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A civilization has the ethics it can afford

Larry Niven

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Larry Niven
Age: 86
Born: 1938
Born: April 30
Author
Mathematician
Novelist
Science Fiction Writer
Screenwriter
Writer
LA
California
Laurence van Cott Niven
Civilization
Afford
Ethics

More quotes by Larry Niven

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I don't have a strong interest in history.
Larry Niven
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There were timelines branching and branching, a mega-universe of universes, millions more every minute. Billions? Trillions? The universe split every time someone made a decision. Split, so that every decision ever made could go both ways. Every choice made by every man, woman, and child was reversed in the universe next door.
Larry Niven
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One mark of a good officer, he remembered, was the ability to make quick decisions. If they happen to be right, so much the better.
Larry Niven
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The majority is always sane.
Larry Niven
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But... watching Steven Barnes taught me to treat my life like an art form.
Larry Niven
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And every friend I've got has been writing Mars stories. It was pretty clear I'd never catch up.
Larry Niven
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The reader has certain rights. He bought your story. Think of this as an implicit contract. He's entitled to be entertained, instructed, amused maybe all three. If he quits in the middle, or puts the book down feeling his time has been wasted, you're in violation.
Larry Niven
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In the world of words the imagination is one of the forces of nature.
Larry Niven
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In a collaboration, each author will do 75% of the work.
Larry Niven
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There is a technical, literary term for those who mistake the opinions and beliefs of characters in a novel for those of the author. The term is 'idiot'.
Larry Niven
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If one must explain a magic trick, one should do so after the show is over.
Larry Niven
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Psi and/or magical powers, if real, are nearly useless.
Larry Niven
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We should not have assumed that a political space station could be built.
Larry Niven
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The Unexpected always comes at the most awkward times.
Larry Niven
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Mother Nature doesn't care if you're having fun.
Larry Niven
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There is no cause so good or noble that it will not attract fuggheads and the fuggheads will get all the press.
Larry Niven
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My problem with new writers is that it takes me five or six years to memorise the right names.
Larry Niven
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I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.
Larry Niven
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That's the thing about people who think they hate computers. What they really hate is lousy programmers.
Larry Niven
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Stupidity is always a capital crime.
Larry Niven