Hello Ms. Shiel. Welcome to DivineCaroline. Would you mind briefly introducing yourself?
I research and write about everything strange, from Bigfoot and UFOs to alternative history. My latest book, The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1, marks the initial release in a planned three-book series. I have been interviewed for big-city newspapers, national magazines, drive-time talk radio shows, and TV news. I also have a master’s degree in library science and formerly served as president of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) here in Michigan. As a fiction writer, I developed the Human Origins Series—which includes the novels The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. My other nonfiction books are Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs & the Sasquatch (a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Awards) and Strange Michigan.
Would you mind telling us about your interestingly titled book: The Evolution Conspiracy?
In The Evolution Conspiracy I delve into the evidence for evolution, exposing both its strengths and its flaws without getting into religious beliefs. Contrary to the assertions of many biologists, the evidence is far from incontrovertible. I give you the tools you need to make up your own mind about how life came to be—tools including a list of 171 references, a glossary, and numerous illustrations. In The Evolution Conspiracy I present the evidence and my analysis of it, then I encourage you to think for yourself.
Did you start out with that title or did it come to you later?
I came up with the title The Evolution Conspiracy after writing the book. I played around with different words but finally settled on “conspiracy” because it sums up the attitudes of many evolutionists—that no dissent should be allowed and none will be tolerated. Conspiracies need not involve organized cabals meeting in secret to devise schemes for world domination. A conspiracy can be diffuse and subtle, with individuals working toward the same goal without a centralized organization or manifesto. That’s the nature of the evolution conspiracy. The subtitle, Exposing Life’s Inexplicable Origins and the Cult of Darwin, gives an inkling of what you’ll find inside the cover.
What inspired you to tackle the subject of evolution and challenging the not often question concept of evolution?
Evolution is frequently questioned. Among scientists who accept the broad concept of evolution debate rages over just about everything else, from the importance of natural selection to how to define the term species. Yet most pro-evolution books gloss over the debate among scientists, or ignore it altogether, while proclaiming evolution an undeniable fact. Yet does evolution qualify as a scientific fact, or even a scientific theory?
That question inspired me to sort through the research into evolution I had already done for my novels, then embark on a new research campaign to gather more information. I scoured the scientific journals, popular magazines, and websites in my quest to answer the question. My research led me to a startling conclusion—evolution fails to qualify as either a fact or a theory, as science defines those terms. Most people don’t have time to perform the kind of research I did to uncover the hidden battles over and secret truths about evolution. That’s why I wrote The Evolution Conspiracy, to give you the information you might never find otherwise.
What do you find most difficult when it comes to challenging such a fairly widely accepted concept?
The concept may be widely accepted by scientists, but opinion polls consistently show the majority of the public has doubts. At the same time psychologist Tania Lombrozo has found research demonstrates most people who doubt evolution understand the concepts perfectly well, meaning scientists can’t blame ignorance for the lack of public acceptance. When I decided to write The Evolution Conspiracy I knew the hardest part would be choosing my approach. Should I try to convince diehard evolutionists, or should I write for the rest of us? Should I rely on the evidence alone, or develop my own theory? The authors of most books critiquing evolution try to please both diehard evolutionists and laymen while using the evidence as a stepping stone for their own beliefs or theories. I opted for a different approach—presenting and analyzing the evidence without involving my personal beliefs. I let the evidence stand or fall on its own.
