Dean Koontz

"But there are two things that different kinds of people believe that are the worst, most dangerous, wrongest of all. Some people believe that the best way to solve a problem is with violence; they beat up or kill anyone who disagrees with them." … "But whats the other worst kind of bad thinking?" "Pacifism," she said. "Thats just the opposite of the first kind of bad thinking. Pacificists believe that you should never lift a hand against another human being, no matter what he has done or what you know hes going to do." … "Some pacificists are cowards in disguise, but some really believe its right to permit the murder of an innocent person rather than kill to stop it. Theyre wrong because by not fighting evil, theyve become part of it."

"Youve got to stay sharp, on your toes, alert. Always look over your shoulder. Always protect yourself. Dont let your guard down for even a second. There are people who will take advantage of you the moment they see youre not in control. The worlds filled with people like that. Nearly everyone you meet is like that. Were animals in a jungle, and weve got to be prepared to fight if we want to survive. You cant trust hardly anyone, hardly anyone at all. Even people who are supposed to like you can turn on you faster than you think. Even friends. People who say they love you are the worst, the most dangerous, the most untrustworthy of all. People who say they love you will pounce when they get the chance. You gotta always remember that theyre just waiting for the opportunity to get you. Loves a trick. A cover. A way to catch you off guard. Never let down your guard. Never."

"As an attorney, I assure you the law isnt a line engraved in marble, immovable and unchangeable through the centuries. Rather… the law is like a string, fixed at both ends but with a great deal of play in it — very loose, the line of the law — so you can stretch it this way or that, rearrange the arc of it so you are nearly always — short of blatant theft or cold-blooded murder — safely on the right side. Thats a daunting thing to realize but true."

"The sane understand that human beings are incapable of sustaining conspiracies on a grand scale, because some of our most defining qualities as a species are inattention to detail, a tendency to panic, and an inability to keep our mouths shut."

"Bobby noticed two colorful charts posted on the wall near the refrigerator. The first displayed each kids grades and major test results since the start of the school year in September. The other was a list of household chores for which each child was responsible. … Some attributed Asian-Americans success to a conspiracy, but Bobby saw the simple explanation for their achievements everywhere in the Phan house: They tried harder. They embraced the ideals upon which the country had been based — including hard work, honesty, goal-oriented self-denial, and the freedom to be whatever one wanted to be. Ironically, their great success was partly due to the fact that so many born Americans had become cynical about those same ideals."

"He considered himself to be a thoroughly useless man, taking up space in a world to which he contributed nothing — but he did have a talent for baking… The gas oven might blow up in his face, at last bringing him peace, but if it didnt, he would at least have cookies for Agnes."

"Dylan… said, "Both Becky and Kenny need medical attention—" "And a prison cell until their social security kicks in," Jilly added. "—but give us two or three minutes before you call 9-1-1," Dylan finished. This instruction baffled Marj. "But you are 9-1-1." Jilly fielded that peculiar question: "Were one of the ones, Marj, but were not the other one or the nine."

"Hes a hollow man. He believes in anything. Hollow men are vulnerable to anyone who offers them something that might fill the void and make them feel less empty."

"When youre as hollow as Enoch Kane, the emptiness aches. Hes desperate to fill it, but he doesnt have the patience or the commitment to fill it with anything worthwhile… So a man like Kane obsesses on one thing after another — sex, money, food, power, drugs, alcohol — anything that seems to give meaning to his days, but that requires no real self-discovery or self-sacrifice."

"Fric had been assigned the dumbest of the standard tones, which the phone manufacturer described as "a cheerful, child-pleasing sound suitable for the nursery or the bedrooms of younger children." Why infants in nurseries or toddlers in cribs ought to have their own telephones remained a mystery to Fric. Were they going to call Babies R Us and order lobster-flavored teething rings?"

"Change isnt easy, Micky. Changing the way you live means changing the way you think. Changing the way you think means changing what you believe about life. Thats hard, sweetie. When we make our own misery, we sometimes cling to it even when we want so bad to change, because the misery is something we know. The misery is comfortable."

"Maybe Nina wouldnt have died if I hadnt moved in with them and drawn Sheener after me, but I cant feel guilty about that. I tried hard to be a good foster daughter to them, and they were happy with me. What happened was that life dropped a big custard pie on us, and thats not my fault; you can never see the custard pies coming. Its not good slapstick if you see the pie coming." "Custard pie?" he asked, perplexed. "You see life as a slapstick comedy? Like the Three Stooges?" "Partly." "Life is just a joke then?" "No. Life is serious and a joke at the same time." "But how can that be?" "If you dont know," she said, "maybe I should be the one asking the questions here."