Worlds Enough & Time Quotes

“It is true that we Russians have sent only four doctors into space in forty years of flight, but still I might have had chance to fly to Mir or International Space Station except for one fact. This is that I cannot urinate—is this the right word, Mr. Roth?—I cannot urinate on wheel of bus.”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction

“Commander Lebedev wrote—‘After a communication session we invited Flight Engineer Savitskaya to the heavily laden table. We gave Sveta a blue floral print apron and told her, “ ‘Look, Sveta, even though you are a pilot and cosmonaut, you are still a woman first. Would you please do us the honor of being our hostess tonight?’ “
“Ouch,” says Roth”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction

“Why . . .” she begins. “Why do you want to climb it?”
“Because it’s there.”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction

“More climbers die during the descent than on the way up.”
Karakaredes seems to be considering this. After a minute he says, “Yes, but here on the summit, there must be some ritual . . .”
“Hero photos,” gasps Paul. “Gotta . . . have . . . hero photos.”
Our alien nods. “Did . . . anyone . . . bring an imaging device? A camera? I did not.”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction

“Wasn’t ‘Ms.’ an honorific for females back in pre-rubicon days?” asked Frome. “Some sort of honorary degree for not getting married or something?”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction

“They . . . are . . . so. . . sorry, ” she whispered. “The machine brings back no . . . pictures . . . only the food and air and water. It is programmed . . . as you suggested, Dem Lia . . . to eliminate infestations. They are . . . so . . . so . . . sorry for the loss of Ouster life. They offer the suicide of . . . of their species . . . if it would atone for the destruction.”
― Dan Simmons, Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction