My education and background thoroughly inform my writing David Brin More Quotes by David Brin More Quotes From David Brin In contrast, markets - oft mythologized as "natural" are the most unnatural things going. Libertarians will tell you "market laws are laws of nature", what baloney. Markets - and the other great modernist cornucopian tools - are magnificent wealth generating machines, built ad-hoc, through trial and error, constantly fine-tuned and refined, tinkered, adjusted. David Brin trial-and-errorerrorslaw The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. David Brin corruptionbeliefpower But it is a delightful challenge to try to depict interesting aliens. David Brin challengestryinginteresting A neurosis defends itself by coming up with rationalizations to explain away bizarre behavior. David Brin neurosisbizarrebehavior Anyone who wants simple, pat stories should buy another author's product. The real universe ain't that way, and neither are my fictive ones. David Brin realsimplestories When I begin a book, I inevitably discover many things along the way, about the characters, their past histories and the political intrigues that surround them. This discovery process is vital, and I would not prejudice it by deciding too much in advance David Brin characterbookpast I find humans tremendously interesting David Brin humansinteresting Fortunately, human beings are remarkably diverse models to work from David Brin diversemodelshumans Predicting has a spotty record in science fiction. I've had some failures. On the other hand, I also predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of fundamentalist Islam... and I'm not happy to be right in all of those cases David Brin wallhandsfall I like to be surprised. Fresh implications and plot twists erupt as a story unfolds. Characters develop backgrounds, adding depth and feeling. Writing feels like exploring David Brin feelingswritingcharacter One of the rules I try to follow is that normal people are going to be involved even in heroic events David Brin eventstryingpeople 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. David Brin themebiologyhonest Above all, TRIBES is fun, and even kind of sexy... in that every round features an Opportunity for Reproduction, which is the main aim of the game, as it is in most of Nature David Brin sexyopportunityfun She had called in the debt that parents owe a child for bringing her, unasked, into a strange world. One should never make an offer without knowing full well what will happen if it is accepted. David Brin parentsneverchildworld Human beings are inherently misled into subjective fantasies, but there's a saving grace. We all have different delusions. Other people don't necessarily share yours, and hence they will help you penetrate yours through the miracle of criticism! David Brin youcriticismgracepeople Transparency is key to reciprocal accountability, which we use to be both free and smart. It is the miracle tool that enables us to question the lies of monsters. David Brin questionfreetransparencysmart Competition, by itself, always leads to cheating by the powerful, who try to establish pyramids of power, like feudalism. Yet, competition is the great creative force! So how do we save it from its own contradictions? By cooperation! By cooperating with each other, via politics, to make rules and prevent cheating, so that competition can thrive! David Brin greatcompetitionpoliticspower Strutting and preening is, in fact, the surest sign of an inferiority complex. David Brin signfactcomplexinferiority Writing can be taken up at any point. But you need to remember that the arts are fundamentally unfair. Hard work and diligence won't necessarily take you all the way. Talent, nepotism, influence, and pure luck play a huge part. David Brin youtalenthard-workwork Those who use 'Correlation is not the same as causation' as a magic incantation to dismiss all fact-using professions are fools holding a lit match in one hand and an open gas can in the other, screaming, 'One has nothing to do with the other!' David Brin foolsopennothingmagic
