“I can see why you like it here, there's a thin layer of nerd all over everything.”

“I can see why you like it here," he said,making a sweeping gesture that encompassed Kyle's collection of movie posters and science fiction books. "There's a thin layer of nerd all over everything." said Jace."Thanks. I appreciate that." Simon gave Jace a hard look.”

“I imagine crossing Grey Street in the daytime. Would night fall over me gently like a velvety curtain? Or would the day turn dark in the blink of my eye? I don't really need the sunrise to know that Shyness is different. It's like there is a thin layer of static over everything that stops me from seeing what's really going on. People here scuttle around like they're scared of their own shadows.”

“The moon had spread over everything a thin layer of silver - over the rank grass, over the mud, upon the wall of matted vegetation standing higher than the wall of a temple, over the great river I could see through a sombre gap glittering, glittering, as it flowed broadly by without a murmur. All this was great, expectant, mute, while the man jabbered about himself.”

“In Room me and Ma had time for everything. I guess the time gets spread very thin like butter all over the world, the roads and houses and playgrounds and stores, so there's only a little smear of time on each place, then everyone has to hurry on to the next bit....”

“So - here I am in the dark alone,There's nobody here to see;I think to myself, I play to myself,And nobody knows what I say to myself;Here I am in the dark alone,What is it going to be?I can think whatever I like to think,I can play whatever I like to play,I can laugh whatever I like to laugh,There's nobody here but me.”