I've got a solid grounding in history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, etc etc. That means I actually have a good idea about how societies change and evolve. I know how a lot of them have actually functioned through the years. I can put together a culture that's cool and different, while still being logically consistent, so that it feels real. So many fantasy worlds are either implausible, cookie-cutter, or both. Mine aren't.

The good thing about working on the books for 14 years before they hit the shelves is that I worked out most of the kinks long before they were published.

He taught only one class: 'Unlikely Maths'. But since the time was listed as "now" and the place, "everywhere," this was hardly helpful in tracking him down.

Feel free to call me by my first name: Master.

You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way.

The second was some rather bad poetry, but it was short, and I forced my way through by gritting my teeth and occasionally closing one eye so as not to damage the entirety of my brain.

There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.