Science fiction appeals to me because you can discuss ideas in it, and it has a positive orientation. The genre is premised on a belief in the future and the ability of people to learn and improve. I like to focus on the troubled period before war starts when it is still possible to avoid violence. If people can identify where things are headed, they can avert war. I invite you to share in this conversation. Because of the universality of my interest, I can find inspiration in the news and history. I live in New Mexico – God’s country. Am I little chauvinistic? Maybe. I love the clear air and the vast distances you can see. At the risk of sounding like a travel ad, New Mexico has a great variety of climates. I have lived in the desert, and now I live in the mountains.