So how many Nebulas and Hugos do you have? You've got the record, right? "I have seven Hugos, and six Nebulas. It's the record at this point, but you never know. What I'm proudest of--which is a record that can't be broken--is that I'm the first person ever to win all four writing categories of the Nebula."

Do you know what it takes to win at this point? "No, I never know. There are just so many factors, including luck. I try not to think about it too much, though I'm always hopeful!"

Let's talk about your latest book--you researched near-death experiences? "Everybody is familiar with near-death experiences--the tunnel of light, floating above your body, seeing Jesus, Elvis... a lot of books have come out saying this is a religious experience, that this is proof of an afterlife. I did tons of research, and it does seem to me that this is a real experience. There are enough people having it--but why? Is it some fragmentary side effect, some kind of survival mechanism? And if so, why does it take this form instead of absolute clarity of the immediate situation? The other thing that struck me is that this 'light' is always seen as very positive, radiating peace, and I am thinking how do you know it's a good thing?

So the basic plotline is that I have two cognitive psychologists interviewing people on what they've experienced, and trying to sort out what they really have experienced versus what they think they should have experienced. It's a science fiction novel, so of course bad things happen, and you get the near-death experience from the inside-out, and you go where I think that tunnel leads."

Is this a new fascination? "I've always been interested in death. I've always been fascinated with how people react to disastrous situations."