# Larry Niven

- Quotes: 35
- Author page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven

## Books

- [Flatlander](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/flatlander.md) — 10 quotes
- [Protector](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector.md) — 8 quotes
- [Ringworld](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld.md) — 9 quotes
- [Ringworld Engineers](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld-engineers.md) — 4 quotes
- [The World Of Ptavvs](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/the-world-of-ptavvs.md) — 4 quotes

## Recently added quotes

> And the air was full of the smell of burning bridges.

p. 166 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/and-the-air.md)

> There is never no hope left. Remember.

p. 280 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld-engineers/there-is-never.md)

Topics: [hope](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/hope.md)

> Forget the infinities: Concentrate on detail.

p. 68 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld-engineers/forget-the-infinities.md)

> “For letting us examine their silly records they want to charge us a flat million marks!”
>
> “Pay it.”
>
> “It’s robbery.”
>
> “A Belter says that? Why don’t you have records on Mars?”
>
> “We were never interested. What for?”
>
> “What about abstract knowledge?”
>
> “Another word for useless.”
>
> “Then what makes you want useless knowledge enough to pay a million marks for it?”
>
> Slowly Nick matched his grin. “It’s still robbery. How in Finagle’s name did Earth know they’d need to know about Mars?”
>
> “That’s the secret of abstract knowledge. You get in the habit of finding out everything you can about everything. Most of it gets used sooner or later.”

p. 45 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/for-letting-us-examine.md)

Topics: [knowledge](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/knowledge.md)

> “How did you come to represent the belt?”
>
> “Aptitude tests said I had a high IQ and liked ordering people around. From there I worked my way up.”
>
> “We go by the vote.”
>
> “Popularity contests.”
>
> “It works. But it does have drawbacks. What government doesn’t?”

p. 57 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/how-did-you.md)

Topics: [politics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/politics.md)

> The stars are far from eternal, but for man they might as well be.

p. 7 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/the-stars-are.md)

Topics: [time](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/time.md)

> What’s the justification for ancestor worship? You know what happens to a man without modern geriatrics: as he ages his brain cells start to die. Yet people tend to respect him, to listen to him.

p. 86 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/whats-the-justification.md)

Topics: [old age](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/old-age.md)

> Sometimes there’s no point in giving up.

p. 282 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld-engineers/sometimes-theres-no-point.md)

Topics: [perseverance](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/perseverance.md)

> Brennan was an optimist. He didn’t expect to be caught.

p. 16 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/brennan-was-an-optimist.md)

> We learn only to ask more questions.

p. 59 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/ringworld-engineers/we-learn-only.md)

Topics: [knowledge](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/knowledge.md)

> The Perversity of the Universe Tends Toward a Maximum.

p. 23 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/the-perversity-of-the.md)

> I’m being chauvinistic, he told himself. I can’t judge an alien’s sanity by Belt standards, can I? His lip curled. Sure I can. That ship is badly designed.

p. 21 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/larry-niven/protector/im-being-chauvinistic.md)