I've always thought it nonsense to believe something true simply because it was written in a book long ago.

— Ken Liu

One has to be careful, whenever one tells a story about a great injustice. We are a species that loves narrative, but has been taught not to trust an individual speaker.

— Ken Liu

Platitude or not, the crowd erupted into applause, and by acclamation, Zuni Gary became the Duke of Audi. A few pointed out that titles of nobility really couldn't be handed out in such a democratic fashion, but these killjoys were ignored.

— Ken Liu

Rapider was but one man-and indeed, judging by rumors of his decrepit state near death, a weak, sickly man-but his creation, the empire, had taken on a life of its own. Killing the emperor would not have been enough. We have to kill the empire.

— Ken Liu

Real history is far more complex and interesting than the simplistic summaries presented in Wikipedia articles. Knowing this allows you to question received wisdom, to challenge 'facts' 'everybody' knows to be true, and to imagine worlds and characters worthy of our rich historical heritage and our complex selves.

— Ken Liu

Some have said I should demand that the surviving members of Unit 731 be brought to justice. But what does that mean? I am no longer a child. I do not want to see trials, parades, spectacles. The law does not give you real justice.

— Ken Liu

Sometimes, the anger built up so much that people had to scream out their treasonous thoughts just to keep on breathing. Maybe not all the were really crazy, but it was best for everyone involved to pretend that they were.

— Ken Liu

Taking away men's weapons will be not brought peace. They'll fight with sticks and stones, and tooth and nail. Rapider's is a peace supported only by fear, as secure as a nest built on a rotten branch.

— Ken Liu

The Alsatians believe that they have a writing system superior to all others. Unlike books written in alphabets, syllabaries, or logograms, an Alsatian book captures not only words, but also the writer’s tone, voice, inflection, emphasis, intonation, rhythm. It is simultaneously a score and a recording. A speech sounds like a speech, a lament, and a story re-creates perfectly the teller’s breathless excitement. For the Alsatians, reading is literally hearing the voice of the past. But there is a cost to the beauty of the Alsatian book. Because the act of reading requires physical contact with the soft, malleable surface, each time a text is read, it is also damaged and some aspects of the original irretrievably lost. Copies made of more durable materials inevitably fail to capture all the subtleties of the writer’s voice, and are thus shunned. In order to preserve their literary heritage, the Alsatians have to lock away their most precious manuscripts in forbidding libraries where few are granted access. Ironically, the most important and beautiful works of Alsatian writers are rarely read, but are known only through interpretations made by scribes who attempt to reconstruct the original in new books after hearing the source read at special ceremonies.

— Ken Liu

The calf is capable of walking quite well now," Daze said. "He never stumbles."" But I told you to carry him back here," the teacher said. "The first thing a soldier must learn is to obey orders." Every day, the calf grew a little heavier, and every day, Daze had to struggle a little harder. He would collapse, exhausted, when he finally got to the ranch, and the calf would bound out of his arms, glad to be able to walk on his own and stretch out. When winter rolled around again, Memo handed him a wooden sword and asked him to strike as hard as he could at the practice dummy. Daze looked with distaste at the crude weapon with no edge, but he swung obediently. The wooden dummy fell in half, cut clean through. He looked at the sword in his hand with wonder." It's not the sword," his teacher said. "Have you looked at yourself lately?" He brought Daze to stand in front of a brightly polished shield. The young man could hardly recognize the reflection. His shoulders filled the frame with the mirror. His arms and thighs were twice as thick as he remembered, and his chest bulged over his narrow waist." A great warrior trusts not his weapons, but himself. When you possess true strength, you can deal a killing blow even if all you have is a blade of grass." Now you're finally ready to learn from me. But first, go thank the calf for making you strong.

— Ken Liu