Also, it's not like all the mysteries have been closed out; the very fact that so much was left unexplored leaves us plenty of room for play, without the fear of another volume coming out to canon-shaft everything.
My feeling exactly! I think this has been true all along; there were plot holes large enough to drive a Hummer through, but I really like that the canon end is firm.
Such a thoughtful and interesting interview! Looking forward to your Games fic, and hoping there'll be somnophilia. ZZZZZZZzzzzz. :)