My Google-fu Is Strong.

In The Deepest Places, Where Physical Norms Collapse Under The Crushing Water, Bodies Still Fall Softly Through The Dark, Days After Their Vessels Have Capsized. They Decay On Their Long Journey Down. Nothing Will Hit The Black Sand At The Bottom Of The World But Algae-covered Bones.

My Parents Were Hippies, And The Story Is That They Went Through A Dictionary Looking For A Beautiful Word To Name Me. They Nearly Called Me Banyan, But Flipped A Few Pages On And Reached "china," Thankfully. The Other Reason They Liked It Is That "china" Is Cockney Rhyming Slang For "mate." People Say "my Old China," Meaning "my Old Mate," Because "china Plate" Rhymes With "mate.

I Feel Fantastically Geeky. [but] I'm Not One Of Those People Who's Enormously Proud Of Being A Geek, But Nor Am I Particularly Ashamed Of It.

Loads Of Children Read Books About Dinosaurs, Underwater Monsters, Dragons, Witches, Aliens, And Robots. Essentially, The People Who Read Sf, Fantasy And Horror Haven't Grown Out Of Enjoying The Strange And Weird.

Books Are Always Obviously Having Conversations With Other Books, And Some Times They're Amiable And Sometimes Not.