“Writers are vulnerable creatures like anyone else. For what do they have in reality? Not sandbags, not timbers. Just a flimsy reputation and a name.”

— Brian W. Aldiss

"Apéritif" in Bury My Heart at W.H. Smith's (1990)
Context: Writers must fortify themselves with pride and egotism as best they can. The process is analogous to using sandbags and loose timbers to protect a house against flood. Writers are vulnerable creatures like anyone else. For what do they have in reality? Not sandbags, not timbers. Just a flimsy reputation and a name.

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Brian W. Aldiss 116

British science fiction author 1925–2017

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