Ann Leckie Quotes

Powerful Ann Leckie for Daily Growth

About Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie is an American science fiction author renowned for her intricate storytelling, thought-provoking themes, and rich world-building. Born on March 19, 1967, in Marion, Ohio, she grew up in a family that valued reading and learning. This early exposure to literature fostered Leckie's love for storytelling and eventually led her to become an author. After earning a degree in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Leckie spent several years working as a software engineer before deciding to pursue writing full-time. Her career took off with the publication of her debut novel, "Ancillary Justice," in 2013, which went on to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was also a finalist for the Nebula Award. "Ancillary Justice" is set in a galaxy dominated by artificial intelligence and explores themes of identity, empathy, and power. The novel is narrated from the perspective of a Starship AI named Breq, which previously controlled a starship known as Justice of Toren. The book's unique narrative style and complex world-building were widely praised by critics and readers alike. Leckie followed up "Ancillary Justice" with two sequels, "Ancillary Sword" (2014) and "Ancillary Mercy" (2015), which continued the story of Breq as she navigates the complex politics of the Radch Empire. In 2017, Leckie published "Provenance," a standalone novel that explores themes of art, power, and identity in a far-flung future. Leckie's work is characterized by her deep understanding of human nature, combined with her imaginative and thought-provoking world-building. Her stories challenge readers to consider the complexities of identity, power, and morality in the context of a universe filled with diverse and intriguing cultures.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

This quote suggests that our perception of reality can significantly influence the reality we experience. By altering our perspective or point of view, we may discover new aspects, possibilities, or meanings in the things around us. Essentially, it emphasizes the power of a changed mindset to transform our understanding and interaction with the world.

"To understand each other is sometimes possible; to accept each other is rare; to love each other is a revolution."

This quote by Ann Leckie emphasizes that genuine understanding, acceptance, and love between people are not common occurrences but rather revolutionary acts. It suggests that when individuals take the time to understand each other's perspectives, go beyond mere tolerance, and cultivate feelings of affection, they create a radical shift in their relationships and society at large. This revolutionary act challenges the status quo of misunderstandings, prejudices, and indifference, fostering empathy, harmony, and unity among people.

"The price of survival is that you have to pay attention."

This quote by Ann Leckie underscores the idea that when faced with challenges or tough situations, focusing our attention on navigating them effectively is crucial for survival. It implies that ignoring or neglecting issues will not lead to success, but rather requires active engagement, awareness, and adaptability in order to overcome obstacles and endure. Essentially, Leckie highlights the importance of staying alert and proactive in the face of adversity if one wishes to persevere and survive.

"Knowledge can be a cage, if the cage is all you know."

This quote emphasizes that while knowledge is empowering, it can also become restrictive if it limits one's perspective or understanding of the world. It suggests that over-reliance on familiar concepts may prevent growth and exploration, as one fails to challenge or expand their knowledge beyond the confines of what they already know. In other words, being stuck in a 'cage' of knowledge can hinder personal development and limit one's potential for new discoveries and experiences.

"I am not my ancestors, I am their legacy."

This quote by Ann Leckie suggests that while we are undeniably shaped by our ancestry, we as individuals transcend our familial past and become the embodiment of our ancestors' collective legacy. It emphasizes personal identity and individual growth, implying that one should not be confined or defined by their roots alone, but rather strive to uphold and build upon the values, accomplishments, and wisdom of their ancestors.

I can't see potato chips being popular where there's not land to grow potatoes in or where frying in lots of oil isn't easy or convenient.

- Ann Leckie

Grow, Chips, Potatoes, Convenient

Occasionally, I hear grumbles about everything being a series or a trilogy, but apart from the question of them maybe selling more books, I think that there's a real problem in trying to introduce a new world or a new concept while also getting your reader to pay close attention to your characters and themes.

- Ann Leckie

Maybe, I Think, Reader, Introduce

'Ancillary Sword' picked up the Locus and the BSFA, which surprised the heck out of me.

- Ann Leckie

Heck, Which, Picked, Sword

Science fiction in particular is often assumed to be about the future, or about some abstract technological or philosophical idea, or just about 'adventure,' but writers can't build worlds out of nothing. We use bits and pieces of the real world to assemble our fictional ones.

- Ann Leckie

Some, Fiction, Worlds, Fictional

I read way, way more Andre Norton than could possibly have been healthy. It was a short hop from her to the rest of the library's science fictional and fantastic holdings.

- Ann Leckie

Rest, Been, Andre, Fictional

Food is an excellent way to do very elegant worldbuilding - the kind that can make a fictional world seem real, like it extends way past the edges of the frame.

- Ann Leckie

Like, Excellent, Very, Fictional

I'd say my biggest influences are writers like Andre Norton and, particularly when it comes to the Radch, C.J. Cherryh.

