First wives are a rite of passage into adult life. In many ways it’s important that first marriages go wrong. That’s how we learn the truth about ourselves.

— J.G. Ballard

Have you noticed how vocabularies fluctuate in order to cope with our need to justify ourselves?

— J.G. Ballard

He methodically basted the dark skin of the Alsatian, which he had stuffed with garlic and herbs." One rule in life", he murmured to himself. "If you can smell garlic, everything is all right".

— J.G. Ballard

He walked into the bathroom, wincing at himself in the mirror, that always more tired older brother.

— J.G. Ballard

However, for all his affection and loyalty towards the animal, the dog would soon be leaving him - they would both be present at a celebratory dinner when they reached the roof, he reflected with a touch of gallows-humor, but the poodle would be in the pot.

— J.G. Ballard

I believe in the power of the imagination to remake the world, to release the truth within us, to hold back the night, to transcend death, to charm motorways, to ingratiate ourselves with birds, to enlist the confidences of madmen.

— J.G. Ballard

If their work is satisfying people don't need leisure in the old-fashioned sense. No one ever asks what Newton or Darwin did to relax, or how Bach spent his weekends. At Eden-Olympia work is the ultimate play, and play the ultimate work.

— J.G. Ballard

If we really feared the crash, most of us would be unable to look at a car, let lone drive one.

— J.G. Ballard

I'm a strong opponent of all religious belief.... And supposedly 95% of Americans say they believe in God - that's worrying.... Religions are Trojan horses which conceal profoundly strange psychopathy strains. There's no other explanation for them. The sheer fear of death has been the main engine of religions for a very long time.

— J.G. Ballard

I'm a strong opponent of all religious belief.(Conversations pg 96)

— J.G. Ballard