The Pursuit of the Pankera Quotes

“At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that “news” is not something that happens to other people. He might learn how his ancestors lived and that he himself is no different—in the crunch his life depends on his agility, alertness, and personal resourcefulness.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Who can possibly be as deeply inside a story as the person who writes it?”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Magic,” I stated, “is a symbol for any process not understood.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Don’t talk dirty. Did you say ‘thoat’?” “Yes. This is Barsoom.” “I thoat that was what you said.” “If that’s a pun, you can eat it for supper. With peanut butter.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“If a captain worries about the safety of his command, those under him need not worry.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“It says in Little Women that a bride should be half her husband’s age plus seven years. Zebadiah and I hit close to that.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“One must accept death, learn not to fear it, then never worry about it. ‘Make Today Count!’ as a friend whose days are numbered told me. Live in that spirit and when death comes, it will come as a welcome friend.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“To prove that degrees, per se, are worthless. Often they are honorifics of true scientists or learned scholars or inspired teachers. Much more frequently they are false faces for overeducated jackasses.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“I have no hesitation in saying that I have no comment—and you can quote me that that is strictly off the record.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Don’t bang your head against a stone wall.” He might add: “Climb over, go around, tunnel under, knock a hole in it—and if nothing works, forget it! Change your plans. Or take a nap. But don’t get ulcers.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“when you hear the bullet before you hear the gun, you are on the wrong end of the firing.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“or”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“That was Heinlein in a nutshell: the responsible human being, the competent human being, the human being who knows how to die gallantly when faced with the Birkenhead drill. Not because it’s heroic, but because”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“I knew that the stupidest students, the silliest professors, and the worst bull courses are concentrated in schools of education”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“A doctorate is a union card to get a tenured job. It does not mean that the holder thereof is wise or learned.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“We don’t begrudge money spent on roads and public health and national defense and truly useful things. But we’ve quit paying for parasites wherever we can identify them.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“If a table has four legs, which one can you afford to throw away?”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Take a simple pocket pen, so cheap that they are given away as advertising. Back of it lie several sorts of chemists, metallurgists, synthetic polymer experts, mechanical engineers, extrusion presses, computer programmers, computers, computer technicians, toolmakers, electrical engineers, a planet-wide petroleum industry, five or more sorts of mines with mining engineers, geologists, miners, railroads, steamships, production engineers, management specialists, merchandizing psychologists—et cetera to a splitting headache. It is impossible even to list the myriad special skills that underlie even the most trivial trade item of our enormously complex and interdependent industrial web.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“I like to feel that I’ve paid rent on the piece of earth I’m using.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Back to Rule One: no news broadcasts at meals, no newspapers. No shop talk, no business or financial matters, no discussion of ailments. No political discussion, no mention of taxes, or of foreign or domestic policy. Reading of fiction permitted en famille—not with guests present. Conversation limited to cheerful subjects—” “No scandal, no gossip?” demanded Aunt Hilda.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Hopelessness in a worthy cause is no excuse for abandoning it. My race fought without hope for many generations … then hope appeared. You and yours may do the same.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Sharpie, I thought you liked Star Trek?” “I do. But I’ve seen five years of it and we’ve got our own Star Trek now.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“People treat me nice, I treat them nice. If they don’t, I walk away. I don’t worry much.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“I hadn’t been surprised when he kicked over his career to stand up for what he felt was right. Real officers did that.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“My husband is a brute. And I’ve got a cruel stepmother just like Snow White. I mean, Cinderella. And my Pop thinks I’m imaginary. But I love you all anyway because you’re all I’ve got.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Jake, did you see anything? I didn’t.” “Nothing, Captain.” “Astrogator?” “Just blankness. Please, can we have the lights on?” I flipped on the overhead lights. “Science Officer?” “USS Enterprise being chased by a Klingon cruiser.” “Sharpie, that’s a false report. The Enterprise doesn’t run from just one Klingon cruiser.” “It was going boldly where no man has gone before. Aside from that, I didn’t see a thing. Let’s try another universe; this one stinks.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“I deduced a minor truth: gems make fine accents for female beauty—but only as accents; beauty is fundamental. Better no jewelry than to deck a lovely woman like a Christmas tree.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Oh, whoever thought up that nonsense about ‘parting is such sweet sorrow!’ ” “Chap by the name of Shakespeare,” I said. “But he was writing for money. Anything for a tear. Or a laugh. Either way, he got paid. He killed ’em off, at the end—and got paid for that, too.” “I know he did. Made me cry. What a shameful way for a grown man to make a living!”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Ever hear the theory that in endless time and space, not only everything can happen but has happened and will happen? Mathematically, it is equivalent to Cantor’s Alephs, or higher infinities—and contains the same fallacy. But a brilliant writer named Brown wrote a fine story about it.” “Fredric Brown’s What Mad Universe—Yes, I know that book, Jake. A classic. You say it contains a fallacy? I was impressed by its logic.” “I didn’t say the story contained a fallacy; I said that the mathematical theory contained a fallacy. Mr. Brown’s story may be utterly real. Is real … if the formulation I’ve been thinking about has any merit.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes

“Pop says cops and courts no longer protect citizens, so citizens must protect themselves.” “I’m afraid he’s right.” “My husband, I can’t evaluate my opinions of right and wrong because I learned them from my parents and haven’t lived long enough to have formed opinions in disagreement with theirs.” “Deety, your parents did okay.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, The Pursuit of the Pankera: A Parallel Novel About Parallel Universes