I don't think anyone wants a reader to be completely lost - certainly not to the point of giving up - but there's something to be said for a book that isn't instantly disposable, that rewards a second reading.

I'm very happy that the New York Times has spoken well of my stuff; who wouldn't be? But it's not a choice I made.

Sometimes the reader will decide something else than the author's intent; this is certainly true of attempts to empirically decipher reality.

If I were to write Web now, it would be a much, much darker book.

There are people who believe in an absolutely transparent prose; with every respect for clarity of expression, I don't.

At one point I intended to write precursor and sequel novels, about the establishment of the Web and its next evolution, but I am very unlikely to now; they would take place in a different universe.

The language fictional characters use is chosen for effect, at least if the author is concentrating.