Quotes from book
Revelation Space

Alastair Reynolds

Revelation Space is a 2000 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It was the first novel set in Reynolds's eponymous universe. The novel reflects Reynolds's professional background: he has a PhD in astronomy and worked for many years for the European Space Agency.It was short listed for the 2000 BSFA and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.

“I don’t like this at all,” Hegazi said.
“Believe me,” Sylveste said, “you’re about to like it a lot less.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 18 (p. 370).

““You can hardly blame them.”
“Assuming stupidity is an inherited trait, then no, I can’t.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 3 (p. 67).

““Haven’t you ever heard of morale-building?” Khouri had asked.
“Heard of it,” Volyova said. “Don’t happen to agree with it. Would you rather be happy and dead, or scared and alive?””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 19 (p. 381).

“Khouri did not need to be told that Hades was a neutron star, any more than she needed to be told that there was no such thing as a safe close encounter with one. You either kept away or you died; those were the rules, and there was no force in the universe capable of negating them. Gravity ruled, and gravity did not take into account circumstances, or the unfairness of things, or listen to eleventh-hour petitions before reluctantly repealing its laws. Gravity crushed, and near the surface of a neutron star gravity crushed absolutely, until diamond flowed like water; until a mountain collapsed into a millionth of its height.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 37 (p. 554).

“For someone admitting guilt she sounded remarkably void of repentance.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 35 (p. 533).

““Are you sharpness personified?”
Khouri poured herself a few final sips of coffee and then left the rest of it on the stove for when she got back. Coffee was her only vice, one acquired in her soldiering days on the Edge. The trick was to reach a knife-edge of alertness, but not be so buzzing that she could not point the weapon without shaking.
“I think I’ve reduced the amount of blood in my caffeine system to an acceptable level, if that’s what you mean.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 2 (p. 27).

““You look older, son.”
“Yes, well, some of us have to get on with the business of being alive in the entropic universe.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 16 (p. 332).

““I don’t know.” That was typical Sajaki; like all the genuinely clever people Sylveste had met he knew better than to feign understanding where none existed.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 18 (p. 357).

““A splendidly inept thing,” Sylveste said, nodding despite himself.
“What?”
“The human capacity for grief. It just isn’t capable of providing an adequate emotional response once the dead exceed a few dozen in number. And it doesn’t just level off—it just gives up, resets itself to zero. Admit it. None of us feel a damn about these people.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 15 (p. 323).

“The mere fact that there could be danger in this is fascination in itself; almost an incentive to push further. That’s how you feel, isn’t it? Every argument they could use against you would only strengthen your resolve. Because knowledge makes you hungry, and it’s a hunger you can’t resist, even if you know that what you’re feasting on could kill you.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 26 (p. 452).

“She had almost dared ask, but was perhaps too fearful of hearing something she could not refute.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 23 (p. 424).

““How long have we been friends, Dan?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it friendship; more a kind of mutual parasitism.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 7 (p. 166).

“I was going to call it a mistake, but you could argue that there are no mistakes in war, only fortunate and less fortunate events.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 10 (p. 220).

“For whatever reason, I am now fully conscious. Perhaps all beta-levels are capable of this, or perhaps my sheer connectional complexity ensured that I exceeded some state of critical mass. I have no idea. All I know is that I think, and therefore I’m exceedingly angry.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 18 (p. 364).

“I imagine you feel insignificant,” Sajaki said, almost as if he had been listening in on the conversation. “Well; you’re justified in feeling that way. You are insignificant. That’s the majesty of this place. Would you choose it any other way?”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 34 (p. 523).

““It’s all in the fine print. You should read it sometime.”
“When I’m gripped by existential boredom,” Khouri said, “I might try it.””

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 2 (p. 51).

“The new regime which had succeeded his after the coup had become as fragmentary as the old, in the time-honoured way of all revolutions.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 3 (p. 61).

“She wondered if she could put a dart in his eye. It would not kill him, but it might take the edge off his cockiness.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 2 (p. 59).

“It seemed that she had not so much misjudged the woman as assigned her to completely the wrong species.”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 14 (p. 316).

“Haven’t you ever heard of morale-building?”

Alastair Reynolds book Revelation Space

Khouri had asked.
“Heard of it,” Volyova said. “Don’t happen to agree with it. Would you rather be happy and dead, or scared and alive?”
Source: Revelation Space (2000), Chapter 19 (p. 381).

Similar authors

Alastair Reynolds photo

Alastair Reynolds 198

British novelist and astronomer 1966

Joanne K. Rowling photo

Joanne K. Rowling 29

British novelist, author of the Harry Potter series

Chuck Palahniuk photo

Chuck Palahniuk 555

American novelist, essayist

Nicholas Sparks photo

Nicholas Sparks 646

American writer and novelist

Jimmy Carr photo

Jimmy Carr 20

British comedian and humourist

Sherrilyn Kenyon photo

Sherrilyn Kenyon 752

Novelist

Laurell K. Hamilton photo

Laurell K. Hamilton 261

Novelist

Carlos Ruiz Zafón photo

Carlos Ruiz Zafón 149

Spanish writer

Brian Molko photo

Brian Molko 2

musician

John Green photo

John Green 103

American author and vlogger

Similar authors

Alastair Reynolds photo

Alastair Reynolds 198

British novelist and astronomer 1966

Joanne K. Rowling photo

Joanne K. Rowling 29

British novelist, author of the Harry Potter series

Chuck Palahniuk photo

Chuck Palahniuk 555

American novelist, essayist

Nicholas Sparks photo

Nicholas Sparks 646

American writer and novelist

Jimmy Carr photo

Jimmy Carr 20

British comedian and humourist