34 Quotes by John M. Ford

Sometimes the reader will decide something else than the author's intent; this is certainly true of attempts to empirically decipher reality.

Every book is three books, after all; the one the writer intended, the one the reader expected, and the one that casts its shadow when the first two meet by moonlight.

At one point I intended to write precursor and sequel novels, about the establishment of the Web and its next evolution, but I am very unlikely to now; they would take place in a different universe.

I'm very happy that the New York Times has spoken well of my stuff; who wouldn't be? But it's not a choice I made.

Creating the fictional background for a game world isn't significantly different from creating a background for fiction.

I don't think anyone wants a reader to be completely lost - certainly not to the point of giving up - but there's something to be said for a book that isn't instantly disposable, that rewards a second reading.

We're all living on borrowed time. The trick is to come up with works of sufficient interest to pay off the debt.

The language fictional characters use is chosen for effect, at least if the author is concentrating.

If I were to write Web now, it would be a much, much darker book.