- Ann Leckie

Like, Andre, Particularly, Norton

After about fourth grade, I do remember borrowing my mother's old portable Olivetti and typing stories out on the back of photocopies of journal articles.

- Ann Leckie

Old, Stories, About, Journal

It's a common part of the narrative of the history of Christianity that it was 'real' religion that involved real spirituality and real faith, and that's why it's completely superseded the more pagan polytheistic practices.

- Ann Leckie

More, Part, Narrative, Practices

In so much SF, either gender roles are the ones we're used to in the here and now, only transported to the future, or else they're supposedly different, but characters still are slotting into various stereotypes.

- Ann Leckie

Gender, Here, Supposedly, SF

One of the awesome things about being a writer is that I can research nearly anything - tea? Bubblegum? Ants? Neurology? Chocolate? Textile production? It doesn't matter. It's all productive work.

- Ann Leckie

Work, Ants, Production, Textile

'Star Trek' still - I'm kind of intrigued by the way that the standard foods of various non-humans are sometimes portrayed as downright disgusting.

- Ann Leckie

Star, Standard, Still, Intrigued

I love science fiction, and one of the things I love about it is that it's so very different. You can read stuff that's just fast-paced adventure, and the characters are cardboard, but who cares, because they're heroes, and we love it. And you can read stuff that's really deep character, and everything in between.

- Ann Leckie

Love, Deep, Very, Fast-Paced

I've been a fan of Jack Vance since before I was in high school.

- Ann Leckie

High, Fan, Been, Jack

The ability to live for five hundred years would be an incredible gift. But I greatly fear it would be a gift only for the wealthy - one that might greatly widen the gap between those with access and those without.

- Ann Leckie

Gift, Access, Hundred, Hundred Years

I'm one of those people who always wanted to be a writer, so I have a fair amount of juvenilia, though fortunately, I was too old for my juvenilia to be on the Internet.

- Ann Leckie

Always, Amount, Though, Fair Amount

Working for several years as a waitress, you learn really quickly a couple of default scripts, so you know exactly what the interaction is going to be when the person sits down at the table.

- Ann Leckie

Learn, Waitress, Couple, Scripts

I do realize the impulse to classify people by the food and art they consume is strong - sometimes I have to remind myself not to do that.

- Ann Leckie

Art, Strong, Classify, Impulse

The 'science' in 'science fiction' isn't just physics and engineering. It can also be linguistics, anthropology, and psychology.

- Ann Leckie

Anthropology, Linguistics, Science Fiction

When I was a kid, I had no perception whatever that science fiction was supposed to be a boys' club.

- Ann Leckie

Science, Kid, Fiction, Science Fiction

The '70s was a decade that was crammed with prominent women science fiction writers, and a lot of women made their debut in that decade or really came to prominence.

- Ann Leckie

Decade, Fiction Writers, Science Fiction

Any attempt to list the ten best science fiction novels is doomed to failure.

- Ann Leckie

Failure, Science, Fiction, Science Fiction

Science fiction is huge and varied, and there's almost any sort of book or story you might imagine.

- Ann Leckie

Fiction, Imagine, Almost, Science Fiction

I've always enjoyed making up stories, especially when I was bored and just sitting around. It got really serious after the children came along.

- Ann Leckie

Always, Making, Stories, Making Up

The 'indistinguishable from magic' thing is highly dependent on where a viewer is looking from and not something intrinsic to any particular sort of tech.

- Ann Leckie

Magic, Tech, Viewer, Intrinsic

Does getting an award make you happy? When you imagine yourself at the ceremony, you're always so eloquent and gracious. In reality, it's kind of awkward.

- Ann Leckie

Kind, Always, Imagine, Ceremony

I don't think anybody submits their first story and sells right away.

- Ann Leckie

Think, Away, Sells, Right Away

I suspect that we get used to particular sorts of stories being presented in particular sorts of ways, and we're so used to interpreting them and understanding what it is they're doing that we think of those forms and styles as faithful, complete depictions of reality.

- Ann Leckie

Doing, Used, Interpreting, Forms

I'm not going to pretend that I never fantasized about winning the Hugo. Or the Nebula, for that matter. I just never thought it was an actual real possibility.

- Ann Leckie

Winning, Actual, Hugo, Possibility

One of the nice things about a second book is that your readers already have so much of the introductions on board, they don't have to put all their attention into figuring out the world and can more easily let that play out as a background to the other things you want to do.

- Ann Leckie

Book, Play, Other, Board

'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell' by Susanna Clarke is a big, thick book. About a thousand pages in paperback. I've heard several people say the size alone intimidated them.

- Ann Leckie

Book, Big, Mr, Paperback

What would it be like to live 500 years? Healthy years, of course; no one wants to live 500 years in a coma on a respirator. But reasonably healthy all that time? That would be awesome!

