But science perhaps is very difficult without faith. Also there is no simple way of saying now we have science, we don't need faith anymore.

I have never been a critic of science fiction as a whole.

Why in God's name should a God be praised if he is only performing his Godly function?

I think it can be quite impossible to think well of yourself, so I prefer not to think about that too much. But I am very pleased, obviously.

As far as the mechanics go, working with other people on received ideas was for me a very interesting technical problem. I can't say that any of my collaborations engaged my heart, but they engaged the craftsman in me.

But science perhaps is very difficult without faith. Also there is no simple way of saying now we have science, we don't need faith anymore.

I'm not too fond of the hard work and the constant battle with self-doubt that goes on when I write, but I figure that's part of the territory.