Clean, quick, and easy as lying. We know how it ends practically before it starts. That's why stories appeal to us. They give is the clarity and simplicity our real lives lack.

Nobody cooks using just one ingredient. Why would you write using just one flavor of story?

When you love something, you have to make sure it loves you back, or you'll bring about no end of trouble chasing it.

Stand alone books are nice because they have everything all in one tidy little package. Neverwhere was awesome because you get action, adventure, character development, the exploration of a strange world, PLUS resolution of all the problems and mysteries at the end. No lines no waiting. That's very satisfying. Multi-volume stories are satisfying too, just in a different way.

Good lord woman. If i had tits like yours I'd own half the world by now.

This is how deeply rooted stories are, folks. We crave them before we can walk, and we start telling them before we can talk.

I'm not implying that fantasy is for kids. I'm saying that more and more people are finally realizing that there's more to fantasy stories than elves and wizards and goblin armies.