Every year the literary press praises dozens if not hundreds of novels to the skies, asserting explicitly or implicitly that these books will probably not be suffering water damage in the basements of their authors' houses 20 years from now. But historically, anyway, that's not the way the novelistic ecology works.

I never thought about doing a sequel when I was actually writing 'The Magicians.' I only ever considered it a standalone.

My book group has one rule: no books for adults. We read young adult fiction only.

The main advantage of being a reviewer is that you read a lot. A lot of books get sent to you, and you have an amazing vantage point from which to observe what's going on in contemporary fiction - not only genre stuff, the whole spectrum.

I'm happy to report that 'The New Press' is still in business to this day. But not thanks to me. I was a really bad publishing intern.

The real problem with being around James was that he was always the hero. And what did that make you? Either the sidekick or the villain.

The life I should be living had been mislaid through some clerical error by the cosmic bureaucracy.