Quotes from book
A for Anything

A for Anything

A for Anything is a science fiction novel by American writer Damon Knight. The author postulates the discovery, in the near future, of the "Gismo", a device that can duplicate anything—even another Gismo. Since all material objects have become essentially free, the only commodity of value is human labor, and the author suggests that a slave economy would be the inevitable result.


“Don’t lose your temper,” said Ruell evenly. “It’s your worst fault, except for ignorance.”

Source: A for Anything (1959), Chapter 7 (p. 88)

“A society that put more emphasis on birth than ability was likely to breed ability out of its ruling class.”

Source: A for Anything (1959), Chapter 19 (p. 190)

Similar authors

Damon Knight photo
Damon Knight 9
American science fiction writer, editor and critic 1922–2002
Robert A. Heinlein photo
Robert A. Heinlein 557
American science fiction author
Isaac Asimov photo
Isaac Asimov 303
American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston Uni…
Arthur C. Clarke photo
Arthur C. Clarke 207
British science fiction writer, science writer, inventor, u…
Frank Herbert photo
Frank Herbert 158
American writer
Ray Bradbury photo
Ray Bradbury 401
American writer
Carl Sagan photo
Carl Sagan 365
American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science ed…
Haruki Murakami photo
Haruki Murakami 655
Japanese author, novelist
David Foster Wallace photo
David Foster Wallace 185
American fiction writer and essayist
George Raymond Richard Martin photo
George Raymond Richard Martin 35
American writer, screenwriter and television producer