Biography

April 26, 1912 · Edenburg, Manitoba, Canada

January 26, 2000 · Hollywood, California, USA (pneumonia)

Alfred Elton van Vogt

What counts is that many millions of people have the knowledge that they can go to a weapon shop if they want to protect themselves and their families. And, even more important, the forces that would normally try to enslave them are restrained by the conviction that it is dangerous to press people too far. And so a great balance has been struck between those who govern and those who are governed.

On starting writing: It was Depression time, and there was nothing else to do.

I was a great reader. My mother takes full credit for my being a writer. Apparently, when she was carrying me, she said, she read an endless number of detective stories.

Individuals must bear the risks of freedom, even to the extent of giving their lives.

It's difficult for me to feel that a solid page without the breakups of paragraphs can be interesting. I break mine up perhaps sooner than I should in terms of the usage of the English language.