I'm an engineer and a writer. And I find that those two things are not uncomplementary.

Temeraire said, 'It is very nice how many books there are, indeed. And on so many subjects!

As a novelist you have just unlimited budget, total creative control. You really get to have your cake - all the cake - and then you can have a second cake if you wanted to.

Temeraire-- Never fear; I am going; the Son of Heaven will not tolerate delays, and Barham gives me leave. Allegiance will carry us! Pray eat something --L.

I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on.

Enough of that, you damned conspirators, you will have us hanged a great deal sooner than we will.

Something about that whole process of building the structure of that game turned into a real kind of lightbulb moment for me as a writer.

What could make the Napoleonic Wars more exciting? Dragons.

I am very tired of this Government, which I have never seen, and which is always insisting that I must do disagreeable things, and does no good to anybody.

And we must still try or we would be leaving our friends to fight without us. I think this is what you have meant by duty, all along; I do understand, at least this much of it.

Trying to out-guess Bonaparte; the thought makes my blood run cold.

Information that a book possesses is made of time

In the beginning, there was nothing. And then BOOM! Universe.

His moral lectureblazed with hate.What could have driven a child that far?

Dermatology ... this young daughter of medicine ...

I get sent Bibles. I have a collection of about 20 in my room. People think I need to be guided.

Say, ‘Thank you, Phin.’ ” “Oh, please.” “Say, Thank youvery much, Phin. ” “I don’t think so.” “Say, ‘You are a great lover, Phin.’ ” “I’m out of here.

History is the product of vast, amorphous and indecipherable social movements.

I was deaf and dumb and blind to all but me, myself and I.

I was never really a writer, I was always more of a performer.

I don't want to impress somebody, I want to move somebody. Say the most with the least.