Ghosts of Gotham Quotes

“Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "Ever wonder why that's the conversational default? People always want to know your job. Not what you love, what you hate, but what you do to earn money. What does that say about us as a society?”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“But what about objectivity? Aren’t we supposed to report both sides of the story?” “You’re assuming there are two valid sides,” Lionel told him. “That’s just not always true. If somebody is claiming the earth is flat or the moon is made of green cheese, we’re under no obligation to provide them with equal time against people who have the facts on their side.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“I believe that ‘finding the book you’re looking for’ is an overrated notion,” the man replied. “Far better to explore, and let the book you need be the one which finds you.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“All the hotels are haunted by someone or other. You just have to pick the one with the ghosts that suit you.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“And there’s the moment of realization,” Sloan said, almost oddly gentle now. “It’s over. The cavalry isn’t coming. No last-minute reprieves. That’s it, kid. All that despair—drink it in. Hurts a lot less if you accept it. That’s the human condition, when all is said and done. Like the man wrote: ‘Mortal fate is hard. Best get used to it.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“I take no pleasure in your pain,” Xiulang said, “only your severe discomfort. Lines must be drawn.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“So if you passed—which you did with flying colors by finding this place, congratulations—I figured I’d feed you to Princess Dergwyn. Her and her hundred closest friends. They’re all downstairs, hungry and waiting for you.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“We all answer to a higher power, Lionel. And sometimes, to keep that higher power happy—and keep the gravy train rolling—you gotta do some scut work.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“The computer looked like it had gone twelve rounds with a heavyweight boxer.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“I’ve got a long list of regrets. Know what the worst ones of all are? The times I look back and wonder what might have happened if I’d had the courage to reach for what I wanted.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Lionel looked up to the buildings, into the lit windows that dotted the darkened Gothic facades. He caught snatches of other people’s stories, here and there: portraits from lands he’d never been to, the flicker of a television tuned to a show he’d never seen. Eight million lives.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“We are all a story,” she told him. “I’m a character in your story; you’re a character in mine. And we’re both part of the story of New York, along with eight million other people. It’s all fiction, it’s all true, and just like you were taught as a child, there’s a world of possibility on every new page. Once you accept that, there’s only one question worth asking.” “What’s that?” he said. “What kind of story do you want to live in?”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“We are what we take into our bodies. Food, words, thoughts, attitudes. The world shapes us, and we in turn shape the world.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Everything looks easy when an expert does it, but don’t confuse looking easy with being easy. What matters is getting the job done, and you did it.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“That’s residual death energy.” “What, like, a ghost?” She shook her head. “No, it’s like . . . a by-product. It’s the leftover energy when a soul transitions. Sort of like the grease that’s left in the grill trap after a big barbecue: it was technically part of the food, but you wouldn’t want to eat it.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Sad girl. Even when she was happy. You know how some people are just kinda born sad?”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“There’s no shame in being a student, Lionel, and there’s no shame in ignorance. There’s only shame in staying ignorant when you have the opportunity to learn.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “Ever wonder why that’s the conversational default? People always want to know your job. Not what you love, what you hate, but what you do to earn money. What does that say about us as a society?”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Synchronicity,” she said, “I’ve found, at least, is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re on the right track.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“These days I prefer to interact with humanity through books, as exclusively as possible. The pages, the type, they’re like . . . the glass walls of a zoo enclosure. I can watch the wild animals all evening long, safe on my side of the window.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“It’s Schrödinger’s coffee,” Lionel suggested. “Until one of us drinks it, scientifically, it belongs to both of us.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham

“Apparently there’s nothing seriously wrong with you except, you know, that you’re an asshole, and they just don’t have the technology to fix that yet. We can only stand by and hope for a cure.”
― Craig Schaefer, Ghosts of Gotham