I realized that for fantasy and science fiction, especially from my youth, white was the default. Luke Skywalker was in the lead, or even if you were a hobbit, you're going to be white. That was an extremely old-fashioned, obviously really narrow-minded way to look at things.

Brubaker and Phillipss books have always been about eight years ahead of their time.

I just want to take a realistic look now, now that we have enough distance.

To try and imagine that I'm another person is always going to be hard - whether I'm writing about a truck driver or someone who is gay, who's trans, who is of a different ethnicity or creed. But it would be boring if I always had to write about myself and my limited viewpoint.

Reef aquariums are definitely the pinnacle of the hobby.

It was interesting looking back at the '80s and trying to find newspaper headlines from the time - the cliché of history repeating itself.

My mom once told me that a good relationship isn't where the other person makes you feel better, but where they make *you* better.