Answer and Explanation:
The previous excerpt was written by the author John Champlin Gardner Jr. who was a novelist and university professor, interested in criticizing contemporary authors and fiction novels.
In this group of words chosen by Gardner, it is possible to notice a sense of pessimist conception about life and the facts that may influence it. Between lines, the author expresses his ideas about the world around focusing on the negative circumstances that might affect it, highlighting the facts that are the cause for imposing hopes and fears, in an environment where he feels alone. At the same time, in my opinion, the author refers to the creation of the universe in a sarcastic way to the common perceptions.