Do you not believe that animals know grief and fear and pain? The world of men is not an easy one for them.

Paradoxically, in fantasy for young people I was able to express my own deepest feelings and attitudes more than I had ever done in writing for adults.

My concern is how we learn to be genuine human beings.

Fantasy, in addition to being great storytelling, moves us at some unique and profound level. It has, I think, the power of mythology, or ancient dreams we have always and forever shared. In it, we find our real world and our real selves.

Keep out of this," Lucian said. "I'm not smiting anybody." "You're showing mercy." Catch-a-Tick nodded. "That's heroic, too. But not as good as smiting.

We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.

Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.