David Walton

David Walton (born October 26, 1975) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer.

The Genius Plague (2017)

 * All page numbers from the trade paperback first edition published by Pyr ISBN 978-1-63388-343-7


 * “All I’m hearing is ‘I can’t’ when I needed that data yesterday. Go bore someone else with your excuses.”
 * Chapter 18 (p. 176)


 * “Having trouble with the help?” I asked. “Trying to weed out those who kiss other asses to cover their own,” she said. “There are people who get things done, and people who just get in the way.”
 * Chapter 18 (p. 176)


 * Humans are driven by emotion. Much of our so-called logic is merely the rationalization of choices that make us feel good.
 * Chapter 20 (p. 204)


 * Its purpose is the same as every other organism. To survive.
 * Chapter 21 (p. 210)


 * “If not, we’ll go to plan B.” “Which is?” “I don’t know. I’ll make it up if we need it.”
 * Chapter 23 (p. 238)


 * The whole earth is solar powered. The movement of clouds and air and water, the growth of plants and animals, it’s all just a big heat engine driven by the sun. Humanity has spent so long binging on fossil fuels that we’ve forgotten where it all comes from.
 * Chapter 29 (p. 312)


 * “When history looks back on this century,” Paul said, “they will see it as an aberration. A bizarre spike on the energy graph when we suddenly realized the Earth had millions of years of the sun’s energy stored underground and used it all up in a brief blaze of glory. The worst thing that ever happened to the human race was the invention of the steam engine.” “You’re kidding me,” I said. “All of modern human advancement and invention, enabling billions of people to survive, that’s all nothing? Medicine? Global communication? Modern agriculture?” “It’s a glitch. It’s like blowing your whole trust fund in a weekend. When the fund runs out, you’ve got to live on your income.”
 * Chapter 29 (pp. 312-313)


 * Nobody knows: they just believe, and then because everyone else believes it, too, it feels like it couldn’t possibly be wrong. But consensus doesn’t mean truth. In fact, it means a lack of critical thinking, a blind following of the status quo. Humans are really good at doing that, too.
 * Chapter 34 (p. 359)