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.

You don't have conversations with microprocessors. You tell them what to do, then helplessly watch the disaster when they take you literally!

When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.

It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.

The village is coming back, like it or not.

In all of history, we have found just one cure for error—a partial antidote against making and repeating grand, foolish mistakes, a remedy against self-deception. That antidote is criticism.

Why must conversions always come so late? Why do people always apologize to corpses?

If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.

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.

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.

Gaia spins on, silently contemplating what it means to be born into a sarcastic universe.

She'd made him watch every Alien movie. Most of the goriest scenes were accompanied by his dialogue: 'Ach, that's no' - that's just no' right.... Bloody hell, this canna be right.

I think it's kind of great, to be honest. I'll never do another film [like Swiss Army Man] where I get to talk about those things, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

I am convinced the Church is the greatest hope for humanity and for creating a new world where everyone is valued and embraced regardless of differences.

From the experience of the past we derive instructive lessons for the future.

Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf.

I never cooked at home - my father was the chef.

I think diseases have no eyes. They pick with a dizzy finger anyone, just anyone.

God is, to me, pretty much a myth created over time to deny the idea that we're all responsible for our own actions.

Umbrellas are so small and sad and easy to forget.

Matter is motion outside, mind is motion inside.