Alastair Reynolds was born in South Wales in 1966. After completing a degree in astronomy and a PhD, he moved to the Netherlands, where he works as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency. His sci-fi stories have been translated into Czech, German and Italian, and his first novel, Revelation Space, has just been published.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Small things - a hot cup of tea after coming in from the rain; a new Fall album; seeing a woodpecker.
What is your greatest fear?
I'm still bothered by the threat of nuclear war.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I'm not a morning person: I can't function until I've had a coffee, or several.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Being bright and cheerful first thing in the morning.
What makes you depressed?
Mornings.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Lack of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed-ness.
What is your favourite word?
'Malingerer'.
What objects do you always carry with you?
Crumpled old Post-It notes with phone numbers on them.
How did you vote in the last election?
I didn't - I'd like to say it was because I was in Holland, but really it was because I couldn't give a toss.
How will you vote in the next election?
Probably for Blair.
Should the Royal Family be scrapped?
Phased-out due to natural wastage.
Do you believe in monogamy?
Yes.
Which living person do you most despise?
I'm not massively fond of right-wing nutters or war criminals.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Temperance.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Old Monty Python and Fawlty Towers lines, that sort of thing.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
To get rid of my asthma once and for all.
What keeps you awake at night?
An owl.
How would you like to die?
Temporarily.
Do you believe in life after death?
See above.
How would you like to be remembered?
To be remembered at all is an achievement of sorts.
