Q&A with Dr Bob Rich

Dr Bob Rich Picture: JED LANYON

1. What is something that people don’t know about you?

I’m not really human. I’m from a faraway galaxy. At home I’m a historian of horror. In the entire universe, Earth is my favourite place. Where else do you find child raising practices specifically designed to damage children? Where else do you have organised games where sentient beings kill each other to score points? (war) And best of all, where else is the entire global culture designed to destroy its own life support system?

2. What has been your most memorable moment?

When I got married. And the birth of my kids that was pretty special.

3. What would your final meal be?

I don’t really care.

4. What event, past present or future would you like to witness?

The future whereby some miracle we’ve created a global culture that encourages and rewards the best in human nature. Co-operation compassion and decency.

5. What is your favourite book?

From Depression to Contentment: a self-therapy guide… It’s always the last book I’ve written.

6. Which four guests dead or alive would you invite to a dinner party?

Barrack Obama, Pope Francis, Dalai Lama and Malala (Yousafzai). But then I wouldn’t mind Ghandi there as well and Martin Luther King and (Nelson) Mandela, Al Gore. All my heroes.

7. What is your favourite TV show?

We haven’t had a television since 1975… But probably Sesame Street. That’s one of the last I remember watching.

8. What are you working on right now?

I’m writing a science-fiction series, which is going to be five books, I’m currently working on the fifth one. And two weeks ago I sent the first one off to a publisher.

9. Which object that you’ve lost do you wish you still had?

I don’t know I’m not tied up with things. Things are only tokens. One of my clichés is that only two things matter in life: What you take with you when you die, and what you leave behind in the hearts of others