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Books by D.J. Butler
Category Archives: Quotation
Slick Fiction
“[S]lick fiction — whether of the ‘romantic’ sort or the ‘hard-boiled’ sort — always partakes of the daydream, while quality fiction — as Jung said of Art — always partakes of the night dream.” — Rust Hills, Writing in General … Continue reading
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Tagged Dreams, Rust Hills, Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular
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The Trouble with Mystery
“The trouble with mystery as a structure is that the writer enters into competition with the reader instead of partnership.” — Rust Hills, Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular
Few Words
“Words not only have lexical (that is dictionary-based) meanings, but they also have a sphere of emotional suggestions attached to them. Few words outside the mostly functional terms in English—is, are, was, were, to, from, and, but, and others—mean only … Continue reading
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Tagged [words], Chain of Evil, Dictionaries, Michael R. Collings
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The Same Size as Ours
“It is almost a cliche for archaeologists to remind their readers that people of the Stone Age had skulls and brains the same size as ours; but, symptomatic of the progressive age, many persist in believing our ancient ancestors were … Continue reading
Cosmic Cities
“The cosmos itself is what mattered to our ancestors. Their lives, their beliefs, their destinies–all were part of this bigger pageant. Just as the environment of their temples was made sacred by the metaphors of cosmic order, entire cities and … Continue reading
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Tagged Archaeoastronomy, Astronomy, Cosmos, E.C. Krupp, Echoes of the Ancient Skies
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No Culture But Our Own
“[I]n the history of the world no culture but our own–and then only very recently–has chosen the path of pursuing the ideology of an infinite space-time that frames colossal cataclysmic events, with humanity relegated to the role of insignificant bystander.” … Continue reading
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Tagged Anthony Aveni, Astronomy, Science, Stairways to the Stars
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Advice
“Advice like: ‘Follow your heart!’ and “Be true to your vision!’ is fine if you’re in therapy. Me? I really want to improve my odds.” — Blake Snyder, Save the Cat!
Unicorns
“Why did they go away, do you think? If there ever were such things.” “Who knows? Times change. Would you call this age a good one for unicorns?” “No, but I wonder if any man before us ever thought his … Continue reading
Science fiction, when it is good
“Science fiction, when it is good, is a wholly valid attempt at restoring a mythical element, with its adventures and tragedies, its meditations on man’s errors and man’s fate. For true tragedy is an essential component or outcome of myth.” … Continue reading
Posted in Quotation
Tagged Giorgio de Santillana, Hamlet's Mill, Hertha von Dechend, Myth, Science Fiction
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