Conservatism is not about tradition and morality, hasn't been for many decades... It is about the putative biological and spiritual superiority of the wealthy.

— Greg Bear

He had performed this ritual before, getting into trouble and then coming to his mother, uneasy and uncertain, not sure precisely what sort of trouble he was in. With uncanny regularity, she had seemed to jump onto a higher plane of reasoning and identify his problems, laying them out for him so they became unavoidable. This was not a service that made him love her anymore, but it did make her invaluable to him.

— Greg Bear

He held her hand and shook his head. "They're inside, part of us by now. They are us. Where can we escape?

— Greg Bear

In the society of would-be-gods, a humble man is always polite.

— Greg Bear

It is the bullet you don’t hear that gets you.

— Greg Bear

I will learn by screwing up.

— Greg Bear

Mother Nature is a bitch.

— Greg Bear

Of all the planets apart from Earth in our solar system, Mars is the most hospitable. Yeah. Right. Better keep my visit short. And yet, despite the discomfort, the danger, I love it here. I love coming back for these imaginary vacations. The sights are amazing.

— Greg Bear

Oh, there will still be deception. The fresh crew will emerge as adults, will have memories of past training and lives. Our stories, our lives, will go on. I refuse to allow that love to die, just because it was never real.

— Greg Bear

Once, poets were magicians. Poets were strong, stronger than warriors or kings — stronger than old hapless gods. And they will be strong once again.

— Greg Bear