Information is a lot like water; it's hard to hold on to, and hard to keep from leaking away.

By the time we, consumers, are aware of processes like genetic engineering, they're already being done. It's sort of like the war in Iraq: By the time we know about it, it's almost a fait accompli. And that's certainly true with science.

The important thing was that we were being polite and not saying all the things that were making us unhappy, which was the only way we knew how to love each other.

Writing a book is a way of thinking to me, the only way of thinking that I have found successful.

It takes a long time to write a book. I'm not going to spend that much time trying to deliver a message. The reason I do it is because I want to understand something myself. It's not a delivery device, it's an inquiry device. Didactic fiction to my mind never works. It backfires.

language is magical - it's a form of conjuring. If you do it convincingly, readers will follow you.

I believe it doesn't matter what it is, as long as you can find something concrete to keep you busy while you are living your meaningless life.