Chapter 29 “Surgery” (p. 361)
“
She had impressed him as capable of behaviour even more meaningless than most human beings. He had watched her kill her own people with a ferocity that betrayed real grief. But she was someone, he had decided early, who struggled harder with life than she needed to: this he respected, even admired.
— M. John Harrison
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "She had impressed him as capable of behaviour even more meaningless than most human beings. He had watched her kill her own people with a ferocity that betrayed real grief. But she was someone, he had decided early, who struggled harder with life than she needed to: this he respected, even admired." in the context of "Chapter 29 “Surgery” (p. 361)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "M. John Harrison" (Sourced, Light (2002): All page numbers from the mass market paperback edition published by Bantam Spectra )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About M. John Harrison
Michael John Harrison (born 26 July 1945), known primarily by his pen name M. John Harrison, is an English author and critic. He is widely considered one of the leading stylists in modern fantasy and science fiction.
About M. John Harrison
Michael John Harrison (born 26 July 1945), known primarily by his pen name M. John Harrison, is an English author and critic. He is widely considered one of the leading stylists in modern fantasy and science fiction.
View all quotes →