The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible cities and wonderful suburbs. I live in the suburbs the final battleground of the American dream where people get married and have kids and try to scratch out a happy life for themselves. It's very romantic in that way but a bit naive. I like to play with that in my work.

It's interesting now that basically a CG set is the same cost as a real set. So like if you're going to build a CG house in the suburbs it costs you $200 000. And if you were going to build it in a computer it'll cost you $200 000. It's the same... the relationship is exactly the same.

I came to live in Shepperton in 1960. I thought: the future isn't in the metropolitan areas of London. I want to go out to the new suburbs near the film studios. This was the England I wanted to write about because this was the new world that was emerging.

What I want to do is tell stories about normal people in the American suburbs. I don't write the book where it's a conspiracy reaching the prime minister I don't write the book with the big serial killer who lops off heads. My setting is a very placid pool of suburbia family life. And within that I can make pretty big splashes.

I grew up in the suburbs and basically associate the suburbs with cultural death.

My dad worked two jobs and moved us to the suburbs and just being a black person I went through a lot of racism and being called names and being bullied every single day. And it was hard. I didn't have any friends.

I was trying to break out of the suburbs and when I did break out I don't think I took my whole self with me - I think I played a role of being too cool and hip.

They're very uh you know I don't come from the suburbs and a jolly Disney type of lifestyle. I come from something totally different. And they're cool and bare minimum so it's not always a money issue for me.