The Mote in God's Eye: Difference between revisions

* [[Stern Chase]]: The second half of ''The Gripping Hand'' consists of a series of trips in various directions by the protagonists, to escape being killed or to buy time until the cavalry can arrive.

{{quote|"If someone tells me that 'a stern chase is a long chase' one more time." Joyce said, "I'll scream."}}

* [[Take a Third Option]]: The Moties have three hands--two dexterous hands and one strong "gripping" hand, the source of the second book's title. This is exemplified in that the phrase "on the one hand...on the other hand..." is often followed by "on the gripping hand" even though humans can't naturally think that way (having only two hands and all). The Gripping Hand option is often one that overrides the other two or makes them irrelevant.

** And yet, despite not having three hands, humans ''always'' look for the Third Option - to the point where the fatalistic Moties, condemned by their biology to two bad choices, consider us all insane for not understanding and accepting what is and must always be. Their term for humans is "Crazy Eddie", after a character in their folklore who's all about the (often absurd) Third Option.