Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral.

The piece of equipment I'm most found off is my telescope. The other night I had a superb view of the moon.

The moon is the first milestone on the road to the stars.

Belief in God is apparently a psychological artifact of mammalian reproduction.

My favorite definition of an intellectual: 'Someone who has been educated beyond his/her intelligence'.

But please remember: this is only a work of fiction. The truth, as always, will be far stranger.

The Earth would only have to move a few million kilometers sunward-or starward-for the delicate balance of climate to be destroyed. The Antarctic icecap would melt and flood all low-lying land; or the oceans would freeze and the whole world would be locked in eternal winter. Just a nudge in either direction would be enough.