Steven Erikson: Doing

Steven Erikson is Canadian fantasy author. Explore interesting quotes on doing.

Steven Erikson: 272 quotes5 likes

“Do not seek to find hope among your leaders. They are the repositories of poison. Their interest in you extends only so far as their ability to control you.”

Steven Erikson book Midnight Tides

Midnight Tides (2004)
Context: "You leave me without hope," Brys said.
"I am sorry for that. Do not seek to find hope among your leaders. They are the repositories of poison. Their interest in you extends only so far as their ability to control you. For you, they seek duty and obedience, and they will ply you with the language of stirring faith. They seek followers, and woe to those who question, or voice challenge."

“Wise words are like arrows flung at your forehead. What do you do? Why, you duck of course.”

Steven Erikson book House of Chains

Source: House of Chains (2002)

“Ah, Fist, it’s the curse of history that those who should read them, never do.”

Steven Erikson book Deadhouse Gates

Source: Deadhouse Gates

“I was needed, but I myself did not need. I had followers, but not allies, and only now do I understand the difference. And it is vast.”

Steven Erikson book House of Chains

Source: House of Chains

“No-one chooses me. I do not give anyone that right. I am Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. All choices belong to me.”

Steven Erikson book Reaper's Gale

Source: Reaper's Gale

“Desires should never be justified,' Tehol said, wagging a finger. 'All you end up doing is illuminating the hidden reasons by virtue of their obvious absence.”

““Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?”
The Imass shrugged before replying. “I think of futility, Adjunct.”
“Do all Imass think about futility?”
“No. Few think at all.”
“Why is that?”
The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her. “Because, Adjunct, it is futile.””

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 10 (p. 325)

“No, do not look at me that way, you of smooth and subtle thought, you give your sympathy too quickly and therein hide your belief in your own superiority. I do not deny your cleverness, but I question your compassion.”

Steven Erikson book The Crippled God

The Crippled God (2011)

“Do mortal fools still measure the increments leading to their deaths, wagering pleasures against costs, persisting in the delusion that deeds have value, that the world and all the gods sit in judgment over every decision made or not made?”

Steven Erikson book Toll the Hounds

Toll the Hounds (2008)

“Do I want you to talk to me, old friend? Do I need your reminders, your wry confirmation that faith is for fools?”

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 2 (p. 82)

“The mewling, petty acts,” he’d say, “of a short-lived and short-sighted species, Crokus, can do nothing to mar the Great Cycles of Life.”

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 11 (p. 344)

“But we're different from hawks and wolves, Ville. We can actually figure out the consequences of what we do, and that makes us… oh, I don't know the word…'
'Culpable?' Rint suggested.
'Yes, that's the word all right.”

Steven Erikson book Forge of Darkness

Forge of Darkness (2013)

“T'riss sat down opposite the Warden, her expression thoughtful. 'Is civilisation nothing but an illusion, then?'
'Crowd control.'
'Excuse me?'
'That's all civilisation is, T'riss. A means by which we manage the proliferation of our kind. It increases in complexity the more of us there are. Laws keeps us muzzled and punishment delivers the necessary message when those laws are broken. Civilizations in decline are notable when certain of their members escape justice, and do so with impunity.”

Steven Erikson book Forge of Darkness

Forge of Darkness (2013)

“Do not let the title of scholar, or poet, or lord, intimidate you overmuch. More importantly, do not delude yourself into imagining that such men and women are loftier, or somehow cleverer or purer of intgrity or ideal than you or the other commoner. We live in a world of facades, but the grins behind them are all wretched.”

Steven Erikson book Forge of Darkness

Forge of Darkness (2013)

“Can you live without answers? All of you, ask that of yourself. Can you live without answers? Because if you cannot, then most assuredly you will invent your own answers and they will comfort you. And all those who do not share your view will by their very existence strike fear and hatred into your heart. What god blesses this?”

Steven Erikson book Toll the Hounds

Toll the Hounds (2008)

“Kallor said: “I walked this land when the T’lan Imass were but children. I have commanded armies a hundred thousand strong. I have spread the fire of my wrath across entire continents, and sat alone upon tall thrones. Do you grasp the meaning of this?””

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

“Yes,” said Caladan Brood, “you never learn.”
Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 10 (p. 302)

“I think I understand. Before there can be disdain, there must be pride.
One day I will find something to be proud of, and then I will find this taste of disdain, and see if it suits me. Should I not think this, being my father's son?
And yet, I do not. Pride needs no claws, no scaled armour about itself. Not every virtue must be a weapon.
These thoughts are my own. I will not crush them.”

Steven Erikson book Forge of Darkness

Forge of Darkness (2013)

“"Indeed Bugg. is it because, do you think, at the human core, we are naught but liars and cheats?"
"Probably."
"With no hope of ever overcoming our instinctive nastiness?"
"Hard to say. How have we done so far?"”

Steven Erikson book Midnight Tides

Midnight Tides (2004)

““What do you mean by a tyrant?”
“One whose blood was poisoned by the ambition to rule over others.””

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 10 (p. 309)

“What do you mean by a tyrant?”

Steven Erikson book Gardens of the Moon

“One whose blood was poisoned by the ambition to rule over others.”
Source: Gardens of the Moon (1999), Chapter 10 (p. 309)