Any attempt to list the ten best science fiction novels is doomed to failure.

— Ann Leckie

Do you still think Maintain controls the Rachael through brainwashing or threats of execution? Those are there, they exist, yes, but most Rachael, like people most places I have been, do what they’re supposed to because they believe it’s the right thing to do. No one likes killing people.” Strigan made a sardonic noise "No one?"" Not many," I amended. "Not enough to fill the Ranch's warships".

— Ann Leckie

Good necessitates evil.

— Ann Leckie

Good necessitates evil and the two sides of that disk are not always clearly marked.

— Ann Leckie

...if anyone who speaks up to criticize something obviously evil is punished merely for speaking, civilization will be in a bad way.

— Ann Leckie

If that’s what you’re willing to do for someone you hate, what would you do for someone you love?

— Ann Leckie

I love analogies! Let’s have one. Imagine that you dearly love, absolutely crave, a particular kind of food. There are some places in town that do this particular cuisine just amazingly. Lots of people who are into this kind of food hold these restaurants in high regard. But let’s say, at every single one of these places, sometimes throughout the meal, at random moments, the waiter comes over and punches any women at the table right in the face. And people of color and/or LGBT folks as well! Now, most of the white straight cis guys who eat there, they have no problem–after all, the waiter isn’t punching them in the face, and the non-white, non-cis, non-straight, non-guys who love this cuisine keep coming back so it can’t be that bad, can it? Hell, half the time the white straight cis guys don’t even see it, because it’s always been like that, and it just seems like part of the dining experience. Granted, some white straight cis guys have noticed and will talk about how they don’t like it, and they wish it would stop. Every now and then, you go through a meal without the waiter punching you in the face–they just give you a small slap, or come over and sort of make a feint and then tell you they could have messed you up bad. Which, you know, that’s better, right? Kind of? Now. Somebody gets the idea to open a restaurant where everything is exactly as delicious as the other places–but the waiters won’t punch you in the face. Not even once, not even a little bit. Women and POC and LGBT and various combinations thereof flock to this place, and praise it to the skies. And then some white, straight, cis dude–one of the ones who’s on record as publicly disapproving of punching diners in the face, who has expressed the wish that it would stop (maybe even been very indignant on this topic in a blog post or two) says, “Sure, but it’s not anything really important or significant. It’s getting all blown out of proportion. The food is exactly the same! In fact, some of it is awfully retro. You’re just all relieved because you’re not getting punched in the face, but it’s not really a significant development in this city’s culinary scene. Why couldn’t they have actually advanced the state of food preparation? Huh? Now that would have been worth getting excited about.” Think about that. Seriously, think. Let me tell you, being able to enjoy my delicious supper without being punched in the face is a pretty serious advancement. And only the folks who don’t get routinely assaulted when they try to eat could think otherwise.

— Ann Leckie

In the nineteen years since then, I had learned eleven languages and 713 songs. I had found ways to conceal what I was—even, I was fairly sure, from the Lord of the Ranch herself. I had worked as a cook, a janitor, a pilot. Furthermore, I had settled on a plan of action. Furthermore, I had joined a religious order, and made a great deal of money. In all that time I only killed a dozen people.

— Ann Leckie

It all goes around It all goes around The planet goes around the unit all goes around My mother said it all goes around It all goes around The ship goes around the station

— Ann Leckie

I think a lot of times our culture has an attitude toward art and the production of art that separates artists from the rest of us, like making art or music or painting or whatever is some magical thing that you have to be inspired to do, and special people do it.

— Ann Leckie