Whenever I'm giving talks, I always ask people to think of the most obscure questions because I enjoy those the most. I always get the same questions: Why does Pickwick say "plock" and will there be a movie? I like the really obscure questions because there's so much in the books. There are tons and tons of references and I like when people get the little ones and ask me about them. It's good for the audience [and also] they realize there's more there.

Her majesty is one verb short of a sentence.

The Goliath Corporation was to altruism what Genghis Khan was to soft furnishings.

Two minds with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.

I work very much on the principle that anything created by mankind has mischief and error hardwired into its inception.

I would so hate to be a first-person character! Always on your guard, always having people read your thoughts!

There is much unexplained in the world. It behooves us to be wary at all times. Just when you think you've got the hang of it, along comes string theory, collateralized debt obligations or Björk's new album, and bam! You're as confused as you were when you first started.