"The mass of Rama was at least ten trillion tons; to any spaceman, that was not only awe-inspiring but also a terrifying thought. No wonder that he sometimes felt a sense of insignificance, or even depression, as that cylinder of sculptured, ageless metal filled more and more of the sky." Chap. 4, Rendezvous, p. 11

"In zero gravity, a prehensile tail is an enormous advantage and all attempts to supply these to humans had turned into embarrassing failures." Chap. 11, Men, Women and Monkeys, p. 52
"Everything happened in less than a second. In a soundless concussion of light, dawn burst upon Rama." Chap.17, Spring, p. 88

"The downward swoop of that immense stairway was so overwhelming that it was impossible to appreciate its true scale." Chap. 18, Dawn, p. 93
"Feeling extremely foolish, the acting representative of Homo Sapiens watched his First Contact stride away across the Raman Plain, totally indifferent to his presence...