What were you going to do with it?” McCain asked. "I just thought it might come in useful.” "Were you planning to attack me?” "No. But that’s a good idea.

My greatest fear is disappointing the reader, so each book has to be better than the one before.

You're never too young to die.

I'm not very good at creating worlds. I prefer to write about the world as it is.

Once you get into the world of dystopia, it's hard to avoid plagiarism, because other people have had such powerful visions.

I vividly remember being 14. That was the age when I started to get happy: I started being a writer and stopped being a loser.

I hear it still. As I lay down my pen and take to my bed, I am aware of the bow being drawn across the bridge and the music rises into the night sky. It is far away and barely audible - but there it is! A pizzicato. Then a tremelo. The style is unmistakable. It is Sherlock Holmes who is playing. It must be. I hope with all my heart that he is playing for me . . .