We are not interested in Space. Space holds no appeal to us whatsoever. Humanity has spent hundreds of years trying to find faster ways to get through Space precisely because we hate it so much. Space has no food, no booze, no women, none of the things that make life tolerable. The only reason I put up with Space at all is because I need somewhere to put my stuff.

Robert Kroese, Starship Grifters [Amazon, Bookshop, Local Library]

Hermetic quote Kroese Starship Grifters not interested space holds no appeal humanity hate food booze women life tolerable somewhere to put my stuff

Consider also:

  1. “However, there was no explaining the chemistry which joined men and women, locked them in embraces of hate and mutual suffering sometimes for ninety years on end.”
  2. “A sane person is always at a disadvantage when negotiating with a lunatic.”
  3. “To be honest, I’m not entirely certain he realizes it’s a ruse. He may just be deluded enough to think that he really does understand what’s going on, and somehow he manages to extend that delusion to include those in the immediate vicinity. As the originator of the delusion, he then becomes a sort of expert guide to those lost in its fog.”