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My first duty to write a gripping yarn. Second is to convey credible characters who make you feel what they feel. Only third comes the idea.

David Brin

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David Brin
Age: 74
Born: 1950
Born: October 6
Astronomer
Astrophysicist
Novelist
Physicist
Science Fiction Writer
Scientist
Screenwriter
Writer
Glendale
California
USA
Glen David Brin
Firsts
Duty
First
Second
Yarn
Feel
Literature
Gripping
Feels
Idea
Credible
Writing
Comes
Convey
Make
Write
Third
Character
Thirds
Ideas
Characters

More quotes by David Brin

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Life is not fair... Anyone who says it is, or even that it ought to be, is a fool or worse.
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Predicting has a spotty record in science fiction. I've had some failures. On the other hand, I also predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of fundamentalist Islam... and I'm not happy to be right in all of those cases
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I would normally never set out to write a trilogy.
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Why must conversions always come so late? Why do people always apologize to corpses?
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In historical fact, all of history's despots, combined, never managed to get things done as well as this rambunctious, self-critical civilization of free and sovereign citizens, who have finally broken free of worshipping a ruling class and begun thinking for themselves. Democracy can seem frustrating and messy at times, but it delivers.
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The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.
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Change is the very fabric of our time.
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But it is a delightful challenge to try to depict interesting aliens.
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In the end, the work of diplomats continues even while others fight. So, it's not necessarily true that everyone needs to march.
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Prison for the crime of puberty -- that was how secondary school had seemed.
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The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal.
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I find humans tremendously interesting
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The fundamental premise of sci-fi is not spaceships and lasers - it's that children can learn from the mistakes of their parents.
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Self-righteous people can talk themselves into forgetting they are part of a civilization. They can then feed on that culture, bringing it down. It's happened many times in the past. It could happen to us.
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But honestly, if you do a rigorous survey of my work, I'll bet you'll find that biology is a theme far more often than physical science.
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Seldom does a storytelling talent come along as potent and fully mature as Mike Brotherton. His complex characters take you on a voyage that is both fiercely credible and astonishingly imaginative. This is Science Fiction.
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When I begin a book, I inevitably discover many things along the way, about the characters, their past histories and the political intrigues that surround them. This discovery process is vital, and I would not prejudice it by deciding too much in advance
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I hate the whole übermensch, superman temptation that pervades science fiction. I believe no protagonist should be so competent, so awe-inspiring, that a committee of 20 really hard-working, intelligent people couldn't do the same thing.
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The best time to act on this was decades ago. The second best time is now.
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I like to be surprised. Fresh implications and plot twists erupt as a story unfolds. Characters develop backgrounds, adding depth and feeling. Writing feels like exploring
David Brin