Alfred Bester Quotes

One of the things that everybody knows about space travel but never mentions is its aphrodisiac quality.

Don't ask the world to stop moving because you have doubts.

Gully Foyle is my name And Terra is my nation Deep space is my dwelling place The stars my destination

Faith in faith' he answered himself. 'It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief

The mind is the reality. You are what you think.

I'm not much interested in extrapolating science and technology; I merely use extrapolation as a means of putting people into new quandaries which produce colorful pressures and conflicts.

Millions for nonsense, but not one cent for entropy.

Life is a freak. That’s its hope and glory.

No matter how we defend ourselves against the outside we're always licked by something from the inside. Ther's no defense against betrayal, and we all betray ourselves.

Most science fiction, quite frankly, is silly nonsense.

I've handed life and death back to the people who do the living and the dying.

Tenser, said the Tensor. Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun.

I'm a great believer in people and their untapped potential.

The man who gives his own decisions priority over society is a criminal.

This was an age of extremes, a fascinating century of freaks... but nobody loved it.

We always do what's natural, only sometimes we shouldn't do it.

If you can have everything at fifty that you wanted when you were fifteen, you're happy.

Intellect is the ability to avoid belaboring the obvious.

The whole point of extravagance is to act like a fool and feel like a fool, but enjoy it.

That's me," he said, motioning to the robot. "That's all of us. We prattle about free will, but we're nothing but response...mechanical reaction in prescribed grooves.

I challenge you, me. Die or live and be great.

The damnable frustration of revenge. Revenge is for dreams...never for reality.

Eight, sir; seven, sir; Six, sir; five, sir; Four, sir; Three, sir; Two, sir; one! Tenser, said the Tensor. Tenser, said the Tensor. Tension, apprehension, And dissension have begun.

It's obvious we can't all be a Gully Foyle, but most of us energize at such a low level, so far short of our real capabilities, we could all be more, do more.

The test of intellect is the refusal to belabor the obvious.

Millions for defense, but not one cent for survival.

Faith in faith' he answered himself. 'It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief.