I think that's an issue that a lot of science-minded folks disagree with. I happen to think there's a lot about the author's time/mental state/life circumstanc

I think that's an issue that a lot of science-minded folks disagree with. I happen to think there's a lot about the author's time/mental state/life circumstances that one can find in the words themselves. A much more light-hearted example is Quentin Tarrantino's insistence that he hasn't watched the Truffaut film 'And the bride wore black' - even though Kill Bill is an eerily similar remake. Should I believe the author's product or his rationalization?