Aaron Allston (1960–2014) was an American game designer, novelist, and writer, best known for his work in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Born in Corsicana, Texas, Allston became a prominent figure in role-playing game (RPG) design during the 1980s, contributing significantly to Dungeons & Dragons and the Champions RPG system. He was a prolific game designer, authoring influential RPG supplements like The Complete Fighter’s Handbook and Rules Cyclopedia.
Allston gained widespread recognition as a novelist through his work in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, particularly in the X-Wing series, where he wrote notable books such as Wraith Squadron and Iron Fist. His novels were beloved for their humor, character depth, and thrilling plots.
Aaron Allston Quotes
“Luck consists largely of hanging on by your fingernails until things start to go your way.”
— Aaron Allston
“The difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is something awful happening to somebody else, while comedy is something awful happening to somebody else.”
— Aaron Allston
“Lawyers are the first refuge of the incompetent.”
— Aaron Allston
“If you hack the Vatican server, have you tampered in God’s domain?”
— Aaron Allston
“When all else fails, complicate matters.”
— Aaron Allston
“I really can’t complain about actresses who get paid to be dumb. Most of us can’t get paid to be smart.”
— Aaron Allston
“Definition of ‘Free’: You pay for it whether or not you elect to receive it.”
— Aaron Allston
“There are two types of people in the world, and I’m one of them.”
— Aaron Allston
“The analysis of the thing is not the thing itself.”
— Aaron Allston
“I’m content to stand on tradition. I’m even more content to wipe my feet on it.”
— Aaron Allston
“No, they can’t. They can’t be Luke Skywalker.”
— Aaron Allston
“Sometimes to heal, you must first get hurt.”
— Aaron Allston
“No one pays me to be nice.”
— Aaron Allston
“Life is like an analogy.”
— Aaron Allston
“Feminism is sort of like God. Many people profess to believe in it, but no one seems to be able to define it to everyone’s satisfaction.”
— Aaron Allston
“The chief difference between horror fans and science fiction fans lies in why they won’t walk backwards. A horror fan won’t walk backwards because he knows he’ll be knifed by a madman. A science fiction fan won’t walk backwards because he knows he’ll step on the cat.”
— Aaron Allston
“The good thing about being Dr. Frankenstein is that you can always make new friends.”
— Aaron Allston
“Ennui and lethargy are waging a war inside me.”
— Aaron Allston
“There are times when the end justifies the means. But when you build an argument based on a whole series of such times, you may find that you’ve constructed an entire philosophy of evil.”
— Aaron Allston
“The principle of Sturgeon’s Razor states that the simplest answer to any problem is 90% crap.”
— Aaron Allston
“I have to say, this sounds like the worst idea in a thousand generations of bad ideas.”
— Aaron Allston
“No, General. I’m not your subordinate. And what I’m coming dangerously close to is violence.”
— Aaron Allston
“Oh, wonderful. I killed his father. He hates me. He knows how to make bombs. Come on, Wedge, how does this story end?”
— Aaron Allston
“I marked their location in case Kell wanted to blow them up or something.” “I don’t have to blow up everything I see. I just like to.”
— Aaron Allston
“Rogue Squadron doesn’t run. Unless we really, really have to.” “No, this will be Wraith Squadron’s mission.” “We don’t mind running. Even when we don’t have to.”
— Aaron Allston
