The Only Truly Alien Planet Is Earth.

The Enlightenment View Of Mankind Is A Complete Myth. It Leads Us Into Thinking We're Sane And Rational Creatures Most Of The Time, And We're Not.

I Don't Think Any Particular Painters Have Inspired Me, Except In A General Sense. It Was More A Matter Of Corroboration. The Visual Arts, From Manet Onwards, Seemed Far More Open To Change And Experiment Than The Novel, Though That's Only Partly The Fault Of The Writers. There's Something About The Novel That Resists Innovation.

Consumerism Is So Weird. Its A Sort Of Conspiracy We Collude In. Youd Think Shoppers Spending Their Hard-earned Cash Would Be Highly Critical. You Know That The Manufacturers Are Trying To Have You On.

His Mother And Father Were Agnostics, And Jim Respected Devout Christians In The Same Way That He Respected People Who Were Members Of The Graf Zeppelin Club Or Shopped At The Chinese Department Stores, For Their Mastery Of An Exotic Foreign Ritual. Besides, Those Who Worked Hardest For Others, Like Mrs. Philips And Mrs. Gilmour And Dr. Ransome, Often Held Beliefs That Turned Out To Be Correct.

I've Never Suffered From Writer's Block. I Have Plenty Of Ideas, Sometimes Too Many. I've Always Had A Strong Imagination. If It Dries Up I'll Stop And Look For Another Career.