One of the reasons I did this because I wasn't really looking for another science fiction film was that my daughter can see it. She's 9 and it's really a good film for all ages.

When we see the shadow on our images are we seeing the time 11 minutes ago on Mars? Or are we seeing the time on Mars as observed from Earth now? It's like time travel problems in science fiction. When is now when was then?

Now Venus is an extremely hostile environment and as such presents a lot of challenges for a science fiction author who wants to create life there. However as I began to research it more thoroughly I found myself intrigued by the possibilities the world offers.

Some ideas you have to chew on then roll them around a lot play with them before you can turn them into funky science fiction.

Science fiction has a way of letting you talk about where we are in the world and letting you be a bit of a pop philosopher without being didactic.

Science fiction has its own history its own legacy of what's been done what's been superseded what's so much part of the furniture it's practically part of the fabric now what's become no more than a joke... and so on. It's just plain foolish as well as comically arrogant to ignore all this to fail to do the most basic research.

I think a lot of people are frightened of technology and frightened of change and the way to deal with something you're frightened of is to make fun of it. That's why science fiction fans are dismissed as geeks and nerds.

A lot of what the 'Culture' is about is a reaction to all the science fiction I was reading in my very early teens.

My point has always been that ever since the Industrial Revolution science fiction has been the most important genre there is.

Science fiction is trying to find alternative ways of looking at realities.