Charles Stross citations

Page 4

Source: Iron Sunrise (2004), Chapter 4, “Magical Mystery Tour” (p. 67)

Source: Glasshouse (2006), Chapter 15, “Recovery” (p. 255)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 29, “Liz: Project ATHENA” (p. 305)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 31, “Dominoes Fall” (p. 322)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 20, “Liz: Bereavement Counselling” (p. 226)

Source: Halting State (2007), Chapter 33, “Elaine: Gentlemen and Players” (p. 272)

Source: Halting State (2007), Chapter 32, “Sue: Civil Contingencies” (p. 263)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 13, “Jokers” (p. 274)

Source: Glasshouse (2006), Chapter 17, “Mission” (p. 288)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 12, “Toymaker: Reality Excursion” (p. 143)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 6, “Telegram from the Dead” (p. 142)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 15, “Delivery Service” (p. 317)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 6, “Telegram from the Dead” (p. 131)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 13, “Kemal: Spamcop” (pp. 154-155)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 3, “The Spacelike Horizon” (p. 60)

The Concrete Jungle (2004)
The Laundry Files

Source: Accelerando (2005), Chapter 2 (“Troubadour”), p. 54

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 11, “Circus of Death” (p. 234)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 13, “Kemal: Spamcop” (p. 155)

Source: Iron Sunrise (2004), Chapter 15, “Preparing for Ghosts and Dogs” (p. 251)

Source: Rule 34 (2011), Chapter 8, “Anwar: Diplomat” (p. 93)

Source: Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 2, “Preparations for Departure” (p. 33)

Source: Accelerando (2005), Chapter 2 (“Troubadour”), p. 60

Source: Iron Sunrise (2004), Chapter 13, “Hold the Front Page” (p. 202)

Source: Glasshouse (2006), Chapter 7, “Bottom” (p. 107)

Which just goes to show Nietzsche wasn't a C++ programmer.
Overtime (2009)
The Laundry Files, The Annihilation Score (2015)

This is how the iron law of bureaucracy installs itself at the heart of an institution. Most of the activities of any bureaucracy are devoted not to the organization’s ostensible goals, but to ensuring that the organization survives: because if they aren’t, the bureaucracy has a life expectancy measured in days before some idiot decision maker decides that if it’s no use to them they can make political hay by destroying it. It’s no consolation that some time later someone will realize that an organization was needed to carry out the original organization’s task, so a replacement is created: you still lost your job and the task went undone. The only sure way forward is to build an agency that looks to its own survival before it looks to its mission statement. Just another example of evolution in action.
Source: The Laundry Files, The Annihilation Score (2015), Chapter 16, “Democracy in Action” (pp. 311-312)

“How indeed.”
Source: The Laundry Files, The Annihilation Score (2015), Chapter 14, “Infected” (p. 284)

Source: The Laundry Files, The Annihilation Score (2015), Chapter 14, “Infected” (p. 266)