402Emotional position is part of it, but as an individual you are not your emotions, neither are you your intellect. These are things that you have. They're not things that you are. Therefore, you have to start to become aware of the different requirements that human beings have, the different areas that they like to be satisfied in. Which means becoming aware of yourself. I mean, as a writer you're going to have to understand pretty much the whole universe. But the best place to start is by understanding the inner universe. The entire universe – for one thing – only exists in your perceptions. That's all you're going to see of it. To all practical intents and purposes this is purely some kind of light show that's being put on in the kind of neurons in our brain. The whole of reality. So. To understand the universe there's worse advice than that which was carved above the shrine of the Delphi oracle. Where it just said: “Know thyself”. Understand yourself. Know thyself is a magical goal, but like I say to me there is very little difference between magic and creative art in any sense – the laws of one apply perfectly well to the other.

— Alan Moore

A live body and a dead body contain the same number of particles. Structurally, there's no discernible difference. Life and death are unquantifiable abstracts. Why should I be concerned?

— Alan Moore

All we ever see of stars are their old photographs.

— Alan Moore

... and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout: 'Save us!'. And I'll look down and whisper: 'No.

— Alan Moore

And I'm thinking about the old man. He'll be pounding on the glass right about now... or maybe not now. Maybe in a while. But he'll be pounding and... will there be blood? I like to imagine so. Yes, I rather think there will be blood. Lots of blood. Blood in extraordinary quantities.

— Alan Moore

And it's only symbolism puts magic and meaning into anything. You of all people should know that. We can make love amongst the gods, or we can screw on a dirty mattress. It's our choice.

— Alan Moore

Are you like, a crazy person? I’m quite sure they will say so.

— Alan Moore

Artists use lies to tell the truth. Yes, I created a lie. But because you believed it, you found something true about yourself.

— Alan Moore

Authority allows two roles: the torturer and the tortured. Twists people into joyless mannequins that fear and hate, while culture plunges into the abyss.

— Alan Moore

Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade.

— Alan Moore