And then he'd tried to become an official Atheist and hadn't got the rock-hard self-satisfied strength of belief even for that.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

It’s an artist’s job to show people the world they live in. We hold up mirrors.

I don't know why people would want to have lunch with writers. I've eaten with writers. We have appalling table manners, and rarely say anything other than 'Pass the salt' or 'If you're not going to eat that, can I have it?'

I think if you decide that any book is about Only One Thing you're probably wrong. Even if that thing is in there.

You don't get explanations in real life. You just get moments that are absolutely, utterly, inexplicably odd.

Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you’ve never been. Once you’ve visited other worlds, like those who ate fairy fruit, you can never be entirely content with the world that you grew up in. Discontent is a good thing: discontented people can modify and improve their worlds, leave them better, leave them different.