Terrifying. . . . A Dark Matter is populated with vivid, sympathetic characters, and driven by terrors both human and supernatural. It's the kind of book that's impossible to put down once it has been picked up. It kept me reading far into the night. Straub builds otherworldly terror without ever losing touch with his attractive cast of youngsters, who age beautifully. Put this one high on your list.

Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness.

What Jack didn't understand was that no matter where he went, the same asshole got off the plane.

All I ask is that you do as well as you can, and remember that, while to write adverbs is human, to write he said or she said is divine.

The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.

A friend came to visit James Joyce one day and found the great man sprawled across his writing desk in a posture of utter despair. James, what’s wrong?' the friend asked. 'Is it the work?' Joyce indicated assent without even raising his head to look at his friend. Of course it was the work; isn’t it always? How many words did you get today?' the friend pursued. Joyce (still in despair, still sprawled facedown on his desk): 'Seven.' Seven? But James… that’s good, at least for you.' Yes,' Joyce said, finally looking up. 'I suppose it is… but I don’t know what order they go in!

The King is in his Tower, eating bread and honey. The Breakers in the basement, making all the money.