The Top 10 Sci-Fi Quotes of All Time

What a close call!

Eric Hoffer said "action is a unifier," Jacques Cousteau said the great unifier was the sea.  While both of these may be true, we have found that a great quote is also a powerful unifier, and united you were in deciding your favorites!  While the top spot was ultimately decided by a margin of only one vote, those top two choices blew the others out of the water.  Curious to see which ones came out on top?  Read on!

As always, these top ten lists are not meant to be all-inclusive or definitive, but give a great finger on the pulse of our communities interests and favorites. Want to see who missed out? Here's the original nomination list from the blog.

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are your top choices for the best quotes from science fiction books.

10. “It is I, Skippy... The Magnificent!” – Craig Alanson, Expeditionary Force

Skippy the Magnificent, or simply Skippy, is an advanced artificial intelligence created by the Elders millions of years prior to the series' beginning. Skippy really brings the "I" in AI and is known for having a quick and biting sense of humor which has earned him a legion of fans.  Skippy is central to Alanson's wildly popular military sci-fi series Expeditionary Force.

Start the Ex-Force series with book 1, Columbus Day here on Amazon

9. "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so." – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

It should be no surprise that this quotable classic made the top 10! You'll never read funnier science fiction; Douglas Adam is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue.  The Hitchhiker's Guide is rich in comedic detail and thought-provoking situations and stands up to multiple reads. Required reading for science fiction fans, this book (and its follow-ups) is also sure to please fans of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and British sitcoms.

Read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here on Amazon.

8. “He who controls the spice controls the universe.” – Frank Herbert, Dune

This endlessly memed quote can be dropped into all manner of conversations so it's no wonder it's a favorite.  The uninitiated among you may be wondering "what is 'the spice'" (and where can I get some!) Read on...

Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs, Frank Herbert’s Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "the spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. As melange can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice. From thus comes this infamous quote repeated by sci-fi fans the world over.

Get your copy of Dune here on Amazon.

7. "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right." – Isaac Asimov, Foundation

The aptly named Foundation is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov.  Aptly named as it has been the gateway for so many to the world of science fiction, and not only that, but its influence can be seen in so many works that have come after.  

Foundation is a cycle of five interrelated short stories, first published as a single book in 1951. Collectively they tell the early story of the Foundation, an institute founded by psychohistorian Hari Seldon to preserve the best of galactic civilization after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.

Find Foundation here on Amazon.

6. “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” ― Isaac Asimov, Foundation

Leave it to Asimov to deliver the truth with brevity, artistry and precision.  Among one of the most powerful works in science fiction is the quotable masterpiece Foundation and Empire by American writer Isaac Asimov. Originally published by Gnome Press in 1952, it is the second book in the Foundation Series, and the fourth in the in-universe chronology. 

Continue the series with Foundation & Empire here on Amazon.

5. "A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future." – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

A deep and weighty quote by one of the masters of the genre takes the fifth spot in our poll. Time Enough for Love by New York Times bestselling author Robert A. Heinlein follows Lazarus Long through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds. Heinlein's longest and most ambitious work, it is the story of a man so in love with Life that he refused to stop living it; and so in love with Time that he became his own ancestor.

Get your copy of Time Enough for Love here on Amazon.

4. "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." – Frank Herbert, Dune

A book deemed quote-worthy enough to make the list twice—this time eking closer to the top spot—is  Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece, Dune.  Dune  is a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time; definitely a book you'll want to read (and quote!) again and again.  

Dune explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice.

Get your copy of Dune here on Amazon.

3. "TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." – Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

While the origin of the adage is unclear, there is no doubt it was popularized by Heinlein's magnificent work The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress . 

Widely acknowledged as one of Robert A. Heinlein's greatest works The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress rose from the golden age of science fiction to become an undisputed classic—and a touchstone for the philosophy of personal responsibility and political freedom. A revolution on a lunar penal colony—aided by a self-aware supercomputer—provides the framework for a story of a diverse group of men and women grappling with the ever-changing definitions of humanity, technology, and free will—themes that resonate just as strongly today as they did when the novel was first published.

Get your copy of A Moon Is a Harsh Mistress here on Amazon.

2. "Joe you are very much not going to like this ..... HOLD MY BEER" – Craig Alanson, Expeditionary Force

Your favorite AI, Skippy the Magnificent, made our list twice, this second quote just barely missing the top spot.  Skippy keeps the laughs coming as he keeps US Army Specialist Joe Bishop on his toes—and as Alanson keeps readers on the edge of their seats—in the wildly entertaining military sci-fi epic, Expeditionary Force.

Start the series with book 1, Columbus Day, here on Amazon.

1. "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

And finally, in first place—by the narrowest of margins—comes another quote from Douglas Adam's satirical novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, following the destruction of the Earth by the Vogons, a race of unpleasant and bureaucratic aliens, to make way for an intergalactic bypass.

Read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here on Amazon.

"Seasons change feelings change..."

In keeping with the theme of our post, we close with a quote; not from science fiction, no, but some wise words nonetheless from the 1980s pop trio, Exposé. There is no doubt that the quotes that came out on top this poll will have staying power—some having passed from page to popular use decades ago and still firmly entrenched in our culture present day—but seasons and feelings, well, they do change and a year from now or maybe ten, this list could look very different.  For now, visit us  here in our Facebook group to chime in on the debate, and then check out our most recent poll while you're there. Don't have Facebook? Feel free to add to the comments below.

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.