Richard Botelho's Blog - Posts Tagged "extraterrestrials"
The Genre Bender
Perhaps it is indicative of society or something in the human condition, but people tend to be categorized or prefer the use of categories. With the tremendous amount of information in our society, categories certainly help sort and organize our world. In the publishing world, this tendency has resulted in strict categories for all kinds of books. This has been useful because it allows readers to more easily find what they are looking to read, but it also comes with a cost.
Unfortunately, categories encourage sameness. In fiction, for example, both new and established authors seek to emulate the category with tried and true styles and plots because that has worked in the past and readers expect more of the same. Soon, the works in the category become formulaic, representing the same old formula and the category becomes stale.
Often, writers try to introduce novelty into the category through deeper plots, different settings, unique writing styles, and more in depth characters and the competition becomes one where authors are judged on how creative they were within that sameness. This often works for most readers because they get improved versions within the category of their choice.
Still, over time, the category grows more formulaic and staleness creeps in. So what can be done to break through this sameness to produce works that are truly novel and inspiring?
The answer is called a genre bender. These are novels that combine many different genres such as fantasy, romance, spirituality, adventure, etc., into one work that is very different from other works in its primary genre. Now these works should be praised because they are fighting a strong uphill battle against traditionalism, inertia, the publishing industry preference for rigid categories, conditioned readerships, and history itself. In some sense, genre bending novels are pioneers trying to take fiction into new arenas and new markets.
Non-fiction works could also use a dose of answers outside their category. Most breakthrough scientific discoveries, management philosophies, social commentaries, technological advancements, and even political theories come from an interdisciplinary approach that uses different fields of knowledge. The future will be dominated by those writers and thinkers who give us new ways of looking at things and who help us break out of strict categories which tend to confine us and limit our possibilities for discovery.
My forthcoming novel Reason for Existence is a science fiction and philosophy novel with elements of romance and geopolitical thriller thrown in as well. It is definitely original and a genre bender. The publication date is 2/1/16 and the website is www.wpcbooks.com. Sample chapters and advance reviews are available on the website. There will also be a book giveaway in the future.
Thanks for reading my blog.
Unfortunately, categories encourage sameness. In fiction, for example, both new and established authors seek to emulate the category with tried and true styles and plots because that has worked in the past and readers expect more of the same. Soon, the works in the category become formulaic, representing the same old formula and the category becomes stale.
Often, writers try to introduce novelty into the category through deeper plots, different settings, unique writing styles, and more in depth characters and the competition becomes one where authors are judged on how creative they were within that sameness. This often works for most readers because they get improved versions within the category of their choice.
Still, over time, the category grows more formulaic and staleness creeps in. So what can be done to break through this sameness to produce works that are truly novel and inspiring?
The answer is called a genre bender. These are novels that combine many different genres such as fantasy, romance, spirituality, adventure, etc., into one work that is very different from other works in its primary genre. Now these works should be praised because they are fighting a strong uphill battle against traditionalism, inertia, the publishing industry preference for rigid categories, conditioned readerships, and history itself. In some sense, genre bending novels are pioneers trying to take fiction into new arenas and new markets.
Non-fiction works could also use a dose of answers outside their category. Most breakthrough scientific discoveries, management philosophies, social commentaries, technological advancements, and even political theories come from an interdisciplinary approach that uses different fields of knowledge. The future will be dominated by those writers and thinkers who give us new ways of looking at things and who help us break out of strict categories which tend to confine us and limit our possibilities for discovery.
My forthcoming novel Reason for Existence is a science fiction and philosophy novel with elements of romance and geopolitical thriller thrown in as well. It is definitely original and a genre bender. The publication date is 2/1/16 and the website is www.wpcbooks.com. Sample chapters and advance reviews are available on the website. There will also be a book giveaway in the future.
Thanks for reading my blog.
The Drake Equation
Since my forthcoming novel Reason for Existence concerns extraterrestrials and their interaction with humans, it might be interesting to consider the actual probability of extraterrestrial life in our galaxy. The foundation of this analysis has been The Drake Equation, formulated by Dr. Frank Drake in 1961. The Drake Equation is as follows:
1. Total number of stars in our galaxy. Estimated to be 250 billion.
2. Number of those stars that have planets.
3. Number of those planets that could potentially support life.
4. Number of those planets that actually develop life.
5. Number of those planets with life that develop intelligent life.
6. The percentage of those planets with intelligent life that develop a technological civilization.
7. The length of time those civilizations last without destroying themselves.
Essentially, the equation reduces down from 250 billion possibilities for solar systems like our own to the percentage that fulfill the requirements of The Drake Equation. We now know that about 90% of all stars in the galaxy have planets orbiting them. How many of those can support life? How many have intelligent life with technological civilizations?
Estimates range from 1, Earth, to millions, but the best estimates say around 4,500. That is lots of other intelligent civilizations, but a very small percentage of the original 250 billion possibilities.
So, we are probably not alone and many of those other intelligent civilizations could be much further along their evolutionary paths than humans. That could explain the huge number of UFO sightings throughout history.
For an excellent article on The Drake Equation, visit wpcbooks.com in the section titled "Links to Interesting Things."
Thanks for reading my blog.
1. Total number of stars in our galaxy. Estimated to be 250 billion.
2. Number of those stars that have planets.
3. Number of those planets that could potentially support life.
4. Number of those planets that actually develop life.
5. Number of those planets with life that develop intelligent life.
6. The percentage of those planets with intelligent life that develop a technological civilization.
7. The length of time those civilizations last without destroying themselves.
Essentially, the equation reduces down from 250 billion possibilities for solar systems like our own to the percentage that fulfill the requirements of The Drake Equation. We now know that about 90% of all stars in the galaxy have planets orbiting them. How many of those can support life? How many have intelligent life with technological civilizations?
Estimates range from 1, Earth, to millions, but the best estimates say around 4,500. That is lots of other intelligent civilizations, but a very small percentage of the original 250 billion possibilities.
So, we are probably not alone and many of those other intelligent civilizations could be much further along their evolutionary paths than humans. That could explain the huge number of UFO sightings throughout history.
For an excellent article on The Drake Equation, visit wpcbooks.com in the section titled "Links to Interesting Things."
Thanks for reading my blog.