- Ann Leckie

Awesome, Like, Years, Reasonably

I do think that narrative is very important - I think that we use narrative to organize the world around us, and so it does matter a lot what kinds of narratives we have in our inventories and which ones are reinforced so often and so strongly that we habitually reach for them without thinking.

- Ann Leckie

I Think, Very, Use, Organize

The lessons of slushing and editing build up over time, and you're not necessarily thinking about them while you're working, but they're in the back of your mind, probably influencing your choices.

- Ann Leckie

Mind, Over, About, Lessons

When I need to get away from my desk, I tend to take walks or go places. I also like to bead - working with beads to make jewellery.

- Ann Leckie

Need, Away, Like, Jewellery

When I first started writing, I did mostly short fiction, and I'd work on a short story and get near to being done and have no idea what I'd work on next, and then I'd panic.

- Ann Leckie

Next, Fiction, Mostly, Panic

When I'm writing, I don't really have much other guide than, 'As a reader, how would I respond to this?'

- Ann Leckie

Other, Reader, Really, Guide

I've been surprised at the number of people who were really angry that I tried to convey gender neutrality by using a gendered pronoun.

- Ann Leckie

Gender, Been, Using, Convey

'Fountain of youth' is actually kind of ambiguous - does it mean a way to make everyone healthy and let them live indefinitely? Or are we talking about something that would reset you physically to the way you were in your youth, which for various reasons not all of us would be enthused about?

- Ann Leckie

Fountain, Reasons, About, Ambiguous

Junk food's not going anywhere. The specifics of what's being snacked on, and what's considered 'junk' and what's 'healthy' will change, of course, depending on what's available.

- Ann Leckie

Will, Going, Considered, Junk

In non-fiction, I found John Gardner's two writing books to be tremendously helpful.

- Ann Leckie

Writing, Found, Books, Helpful

Writing books can be very individual - one might strike you as helpful that someone else found useless, or that you might not have appreciated at some other time in your life.

- Ann Leckie

Some, Other, Very, Helpful

I think a lot of times our culture has an attitude toward art and the production of art that separates artists from the rest of us, like making art or music or painting or whatever is some magical thing that you have to be inspired to do, and special people do it.

- Ann Leckie

Some, Production, I Think, Separates

You write alone, but you write hoping that there will be readers who will connect with what you write, and it's so wonderful and amazing - I can't even tell you - when that actually happens.

- Ann Leckie

Wonderful, Will, Tell, Readers

Fortunately or unfortunately, NaNoWriMo requires you to write at a breakneck pace, so I got used to just pushing on through.

- Ann Leckie

Through, Pace, Unfortunately, Requires

Writing was something I always as a kid thought would be fabulous and glamorous to be a writer.

- Ann Leckie

Thought, Always, Would, Fabulous

Kids are fabulous, but when you're home all day with an infant that can't talk, your brain starts to kind of melt, and I thought, 'I have to do something, or my brain is just going to liquefy.'

- Ann Leckie

Thought, Kind, Going, Fabulous

Singing together is something human beings just do, and there are hundreds of years worth of just European vocal music available to read and hear.

- Ann Leckie

Singing, Read, European, Hundreds

I tend to edit some as I go - partly because one of the reasons I don't outline much is that I don't know what the next scene will be until I've actually written the previous scene.

- Ann Leckie

Next, Some, Reasons, Outline

The Internet really lets people connect that wouldn't have in the past, and lets conversations happen and connections happen.

- Ann Leckie

Past, Happen, In The Past, Connections

I think I made my first short fiction sale in 2005. I had been writing unsuccessfully before that.

- Ann Leckie

Think, Been, I Think, Sale

I didn't ever imagine, except in the most idle, obviously wish-fulfillment, ego-gratification fantasies, that anything I wrote would ever win awards, let alone so many.

- Ann Leckie

Idle, Imagine, Fantasies, Awards

I don't really have guilty pleasures. I like what I like, and I don't worry too much about whether it's supposed to be cool or sophisticated or show that I have good or bad taste or whatever.

- Ann Leckie

Worry, Bad, Sophisticated, Pleasures

My taste in both is pretty eclectic. I do encourage people to try new and different kinds of tea if they can - there are so many different sorts, and so many, flavored or not, and there's bound to be something you like. The same with choral music, really.

- Ann Leckie

Taste, Different Kinds, Bound

Now, I personally enjoy a really good footnote.

- Ann Leckie

Good, Enjoy, Now, Personally

One day, I discovered that a couple of people had written 'fanfic' - stories of their own based on my characters. Just the thought of people thinking that hard and deeply about something I've written is incredible.

- Ann Leckie

Thought, Discovered, Couple, Deeply

If you can't access it, all the resources in the universe won't do you any good.

- Ann Leckie

Universe, Access, Any, Resources

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.