Richard Luck: What was your impetus for writing The Uncertainty Principle?

Steven Frank: To celebrate the soul of the techie, and to offer an entertaining glimpse at their world for people who ordinarily might be turned off. My hope is that a romance set at MIT, with interesting characters chasing the unknown as well as each other, will reveal that passion for science is passion, period -- and that's something everyone can appreciate.

RL: How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or did you have a specific reason for writing this book?

SF: I had long wanted to express myself as a writer, but for years found myself unable to write anything I'd want to read. One day I realized I had it all backwards. To me, a novel (unlike a poem) isn't about transforming inspiration into words. It's about telling a story. And that's hard work. It takes discipline to keep the inspiration below the surface, letting it fuel the plot without bubbling through. The best-crafted plots are the ones that don't seem crafted. They acquaint you with characters and transport you through their lives, and when you're done, you can't imagine the story unfolding any other way.

RL: What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?

SF: I like writers who tickle both sides of the brain: Joyce, Kafka, Tom Wolfe and John le Carré when I lean to the left; Nabokov, Raymond Carver and Tom Robbins when I'm feeling more rightsided. My favorite books of (relatively) recent vintage have been Possession (A.S. Byatt) and The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Oscar Hijuelos).

RL: Could you describe the mundane details of writing: How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you write a draft on paper or at a keyboard (typewriter or computer)? Do you have a favorite location or time of day (or night) for writing? What do you do to avoid -- or seek!

SF: I write on the screen in the morning, and edit at night on paper. A typical writing session involves equal parts inspiration, despair, terror at writer's block (which I call idea deficit disorder), soaring satisfaction followed by waves of abject disgust. Then I eat lunch.

RL: Tell us why YOU feel this is a book people should read (besides so you'll make royalties.)

SF: Uncertainty is everywhere around us. Paul Bustamante, an inveterate (and at the outset, girlfriend-less) techie, thinks he's got it all figured out. He thinks he can take all the mystery out of life, love, even the weather ... and maybe get his MIT degree in the process. But first he has to learn to impress kooky profs and open tight wallets. Will Paul find the key that unlocks the future? Or must he find happiness in a world of uncertainty?