Imperial Earth Quotes

“For the last century, almost all top political appointments [on the planet Earth] had been made by random computer selection from the pool of individuals who had the necessary qualifications. It had taken the human race several thousand years to realize that there were some jobs that should never be given to the people who volunteered for them, especially if they showed too much enthusiasm. As one shrewed political commentator had remarked: “We want a President who has to be carried screaming and kicking into the White House — but will then do the best job he possibly can, so that he’ll get time off for good behavior.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“Even more alarming were persistent rumors that someone had smuggled an Emotion Amplifier on board 'Mentor'. The so-called joy machines were banned on all planets, except under strict medical control; but there would always be people to whom reality was not good enough, and who would want to try something better.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“We want a President who has to be carried screaming and kicking into the White House—but will then do the best job he possibly can, so that he’ll get time off for good behavior.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“It was faint and distant, yet conveyed the impression of overwhelming power. First there was a thin scream that mounted second by second in intensity, but somehow never came any closer. The scream rose swiftly to a demonic shriek, with undertones of thunder—then dwindled away as quickly as it had appeared. From beginning to end it lasted less than half a minute. Then there was only the sighing of the wind, even lonelier than before.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“The amount of audio-visual material that Duncan had stored under misc was remarkable, even for an inquisitive ten-year-old. It was not that he lacked organizing ability—that was the most celebrated of all the Makenzie talents—but he was interested in more things than he knew how to index. He had now begun to discover, the hard way, that information not properly classified can be irretrievably lost.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“As he listened, Duncan felt a growing sense of awe. Here was something completely outside his normal, everyday experience, yet he recognized it almost at once. In his ten years of life, the impressions of many worlds had been imprinted on his mind, and no one who had heard this most evocative of sounds could ever forget it. He was listening to the voice of the wind, as it sighed and whispered across the lifeless landscape a hundred meters above his head.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“It had taken the human race several thousand years to realize that there were some jobs that should never be given to the people who volunteered for them, especially if they showed too much enthusiasm.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

“Trvalo několik tisíc let, než lidstvo přišlo na to, že existuje několik zaměstnání, která by neměli zastávat lidé, kteří se o ně dobrovolně hlásí, a obzváště tehdy, když projevují příšišné nadšení.”
― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth