I have not watched the TV show. I do not generally watch TV sci-fi drama shows. They make me itch.

Christmas: the one time of year when you can’t avoid the nuts in your family muesli.

I believe modern SF needs to at least be aware of the singularity, if only so that it can dismiss it intelligently (or work around it). But I suspect the singularity is like faster-than-light travel for the IT generation. We may hope for it, and the rules don't forbid it, but we don't know how to do it yet (and it may not be possible).

I'm told that a couple of my Russian translations are just plain terrible, though, and there may be others.

Writers block: when I get it, it's because my subconscious spotted that I'd make a huge structural mistake in constructing a novel before my conscious mind became aware of it, and threw on the brakes. So I've learned not to sweat it: take two days off, then back up a chapter, read through, and try to work out why I'm suddenly uneasy about continuing.

If an idea is compelling enough it'll stick in my head until I am forced to write it. If it's forgettable, who cares?

I'm an atheist .I was raised in British reform Judaism, which is not like American reform Judaism, much less any other strain of organised religion. So: no cults here.