It may be far in the future, but there's some kind of logical way to get from where we are to where the science fiction is.

Empress of the Universe would be way too much work. I'd have to wear fancy clothes, probably including lady shoes with pointed toes, and could no longer slouch into the study in PJs and slippers. Someone would (avert!) straighten my desk. Someone would reorganize my yarn stash...in fact, they'd assign someone else to knit my socks, thus depriving me of an excuse to rest my brain while pretending to accomplish something useful.

I used to not back down from a challenge.

When a person responds emotionally to intellectual things, or emotionally only to traditional emotional things - I find that an interesting break between myself and some other writers and fans.

Normal' is a dryer setting.

I like the Beatles, of course, but that's when I grew up.

I love biomedical science, I love astronomy, and you can't really do much with those in a fantasy setting.