It is true that all of us are the beneficiaries of crimes committed by our ancestors, and it is true that nothing can be done about that now because the victims are dead and the survivors are innocent. These are good reasons for keeping our mouths shut about the past: but tell me, what are our reasons for silence about atrocities still to come?

Damon Knight

Categorized in : Past Silence Atrocities

One of my many theories about short stories is that their titles and first lines ought to be memorable, because if not memorable they will not be remembered, and if not remembered the stories will not be reprinted (because no one can find them).

titles memorable writing

The popularity of conspiracy theories is explained by people's desire to believe that there is - some group of folks who know what they're doing

desire believe people

Driving down the wrong road and knowing it, The fork years behind, how many have thought To pull up on the shoulder and leave the car Empty, strike out across the fields; and how many Are still mazed among dock and thistle, Seeking the road they should have taken?

taken should-have years

Science fiction is what I point at when I say science fiction. by Damon Knight

Science fiction is what I point at when I say science fiction.

science-fiction writing fiction

We live on a minute island of known things. Our undiminished wonder at the mystery which surrounds us is what makes us human. In science fiction we can approach that mystery, not in small, everyday symbols, but in bigger ones of space and time.

everyday space islands

During the four days of the storm, I became accustomed to the soft light of lamps and candles and grew to like it. When the power came on again, I discovered that I was actually disappointed. The electric lights seemed cold and impersonal; they revealed too much.

lamps storm light

There are more riddles in a stone than in a philosopher's head by Damon Knight

There are more riddles in a stone than in a philosopher's head

riddle philosopher stones

By focusing on the interior of a speaker's larynx and using infrared, he was able to convert the visible vibrations of the vocal cords into sound of fair quality, but that did not satisfy him. He worked for a while on vibrations picked up from panes of glass in windows and on framed pictures, and he experimented briefly with the diaphragms in speaker systems, intercoms and telephones. He kept on into October without stopping, and finally achieved a device that would give tinny but recognizable sound from any vibrating surface - a wall, a floor, even the speaker's own cheek or forehead.

wall glasses giving

van Vogt is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy us... by Damon Knight

van Vogt is not a giant as often maintained. He's only a pygmy using a giant typewriter

Science fiction is what we point to when we say it. by Damon Knight

Science fiction is what we point to when we say it.

point say science-fiction science

There are 36 ways to tell this story. And all of them are disgust... by Damon Knight

There are 36 ways to tell this story. And all of them are disgusting.

them story tell disgusting

You may stifle your creativity by learning too much about processes that should be spontaneous and automatic.

you creativity learning too-much

One of the great rewards of a writer's life is that it lets you read all the books you want to without feeling guilty.

feeling great you life

As his talent expands, some of his stories become pointed social commentary; some are surprisingly effective religious tracts, disguised as science fiction. Others still are nostalgic vignettes, but under it all is still Bradbury, the poet of 20th-century neurosis.

others some talent science