Being a writer means first being a reader. I got my start at the tender age of nine, devouring science fiction short stories and novels. The author who had the most influence on me was Isaac Asimov. As I grew older, I couldn't believe how versatile he was, in non-fiction subjects as well as fiction. Who but Asimov could have written scholarly books on such diverse topics as Shakespeare, the Bible, and chemistry, then switch gears to create his famous Three Laws of Robotics? His presence here on Earth will be greatly missed.