A novel is often a longer process in handling self-doubt.

A lot of us don't want to be quite that serious about world problems. Our life is there to enjoy, not to be an eternal dissident, eternally unhappy with how things are and with the state of mankind.

Action isn’t my forte. I’m an expert on contemplation and mild regret.

I've always thought of absurdism as a French fad I'd like to belong to.

Science fiction is very healthy in its form.

I'm quite influenced in this by one of my heroes, Montaigne, who thought a man's real task was to render as honest an account of himself as he could.

It is a truism throughout the civilized galaxy that when you go to the police, your troubles really begin.

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.

I sell well now in Russia. I remember one signing in Russia some years ago where the bookstore had two strongmen to hold the crowds back.

Once you find you can't walk as far and as fast as you were able, life becomes more complicated.

I'm not so interested any more in how a great deal of science fiction goes. It goes into things like Star Wars and Star Trek which all go excellent in their own way.

It is as if the angels had just done their laundry and, owning no other wealth than love, they are always clothed in the same light, worn transparent from so many washings.

Individual Ambition Serves the Common Good.

I'm a bit of a shill for the Clinton Administration, which has its perks. I'm invited to all the inaugural balls.

One of the great dreams of man must be to find some place between the extremes of nature and civilization where it is possible to live without regret.

That as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.

Now that we know you're not a hundred percent vampire you should stop trying to suck necks," I said to Ziggy. "I'll try," Ziggy said, "but it's a hard habit to break.

In real life, I tend to yell at people a lot. Not because I'm bossy or mean, but because I'm frustrated.

I thought, writing is everything, it's so much more important than this or that. If only I could give that young man a stern talking to. Having a child changes things quite a bit.

Come on, baby, light my fire. Try to set the night on fire.

When I have a child, it will be probably become my whole life, so I don't want to have any regrets that I should have done more.