Quotes from Alfred Bester

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

To jaunte it was necessary (among other things) to know exactly where you were, and where you were going, or you had no hope of arriving alive anywhere.

It was necessary for Yeovil to re-establish control or effect a compromise.

No war material has ever made that much difference.' 'No? I cite the fission bomb of 1945. I cite the Null-G anti-gravity installations of 2022. Talley's All-Field Radar Trip-Screen of 2194. Material can often make the difference, especially when there's the chance of the enemy getting it first.

Every child in the world imagines that its phantasy world is unique to itself. Psychiatry knows that the joys and terrors of private phantasies are a common heritage shared by all mankind. Our fears, guilts, terrors and shames could be interchanged, from one man to the next, and none would notice the difference. The therapy department at Combined Hospital had recorded thousands of emotional tapes and boiled them down to one all-inclusive all-terrifying performance in Nightmare Theatre.

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

The Sedative Garden atop the Therapy Building was a triumph of therapeutic planning. Every perspective, every color, every contour had been designed to placate hostility, soothe resistance, melt anger, evaporate hysteria, shore up melancholia and depression.

Alt?n bir çaÄŸ yaÅŸan?yordu; benzersiz maceralar, zengin yaÅŸam ve zor ölüm devriydi bu . . . ama kimse öyle düÅŸünmüyordu. Servet ve h?rs?zl?kla, yaÄŸma ve çapulculukla, kültür ve ahlaks?zl?kla dolu bir gelecekti bu . . . ama kimse bunu kabul etmiyordu. A??r?l?klar?n ça??yd?, hilkat garibelerinin büyüleyici yüzy?l? . . . ama kimse bundan hoÅŸlanm?yordu.

What's the use of the strongest chisel in the world if it doesn't have an edge? We've got to sharpen your wits, Gully. Got to educate you, man, is all.

Where is he now?' 'Sam Quatt's got him in tow.' 'I thought Sam retired from the rackets.' 'He did,' Jisbella said grimly. 'But he owes me a favor. He's minding Foyle. They're circulating on the jaunte to stay ahead of the cops.

They were of the female persuasion and richly endowed with vice.

Christ Almighty! To see yourself... face to face.,. The clothes were on fire. Did you see that? What in God's name was it?' 'It was Gully Foyle,' Robin said, 'burning in hell.

There's got to be more to life than just living," Foyle said to the robot. "Then find it for yourself, sir. Don't ask the world to stop moving because you have doubts.

He pointed to a door and disappeared with a 'pop'. The door revealed a long flight of stairs. As Foyle and Robin started up the stairs, Dr Orel appeared above them. 'This way, please. Oh . . . one moment.' He disappeared and appeared again behind them. 'You forgot to close the door.

The quack waited for them behind his desk. He jaunted to the door, closed it, jaunted back to his desk, bowed, indicated chairs, jaunted behind Robin's and held it for her, jaunted to the window and adjusted the shade, jaunted to the light switch and adjusted the lights, then reappeared behind his desk.

What happened to your face, Dagenham?' Fourmyle asked with detached curiosity. The death's-head smiled. 'And I thought I was famous. Radiation poisoning. I'm hot. Time was when they said Hotter than a pistol. Now they say Hotter than Dagenham.

You must own nothing but yourself.

Foyle was brought up with a jolt. 'You mean I've been running away from something?' 'Obviously.' 'From what?' 'From reality. You can't accept life as it is. You refuse. You attack it . . . try to force it into your own pattern. You attack and destroy everything that stands in the way of your own insane pattern.

Let me die, for God's sake!' 'What's the matter? Does it hurt? I died for six months, and I didn't whine.

You knew and you've been laughing at me.' 'No.' 'Standing by and shaking with laughter.' 'Standing by and loving you.

Mayo was again awakened by the clatter of dispossessed ducks.

It's your face, poor darling. You're ashamed of your tiger face; but I love it. You burn so brightly for me. You burn through the blindness. Believe me...

He was dead. He knew he was dead. He refused to submit to eternity. He beat again into the unknown.

I share this house with two and a half men and a mountain gorilla. We have everything in stock.