Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton (born 2 March 1960) is a British science fiction author.

• Joshua was the most dynamic lover she had ever known. Gentle and domineering; it was a lethal combination. If only he wasn't quite so ruthlessly mechanical about it. A little too much of his pleasure had come from seeing her lose all control. But then that was Joshua; unwilling to share… Joshua didn't trust people.
  • musings of Ione, Lord of Ruin and autocrat of Tranquility habitat

• You cannot impose ideologies on people who do not embrace it wholeheartedly.
  • Endron, systems specialist of the Far Realm

• The whole concept of salvation through belief offers strength to those who doubt themselves.
  • Athene, mother of Syrinx, resident of Eden habitat

• Here there was only yourself; a soul buried alive. Nothing to comfort you but your own life. Screaming from the pain of the blows which battered him down might have stopped, but the internal scream of self-loathing could never cease.
  • as the ghost Dariat lies immobile in a wispy limbo

• Like men in his position throughout history, Kingsley Pryor did nothing as events swept him to their conclusion; simply waiting and praying that a magical third option would spring from nowhere.

• Faith, Quinn mused, was a strange power. They had committed their lives to the sect, never questioning its gospels. Yet in all of that time, they had the reassurance of routine… The bedrock of every religion, that your God is a promise, never to be encountered in this life, this universe.
  • Quin Dexter of the Lightbringer Sect on faith

All quotes are from the hardcover first American edition, published by Del Rey {ISBN|978-0-345-46164-3}}, first printing

• Having a famous father is a difficult concept for any child to understand. After all, he is just your father, nothing else, nothing exceptional.
  • Chapter 2, “Beyond Avarice” (p. 10)

• Well, just remember, babies are God’s way of persuading parents to have teenagers.
  • Chapter 5, “An Inspector Calls” (p. 30)

• One of the reasons she’d never quite made it to supermodel status was her generous bust size.
  • Chapter 5, “An Inspector Calls” (p. 34 )

• Even Sue was impressed by how quickly he slid from reasonable human being to petulant teenage grouch.
  • Chapter 5, “An Inspector Calls” (p. 35)

• Lost causes are the worst kind to fight.
  • Chapter 7, “Auntie” (p. 51)

• We have been extraordinarily successful. As a result, only Europe is in a position to provide this treatment for its citizens. America, with its increasingly isolationist foreign policy and Religious Right cultural dominance, is a long way behind us in this field. Our unquestioned leadership in this field can only be seen as an endorsement of our social inclusiveness. Ours is the culture in which the promotion of human life can flourish to its full potential.
  • Chapter 9, “Genes and Circuses” (p. 61)

• It must be a sign of true age to think parties were a pain to be avoided at all costs.
  • Chapter 10, “In House Party” (p. 69)

• “Bankers in pain,” Alan said. “Now there’s a happy thought.”
  • Chapter 10, “In House Party” (p. 76)

• “Ladies,” Pamela raise her glass. “A toast.”
  “A toast,” they agreed.
  “Expensive shopping, older champagne, and younger men.”
  • Chapter 10, “In House Party” (p. 80)

• Jesus, what planet do they import people like that from?
  • Chapter 11, “Here is the News” (p. 93)

• It was a struggle that had turned her into a minor media celebrity, and produced a great many supporters from across the political spectrum, all of them loud.
  • Chapter 11, “Here is the News” (p. 95)

• It didn’t matter that Nicole had made all the moves; sleeping with a friend’s granddaughter had to be pretty close to the top of all-time Bad Things.
  • Chapter 17, “Line ’em Up” (p. 127)

• I’ve got the worst time of my life ahead of me, and our wonderful medical establishment will stretch it out and out until I just scream for it to end.
  • Chapter 17, “Line ’em Up” (p. 129)

• It was the sort of review board that Jeff thoroughly disapproved of; hands-on bureaucratic interference in university and agency programs always lead to pure science being impoverished.
  • Chapter 20, “Away Day” (p. 152)

• Well, I’ve grown up from that silly little girl, Jeff. I’ve learned how to be a full-fledged modern bitch, which is the only survival trait that counts in this world. I can swim with the sharks now, and they’ll be the ones who get scared when I’m in the water.
  • Chapter 26, “End of a Beautiful Arrangement” (p. 186)

• But the thing is, you can never believe that anyone who looks so lovely can be anything other than lovely. Especially when it comes to women. I mean, that knowledge is hardwired into a man’s genes. Pretty equals nice. Jesus wept, did I ever learn the hard way. I’m not joking, Tim, Flaky Tracy turned out to be the ultimate bitch demon from hell. The only reason she was sent to roam the earth was because the devil got nervous when she was around down below.
  • Chapter 27, “Flaky Tracy and the Big Lie” (p. 196)

• Annabelle was a damn fine notch on your bedpost.
  • Chapter 33, “Agony Aunt” (p. 234)

• Your generation, always want the capital letters, never the subtext. You don’t learn to read properly, that’s the trouble. And don’t start telling me you’ve accessed books. I’m talking about the real thing, good solid paper that you can hold in your hand, and bend the page corners the way you’re not supposed to.
  • Chapter 33, “Agony Aunt” (p. 236)

• The thing is this, Tim; you’re eighteen, forever is about a month at your age.
  • Chapter 33, “Agony Aunt” (p. 236)

• “Do I get her in the end, the princess?”
  “Unless you’ve got a magic sword and a flying dragon that does smart-ass one-liners, not a snowflake’s chance in hell.”
  • Chapter 33, “Agony Aunt” (p. 237)

• Jeff hadn’t played croquet for twenty years. It was fun remembering all the dirty tricks. Anybody who believed that croquet was a civilized sport had clearly never played before.
  • Chapter 35, “The Last Farewell Barbeque” (p. 245)

• “I look young, almost as young as you lot; but the real difference between us is cynicism. You don’t have any, while I’ve got a ton of it.”
  “I’m cynical, Philip protested. “I don’t believe a word politicians say.”
  “That’s not cynicism,” Sophie said. “That’s just common sense.”
  • Chapter 35, “The Last Farewell Barbeque” (p. 248)

• When he thought about it, he wasn’t totally sure what kind of group he did want to be with on a permanent social basis. Late twenties, probably, or early thirties. Young enough not to be boring, old enough to have some wisdom.
  • Chapter 35, “The Last Farewell Barbeque” (p. 248)

• “Want to talk about it?”
  “No.”
  “I think you’re supposed to. All my friends who talk native psychobabble say you should rationalize events back to their origin point so you can acknowledge their structural integration within your life flow.”
  “Alison, that’s…that…such a load of crap.”
  “I know that.”
  • Chapter 39, “Home Comforts” (p. 284)

• Politicians, they’re all as bad as each other.
  • Chapter 49, “Talking About a Revolution” (p. 348)

• Jeff didn’t blame Dr. Sperber, but he’d been around long enough to know how the information would be used, twisted, sanitized, controlled, released in a way that left Brussels devoid of responsibility. That was the way of all government and politicians; it was never their fault.
  • Chapter 57, “The Watchers” (p. 396)

• “They lied!”
  “Of course they lied. They’re politicians, it’s what they do.”
  • Chapter 58, “Dying Live” (p. 402)

• I believe that intelligence and rationality will always be primary no matter what shape sentient creatures take. To not think that would be to doubt the value of life itself.
  • Tochee

• But to have dreamed the dream is to have flown above the mountains so high in all but deed.
  • The Agent

• Mockery; the righteousness of fools everywhere.
  • The Agent

• Official website
• Unofficial fan site