I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.

If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around. This is where they are made.

If you lose your purpose ... it's like you're broken.

I guess I see a part of myself in everyone I write about. I tend to write about kids who are obsessed with something, and even though I have never been good with machines the way Hugo is, I did love miniature things when I was a kid.

Ben wished the world was organized by the Dewey decimal system. That way you'd be able to find whatever you were looking for.

Having an eye patch actually makes it easier to look through a camera - I don't have to close one eye like everyone else.

Maybe we're all cabinets of wonders.