Quotes from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“If you ever loved anything in your life, try to remember it. If you ever betrayed anything, pretend for a moment that you have been forgiven. If you ever feared anything, pretend for an instant that those days are gone and will never return. Buy the lie and hold to it for as long as you can. Press your familiar, whatever its name, to your breast and stroke it till it purrs.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“Between you and me,
the words,
like mortar,
separating, holding together
those pieces of the structure ourselves.
To say them,
to cast their shadows on the page,
is the act of binding mutual passions,
is cognizance, yourself/myself,
of our sameness under skin;
it rears possible cathedrals
indicating infinity with steeply-high styli.
For when tomorrow comes it is today,
and if it is not the drop
that is eternity
glistening at the pen’s point,
then the ink of our voices
surrounds like an always night,
and mortar marks the limit of our cells.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“You are a deviant from the social norm!"
"Is that an insult or a diagnosis?”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“Wheels turning, the motorcycle’s roar grows steady, which, too, is a form of silence.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“Trouble can be purchased cheaply, though the refund may be more than you can bear.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“It would be an act of wisdom to depart immediately… but wisdom is itself the product of knowledge; and knowledge, unfortunately, is generally the product of foolish doings. So, to add to my own knowledge and to enhance my wisdom I shall remain another day, to see what occurs.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

“What difference does it make whether you slay him or Horus slays him? He will be just as dead either way."
Wakim pauses, apparently considering the matter, as if for the first time.
"This thing is my mission, not his." he says at length.
"He will be just as dead, either way," Vramin repeats.
"But not by my hand."
"True. But I fail to see the distinction."
"So do I, for that matter. But it is I who have been charged with the task."
"Perhaps Horus has also."
"But not by my master."
"Why should you have a master, Wakim? Why are you not your own man?"
Wakim rubs his forehead.
"I—do not—really know…. But I must do as I am told.”
― Roger Zelazny, quote from Creatures of Light and Darkness

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BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.