The Science in The Fiction Daniel H. Wilson on Planetary Protection in 'The Andromeda Evolution'
Daniel H. Wilson has a PhD in robotics and is the author of the non-fiction books ‘How to Survive a Robot Uprising’, ‘How to Build a Robot Army’ and ‘Where’s my Jetpack’, as well as the bestselling science fiction novels ‘Robopocalypse’ and its sequel ‘Robogenesis’, ‘The Clockwork Dynasty’, and most recently ‘The Andromeda Evolution’ - the authorized sequel to Michael Crichton’s 'The Andromeda Strain'. We talk about how he came to inherit Michael Crichton's mantle and be chosen to write 'The Andromeda Evolution', discussing Planetary Protection as well as the biotech/nanotech crossover in material science in this book. We also consider Artificial Intelligence, First Contact, and the more human and cultural themes in his recent work, especially in his short story ‘The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever’ and his upcoming book ‘Heliopause’, which gives an indigenous perspective on First Contact with an alien intelligence. Finally, we talk about the Western reductionist perspective compared with a more indigenous approach to science, with biomimetic strategies of studying systems embedded in their natural context, as well as developing respect and comfort with the unknown.
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