Great Opening Lines – and Why! (December 2023’s Great Opening Lines)

I wrote in Great Opening Lines – and Why! (Part 3 – Some Great Opening Lines) that I’d share more great opening lines as I found them.

My last entry in this category was August 2023’s Great Opening Lines – and Why! (August 2023’s Great Opening Lines) which covered Angela Panayotopulos‘ The Wake Up. This entry in the Great Opening Lines – And Why! posts is Hal Clement‘s Hot Planet.

The wind which had nearly turned the Albireo‘s landing into a disaster instead of a mathematical exercise was still playing tunes about the fins and landing legs as Schlossberg made his way down to Deck Five. – from Hal Clement‘s Hot Planet.
Thirty-six words which set the tone, mood, setting, and define character.

We know the nature of the planet without knowing its name, we know there’s some kind of advanced tech, we have an idea of the ship’s design, and we know who’s going to lead us through the story.

Nicely done.

Except the story falls completely apart as soon as you continue reading.

But one can learn a lot from that opening line alone.

Do you have any great opening lines you’d like to share?
I’d love to know them. There’s a catch, though. You have to explain in context why a line is great. Saying a line is great because it comes from some great literature doesn’t cut it. Quoting from archaic and/or little known works doesn’t cut it.

Feel free to quote from archaic and/or little know works, just make sure you give reasons why something is great. I stated the Great Opening Lines criteria back in Great Opening Lines – and Why! (Part 2 -What Makes a Great Opening Line?).

So by all means, make the claim. Just make sure you provide the proof according to the guidelines given. If not, your comment won’t get published.