Jack Vance Quotes

154 Sourced Quotes

I categorically declare first my absolute innocence, second my lack of criminal intent, and third my effusive apologies.

Jack Vance
The history of man is a compendium of such evil. We are an evolutionary product, descendants of predators. A few synthetic foods aside, every morsel eaten by man is taken from another living thing. We are intended for murder; we kill to exist!

Jack Vance
I would define 'avarice' as a consequence of the human estate: a condition arising from turbulence and inequality. In none of the paradises, where conditions are no doubt optimum, does 'avarice' exert force. Here, we are men struggling toward perfection and 'avarice' is a station along the way.

Jack Vance
The void is a mouth crying to be filled, a blank mind aching for thought, a cavity desperate for shape. What is not implies what is.

Jack Vance
Tomorrow?
Sh. She put her hand across his lips. Never say the word!

Jack Vance
"The folk are peculiar in many ways," said Erwig. "They preen themselves upon the gentility of their habits, yet they refuse to whitewash their hair, and they are slack in their religious observances. For instance, they make obeisance to Divine Wiulio with the right hand, not on the buttock, but on the abdomen, which we here consider a slipshod practice. What are your own views?"
"The rite should be conducted as you describe," said Cugel. "No other method carries weight."
Erwig refilled Cugel's glass. "I consider this an important endorsement of our views!"

Jack Vance
Sir Tristano spoke: Stop! You are taking the great green pearl!
Naturally! said the voice from a point close behind. That is the whole point of robbery: to acquire the victim's valuables!

Jack Vance
Cease the bickering! I am indulging the exotic whims of a beautiful princess and must not be distracted.

Jack Vance
Ghyl laughed also. If I'm too serious, you're too irresponsible.
Bah, retorted Floriel. Is the world responsible? Of course not! The world is random, vagrant, heedless. To be responsible is to be out of phase, to be insane!
Ghyl pondered a moment. This is perhaps the case, in a world left to itself. But society imposes order. Living in a society, it is not insane to be responsible.

Jack Vance
Kergan Banbeck threw up his hands, turned once more to the sacerdote. How can I halt his nonsense? How can I make him see reason?
The sacerdote reflected. He speaks not nonsense, but rather a language you fail to understand. You can make him understand your language by erasing all knowledge and training from his mind, and replacing it with patterns of your own.

Jack Vance
I am more inclined to punish Hurtiancz for his crassness, said Ildefonse. But now he simulates a swinish stupidity to escape my anger. Absolute falsity! roared Hurtiancz. I simulate nothing! Ildefonse shrugged. For all his deficiencies as polemicist and magician, Hurtiancz at least is candid.

Jack Vance
He's like an imbecile with a pepper shaker; a little makes his food taste good, therefore a lot will make it wonderful.

Jack Vance
I think that I will not answer that question, he said at last. I would create as many false images as there were ears to hear me.
Half as many, Clissum pointed out delicately.

Jack Vance
Now it seems that Roger has once more taken up with Miss Roswyn. I can't say that I approve, but he has not troubled to ask my advice. She heaved a sigh. But I am sure that the world will never go precisely to my liking.
Does it for anyone? asked Bernard Bickel with good-natured cynicism.
Probably not, and I must reconcile myself to the fact.

Jack Vance
He used a name for himself, true, but we played at Romance, and this is a game where truth is a bagatelle.

Jack Vance
Tell me, then! What is so important?
Your life! I could not bear that you should lose it!
I feel much the same. Say on.

Jack Vance
I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt anyone.
Madoc Roswyn laughed a soft forlorn laugh. The sad truth is that I didn't care—which may be worse.

Jack Vance
We are supposed to set you a good example, said Devonet. As a start, I will point out that a lady of refinement would not wish to be found so high in a tree.
Then I am a lady of refinement well and truly, said Madouc, since I did not wish to be found.

Jack Vance
"Very well," said Cugel. "I will ride with you to Taun Tassel, but you must accept these three terces in full, exact, final, comprehensive and complete compensation for the ride and every other aspect, adjunct, by-product and consequence, either direct or indirect, of the said ride, renouncing every other claim, now, and forever, including all times of the past and future, without exception, and absolving me, in part and in whole, from any and all further obligation."
Iucounu held up small balled fists and gritted his teeth toward the sky. "I repudiate your entire paltry philosophy! I find zest in giving!"

Jack Vance
Poor Pymfyd! Your world is built of fear and dread! As for me, I have no time for such emotions.
Pymfyd spoke in an even voice. You are a royal princess and I may not call you a witless little fool, even should the thought cross my mind.
Madouc turned him a sad blue-eyed glance. So that, after all, is your concept of me.
I will say only this: persons who fear nothing are soon dead.

Jack Vance
He was neither lazy nor incompetent; he merely had occupational claustrophobia.

Jack Vance
Shanne said, You are quiet; are you sad?
In a way. Do you know why?
She put her hand across his mouth. Never speak of it. What must be, will be. What can never be—can never be.
Ghyl turned to look at her, trying to divine every last scintilla of her meaning.
But, she added in a soft voice, what can be—can be.

Jack Vance
You emphasize morality. But the ultimate basis of morality is survival. What promotes survival is good; what induces mortifaction is bad.

Jack Vance
The less a writer discusses his work—and himself—the better. The master chef slaughters no chickens in the dining room; the doctor writes prescriptions in Latin; the magician hides his hinges, mirrors, and trapdoors with the utmost care.

Jack Vance
It had been suggested to her that the flaw lay not in the universe but in herself.

Jack Vance
I gathered that the old fellow suffers from some advanced form of senile dementia, and so perhaps his analysis is not totally accurate.

Jack Vance
Your doctrines are remarkable! As if I existed only to fulfill your cravings! Then, since I do not care to do so, the cosmos must be considered insane.

Jack Vance
Aillas groaned. Destiny could never be so unkind.
Suldrun said in a soft voice: Destiny doesn't really care.

Jack Vance
There are no absolute certainties in this universe. A man must try to whip order into a yelping pack of probabilities, and uniform success is impossible.

Jack Vance
Control is necessary and even good—so long as I do the controlling.

Jack Vance