeling. Or maybe hearing. Touching? Raziel finally settled on sensing, but none of the words he could put to the sensation felt right. It was a presence, that much he was sure of. He’d felt that type of thing from his grandfather when they practiced magic together and faintly from people further away. But this was different. Slower. His grandfather had, at the time, seemed to be something solid and unmovable as a cliff face, but compared with this, he was just a leaf in late fall, holding its shape but crumbling at the lightest touch.

It was, of course, the tree at his back that Raziel was sensing. Being struck by its awesome and awful enormity, the realization came to Raziel slowly. And, as he put a name to the presence in his mind, something changed. The smallest of ants, marching across unfamiliar terrain, looking up and seeing the great eye of the human whose arm was the continent on which it walked, might have felt something similar to what Raziel felt as the tree took notice of him.”
― Rick Fox, Fate's Pawn

“They were all sweating from the exertion, and that concerned Hoeru. It was certainly possible that they’d be found by something that could track them by their scent. But then they were humans, and humans smelled so much more than they ever realized.

“So Hoeru. What’s next?” Keira asked between breaths.

“Thinking maybe a bath.”

She gave him a sidelong look.

“I know you were stuck in that room for a while, but I don’t think we have time for that.”

The wind shifted and Hoeru was treated to a noseful of human. Still. She wasn’t wrong.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
― Rick Fox, Fate's Pawn

“Sadie had reached a part in Metal Gear Solid where the player character was spying on a female non-player character exercising in her underwear. The NPC's name was Meryl Silverburgh, which also struck Sadie as ridiculous.
"Come on," Sadie said. "Meryl fricking Silverburgh in her underwear."
"Maybe Kojima's into Jewesses."
Sadie wondered if most gamers would be turned on by this. She often had to put herself into a male point of view to even understand the game at all. As Dov was fond of saying to her, "You aren't just a gamer when you play anymore. You're a builder of worlds, and if you're a builder of worlds, your feelings are not as important as what your gamers are feeling. You must imagine them at all times. There is no artist more empathetic than the game designer." Sadie the gamer found this scene sexist and strange. At the same time, Sadie the world builder accepted that the game was made by one of the most creative minds in gaming.”
― Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“Most of the time, he’s controlling, with the temperament of a troll. Come to think of it, he has the manners of one too. And I do not like that he tried to kill me. Twice.”
― Demi Winters, The Road of Bones: A Viking Fantasy Romance

“Our mess, our marvel.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Gentalist: There's No Social Work, Only Family Work

“Justice is not given, justice is taken - sure - but in your efforts to take justice if you end up causing more injustice upon the innocent yourself, then you are better off with your life of injustice. We are to build a society free from injustice, not just pass the injustice faced by us on to someone else.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Gentalist: There's No Social Work, Only Family Work

“Give me ten beings who burn for the people, and I'll give you a world of the future.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Either Reformist or Terrorist: If You Are Terror I Am Your Grandfather

“A twenty watt brain once accountable electrifies the universe.”
― Abhijit Naskar, High Voltage Habib: Gospel of Undoctrination

“Awake, Arise O Timelords,
Oh makers and breakers of destiny!
Give this world accountability,
And time will give you immortality.”
― Abhijit Naskar, High Voltage Habib: Gospel of Undoctrination

“The powers of world-building are all encoded in you. Bring those codes to life and write the world anew.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Either Reformist or Terrorist: If You Are Terror I Am Your Grandfather

“Will and Wheel (The Sonnet)

Where there is a will, there is a wheel.
Where there is intent, there is upliftment.
Where there is heart, there is less dirt.
Where there is content, there is less torment.
Where there is simplicity, there is sanity.
Where there is luxury, there is degradation.
Where there is sharing, there is serenity.
Where there is moderation, there is ascension.
Where there is love, there is acceptance.
Where there is division, there is judgment.
Where there is selflessness, there is joy.
Where there is self-absorption, there is lament.
The requirement of civilization is simply this.
We are to have the will to love and the will to lift.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulldozer on Duty

“I have never been a good son, I'll never be a good partner, and definitely not a good parent, for I am a martyr - I am a martyr for humanity.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulldozer on Duty

“Practice makes neurons connect - neurons make people connect - and when people connect beyond biases, assumptions, and stereotypes, that's when humanity rises.”
― Abhijit Naskar

“I’m not brave. I’m paying penance. There’s a difference.” -Dr. Reese Dante”
― Adrienne Wilder, Anubis

“World begins with nonsectarianism.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Ingan Impossible: Handbook of Hatebusting

“As you will, so will be.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Ingan Impossible: Handbook of Hatebusting

“Contrary to popular belief, government buildings and educational institutes are not the nerve centers of society - the true nerve centers of society are the streets - streets that bear witness to the struggles of life - streets that bear witness to the labor of liberty - streets that bear witness to the struggles of being treated as an equal member of the human family.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Ingan Impossible: Handbook of Hatebusting

“Clean mind makes the world clean.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amor Apocalypse: Canım Sana İhtiyacım

“Today's seed is tomorrow's shade.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Mücadele Muhabbet: Gospel of An Unarmed Soldier

“Policy is to be guided by peace not purse, World is to be run by love not wallet.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Amor Apocalypse: Canım Sana İhtiyacım

“Deadlier than terrorist, kindlier than Teresa - that's how we'll reform the world.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Mucize Misafir Merhaba: The Peace Testament

“My Mission (The Sonnet)

I am not here to inspire butcher doctors,
I am here to build humanitarian doctors.
I am not here to entertain reckless coders,
I am here to invigorate humanitarian coders.
I am not here to arouse mindless engineers,
I am here to torque up humanitarian engineers.
I am not here to pamper crooked politicians,
I am here to wake up the brave world builders.
I am not here to applaud counterfeit philanthropy,
I am here to energize humanitarian entrepreneurs.
I am not here to peddle the glory of logic over life,
I'm here to raise humanitarian scientists 'n philosophers.
There is no rest till humanity courses through human veins.
My mission is to flood the world with humanitarians by the thousands.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Corazon Calamidad: Obedient to None, Oppressive to None

“The world can never heal unless a handful of bravehearts are ready to bleed.”
― Abhijit Naskar, The Centurion Sermon: Mental Por El Mundo

“Good engineer designs gadgets, great engineer designs society.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Vande Vasudhaivam: 100 Sonnets for Our Planetary Pueblo

“Conscience is the cement
that settles character in place.
Character is the cement
that settles civilization in place.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Vande Vasudhaivam: 100 Sonnets for Our Planetary Pueblo

“There are three kinds of people in the world - Those who make the world, those who mock the makers, and those who sleep through all the making and mocking. Or better yet, there are humans then there are animals - Humans who make the world, humans who help the makers, and animals are those who keep mocking and sleeping.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Vande Vasudhaivam: 100 Sonnets for Our Planetary Pueblo