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I've often been accused of making anthropology into literature, but anthropology is also field research. Writing is central to it.

Maybe if I'd studied writing instead of anthropology, I'd be more sensible. You know - pick a genre, follow the rules, stay in the box - but let's face it. Sensible people don't major in anthropology.

I have to do more close research and fact checking for the science fiction. This is not however to say that writing good fantasy does not involve doing good research.

I have a better internal and intuitive understanding of folklore and myth than science and technology, so in that way fantasy is easier.

I wasn't a big fan of social anthropology. And, luckily, that created room for me to work in visual arts because I sort of ignored my requirements. I think I was attracted to social anthropology because I liked to travel and was always interested in far-off places.

I like going back in time and writing historical fantasy. I use some real historical characters as a background to give depth to the fantasy. And I throw my fictional characters into the midst of this, and, so far, it has turned out interesting.

Anthropology in general has always been fairly hospitable to female scholars, and even to feminist scholars.

Fantasy is sort of a blank slate that everybody can project their own culture onto. Everybody can read it in their own way.