“Science-fiction allowed me to go places that were otherwise inaccessible, which is why I started reading it.”

I usually do one con a year as a GoH and try to make the World Fantasy Convention for business purposes.

Don’t try to write to the trend of the moment.

I enjoy listening to classical music and heavy metal.

It is always hard when reality intrudes on belief.

Living gives you a better understanding of life.

An apex is always surrounded only by emptiness

I try to challenge myself as much as possible, as often as possible.

Besides the mistakes that are pointed out, I love the way readers become involved with the characters.

Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting.

I write early in the morning, usually after reading portions of at least half a dozen newspapers on the web.

Dawn was written well before 9/11. People speak a lot today about the banality of evil, but not all evil is banal.

So rewriting is hard for me. I mean, I already know the story and would rather read something new.

Advances have fallen, generally, for everything except the biggest potential bestsellers.

I have a bad tendency to get rapidly bored with my own material.

In one book, CACHALOT, just for my own amusement, every character is based directly on someone I have known.

The storm hit with all the fury of a woman who’d been dieting for six months, only to discover she’d gained four pounds.

You come first, the clothes later. Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Be creative.

Perhaps the best way to write is to do so as if one were already dead, afraid of no one’s reactions, answerable to no one’s views.

You don’t have to be Magic to be special. You’re already special, you’re you.

Then you start to realise, ‘Oh, I’m bending a lot,’ and they’re just standing there existing, and I’m bending around them. But you can’t blame them: they don’t realise it; that’s just how they already existed. It’s hard.

You cannot change the fruits that are already hanging on the tree. You can, however, change tomorrow’s fruits. But to do so, you will have to dig below the ground and strengthen the roots.

A fellow is more afraid of the trouble he might have than he ever is of the trouble he’s already got. He’ll cling to trouble he’s used to before he’ll risk a change.

We have the plans for a Utopia already made; just wiser than you.’ For ten thousand years they’ve said that. We want our Utopia now — and we’re going to try our hands at it.

I had already determined to sell my life as dearly as possible if attacked. I felt if I could take one lyncher with me, this would even up the score a little bit.