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Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 3:10:02 PM

PAVANE

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I would be interested in anyone qouting their favourite first or last lines from any science fiction or fantasy novel. Perhaps you might like to tell is why it appealls to you?
As a bonus you might want to leave it to us to guess what book its from.
As a taster who can tell me what book this is the last line from
'The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again;but already it was impossible to say which was which'

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 3:18:48 PM

ADomDoc

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From: San Antonio
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quote:

ORIGINAL: PAVANE
I would be interested in anyone qouting their favourite first or last lines from any science fiction or fantasy novel. Perhaps you might like to tell is why it appealls to you?
As a bonus you might want to leave it to us to guess what book its from.
As a taster who can tell me what book this is the last line from
'The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again;but already it was impossible to say which was which'

Without cheating, sure sounds like it's from Orwell's "Animal Farm."
While I'm fond of Jose Farmer (Tarzan, Riverworld), Heinlein (Stranger....)& others ... can't say I have any specific lines, let alone first or last lines that are memorable.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 4:46:51 PM

Level

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My favorite story ending, from "The Deathbird", by Harlan Ellison.

"What was your name?" Stack asked his friend.

Dira.

And the Deathbird settled down across the tired shape of the Earth, and it spread its wings wide, and brought them over and down, and enfolded the Earth as a mother enfolds her weary child. Dira settled down on the amethyst floor of the dark-shrouded palace, and closed his single eye with gratitude. To sleep at last, at the end.

All this as Nathan Stack stood watching. He was the last, at the end, and because he had come to own-- if even for a few moments-- that which could have been his from the start, had he but known, he did not sleep but stood and watched. Knowing at last, at the end, that he had loved and done no wrong.

The Deathbird closed its wings over the Earth until at last, at the end, there was only the great bird crouched over the dead cinder. Then the Deathbird raised its head to the star-filled sky and repeated the sigh of loss the Earth had felt at the end. Then its eyes closed, it tucked its head carefully under is wing, and all was night.

Far away, the stars waited for the cry of the Deathbird to reach them so final moments could be observed at last, at the end, for the race of Men.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 5:42:45 PM

siouxie

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sadly i have lent the book to a friend at the moment so cannot quote it, but the first chapter (just a couple of pages) of Matthew Thomas' novel 'Before and After' are fantastic - i read them in the shop and just had to buy the book. it is similar to Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimain's 'Good Omens,' amd the tag line is 'A novel about exploding sheep, nostradamus and the end of the world.'

part of it runs vaguely like this (colin and kevin being sheep):

'Baaaaaa' said Colin
'KABOOOM' replied Kevin, as he soared into the air in a ball of flames

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My therapist says that would not be appropriate just now

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 6:22:00 PM

TopCurious0

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"It was a dark and stormy night"

Just for the shear nerve of starting with such a cliche.

For evocitiveness: "The sky was the color of a television turned to a dead chanel" which I've seen in two different books, and meant different things in each.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 8:24:49 PM

RedRedWine

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"Hope is a lying bitch."
Because it's true.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/25/2006 11:13:49 PM

shyXscifi

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"P.P.S. Please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernon's grave in the bak yard..."

From the short story "Flowers for Algernon" which still makes me cry to this day.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/26/2006 5:28:27 AM

twicehappy

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"The most merciful thing in the world ... is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents." H. P. Lovecraft

“Like the wind crying endlessly through the universe, Time carries away the names and the deeds of conquerors and commoners alike. And all that we are, all that remains, is in the memories of those who cared we came this way for a brief moment”. Harlan Ellison

“...Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
~ Frank Herbert

And of course

"Damnit Jim I'm a doctor not a (insert whatever here...miracle worker, mind reader etc......)

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The human heart is not a finite container but an ever expanding universe with all the stars contained there in.

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RE: Favourite SF or fantasy first or last lines - 5/26/2006 6:41:48 AM

PAVANE

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Well done everyone some great quotes.
So which book is this the last line from?

'Space conquerors, bah! Nutty, all of them, just like you and me!'

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'Go tell the Spartans to damn the torpedoes.'

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