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41 " What would life be like after the end of the world as we know it? "
― , Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (Wastelands #1)
42 " We don't need the destruction of entire cities to know what it's like to survive a catastrophe. Whenever we lose someone we love deeply we experience the end of the world as we know it. The central idea of the story is not merely that the apocalypse is coming, but that it's coming for you. And there's nothing you can do to avoid it. "
43 " Where Deaver sat, the bow of the boat seems to curve under him. The faster they went, the less the boat seemed to touch the water. Just skimming over the surface, never really touching deep; making a few waves, but the water always smoothed out again. "
44 " Mom graduated magna cum laude from Drew. "
45 " The end of the world had always been televised in Wyndham's experience. The fact that it wasn't being televised now suggested that it really was the end of the world. "
46 " (what an ad campaign: "Levi's: We'll Get You Through the End of Civilization: Rated Number One in Post-Apocalyptic Scenarios"), "
47 " Besides, the paper pushers refuse to let the world end until every form is turned in, timestamped and properly initialed. Apocalypse is the last gasp of bureaucracy. "
48 " What's in these tacos?" a customer asked Del. "Nobody you know, mister," Del said. "
49 " The things we use fall apart and require constant maintenance. The things we abandon don't get used and they last forever. "
50 " The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls," he said softly. "
51 " The sign over the gate read: First Church of the Unleaded God & Ace High Refinery WELCOME KEEP OUT "
52 " You, like Wyndham, may be curious about the catastrophe that has befallen everyone in the world around him. You may even be wondering why Wyndham has survived. End-of-the-world tales typically make a big deal about such things, but Wyndham's curiosity will never be satisfied. Unfortunately, neither will yours. Shit happens. It's the end of the world after all. "
53 " Thirty thousand people died. Every single one of them had a name. "
54 " There's something attractive about all those people being gone, about wandering in a depopulated world, scrounging cans of Campbell's pork and beans, defending one's family from marauders. Sure it's horrible, sure we weep for all those dead people. But some secret part of us thinks it would be good to survive, to start over. Secretly, we know we'll survive. All those other folks will die. That's what after-the-bomb stories are all about. "
55 " Have you got anything to trade? I don't need much, but I've been trying to keep my spirits up by trading with the neighbors. It's like playing Civilization." "You "
56 " The turnings of history are never directed by crowds," he said. "Nor by the cautious. Always, it is the lone captain who sets the course. "
57 " But reason, under pressure, usually produces prudence when boldness is called for. "