Book: The threshold

Life is more interesting when you got someone to protect.

It is true that in difficult times women are stronger than men.

In the mountain are different ways, but the view from the top is the same.

Kill love, kill hate, but nobody kills the boredom. With it just live and then die from it.

I even thought it would be better if we lived in different systems... And then I realized what was wrong. Incomplete happiness is better than sorrow. Friendship less than love, but much more than loneliness. Immeasurably greater.

... Italian song without love - what is Italian cuisine without tomatoes.

Boys are different from men in the first place so that they do stupid things without thinking.

... the authorities showered the people with promises of future joys - raising the minimum wage, the introduction of old age pensions, construction of new roads, the construction of the space station and the development of science. That's just all of these benefits are removed somewhere in the future - three years, two a year... So many good people are promised only in the case when not going to do anything. The flames of war burn all the promises.

- I'd like to know what you really are, ' said Mathias, touching her shoulder.
Xenia turned around, looked at him.
Shook his head.
- No, Mathias. Trust me. You don't want to know.

In my time in China was a popular theory of the "Dark forest" - any civilization is forced to destroy all the counter just for fear that they will be enemies... and understanding that other civilizations are experiencing the same fears and also have no choice but to destroy all counter.

Ange, nuzzling his shoulder, sobbing. Creedy sighed, hugged her with one paw. Sadly said:
- Sorry. Sorry you're not a pussy. That would be so romantic and would have ended this passionate pairing...
Ange against the will laughed. The topic of sex between humans and bats was taboo only in people - only for the reason that such sex could not be. Physiology people and PUSSYCATS in this matter is strikingly different. But Ange herself was the living embodiment of broken conventions - and therefore were willing to joke about interspecies sex.
I feel the same, Creedy. I would have given you so excited like this is my first and last time. I would even meow.

To be quite honest, interstellar flights to people or other intelligent races are not needed. The solar system is able to support the existence of trillions of people - not on the surface of planets, of course, but in quite a comfortable orbital cities. And resources and energy in any of the standard star system is also lacking in abundance. If you talk about getting scientific knowledge beyond the home system, in most cases, to cope with this task automatic probes.
The only reason on which people and other intelligent races still fly to the stars, - that they can do it.

... both sides worked on the atomic project. This has defined everything from the launch photo reconnaissance satellites to construction of shelters in the cities. Now came the moment of truth. More no one and nothing depended. Everyone knew that the war would be. Except that the Lord himself could stop her.

Any war, as it is cynical, good for the economy. First to prepare for it. Scientists finally get the money to satisfy my curiosity, invent a lot of things, of which killing are only part of it. Then the factories produce weapons, workers and engineers are paid for overtime work, the villagers harvested products, military training, journalists and writers write Patriotic lyrics, actors make films and put on plays. The case at all.
Then the war begins. Soldiers from the two sides kill each other, demolish houses and factories, burning crops. The surviving plants operate around the clock, producing new combat vehicles, ammunition, supplies.
Finally the war somehow ends. Sometimes one wins, sometimes the enemies a truce, sacrificing part of the symbolic ambitions and achieving success. Army cut the survivors return home and begin to rebuild, to rebuild the city, to cultivate the land. Work is no problem. If you survived - you have already won, even if your side lost. You can make a career, earn money, women agree to you at all - because men were few.
War is bad for people but good for the economy.