Quotes from book
The Stars My Destination

Alfred Bester

The Stars My Destination is a science fiction novel by American writer Alfred Bester. Set in the 24th or 25th century, which varies between editions of the book, when humans have colonized the Solar System, it tells the story of Gully [Gulliver] Foyle, a teleporter driven by a burning desire for revenge.

“Gully Foyle is my name
And Terra is my nation.
Deep space is my dwelling place,
The stars my destination.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination

“The whole point of extravagance is to act like a fool and feel like a fool, but enjoy it.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination

“Faith in faith' he answered himself. 'It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination

“Yes, no matter how we defend ourselves against the outside we’re always licked by something from the inside. There’s no defense against betrayal, and we all betray ourselves.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 12 (p. 188).

“Wait,” Foyle commanded. He looked at the beaming grin engraved in the steel robot face. “But society can be so stupid. So confused. You’ve witnessed this conference.”
“Yes, sir, but you must teach, not dictate. You must teach society.”
“To space-jaunte? Why? Why reach out to the stars and galaxies? What for?”
“Because you’re alive, sir. You might as well ask: Why is life? Don’t ask about it. Live it.”
“Quite mad,” Dagenham muttered.
“But fascinating,” Y’ang-Yeovil murmured.
“There’s got to be more to life than just living,” Foyle said to the robot.
“Then find it for yourself, sir. Don’t ask the world to stop moving because you have doubts.”
“Why can’t we all move forward together?”
“Because you’re all different. You’re not lemmings. Some must lead, and hope that the rest will follow.”
“Who leads?”
“The men who must … driven men, compelled men.”
“Freak men.”
“You’re all freaks, sir. But you always have been freaks. Life is a freak. That’s its hope and glory.”
“Thank you very much.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

“My pleasure, sir.”
Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 16 (p. 251).

“Millions for defense, but not one cent for survival.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Variant: Millions for nonsense, but not one cent for entropy.
Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 16 (p. 253).

“He awoke. He was alive. He wasted no time on prayer or thanks but continued the business of survival.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 1 (p. 19).

“The man who gives his own decisions priority over society is a criminal.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 14 (p. 221).

“We always do what’s natural, only sometimes we shouldn’t do it.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 6 (p. 98).

“That’s me,” he said, motioning to the robot. “That’s all of us. We prattle about free will, but we’re nothing but response…mechanical reaction in prescribed grooves.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 16 (p. 247).

““Damn you!" Dagenham raged, “Don’t you realize that you can’t trust people? They don’t know enough for their own good.”
“Then let them learn or die. We’re all in this together. Let’s live or die together.””

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 16 (pp. 254-255).

“Revenge is for dreams…never for reality.”

Alfred Bester book The Stars My Destination

Source: The Stars My Destination (1956), Chapter 12 (p. 194).

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