The hardest thing for a science fiction writer is to write a story for a “general audience.” Each type of literature has its own set of axioms. The reader of a detective story knows that the detective will not turn out to be a murderer (exceptions are possible when they are brilliant), the reader of a women’s novel can be sure that things are heading towards a wedding, the reader of a “horror” novel can guess how the heroes’ visit to the cemetery on a moonless night will end. And so it is. in fiction. There are word-symbols: “blaster”, “time machine”, “hyperspace”, “Alien”. And there is no need for long explanations. The writer speaks to the reader in a language that both understand. But what if the reader does not know this language? If the story is written for a thick glossy magazine, whose audience is interested in exchange rates, the weather in the Canaries and the colors of ties next season? In this case, you need to forget unfamiliar words and speak in a language that the reader understands. So that if he opened the magazine, he would still read the story. And the next time I didn’t shy away from the bright cover with “blasters and Aliens.” In the case of “The Girl with Chinese Lighters,” the fact that they asked me to write a Christmas story gave a special piquancy to the situation. Have you ever tried to touch a mediocre businessman? Should we instill in him a little positivity? There were no less tricky situations with two other small stories. I wrote “The Old Tale” for an architecture and design magazine. “Don’t Panic” - for a magazine whose entire issue was occupied by articles about global disasters. In general, I tried to write for an unusual audience. I think it worked.