January 19th, 2020
Well, howdy there. Welcome to the inaugural post on this blog. Exciting, yeah? I thought I'd start out by telling you exactly what the D-Evolution series of books is not. I'm not trying to begin on a negative note. I just think a lot of trouble can be avoided by setting proper expectations at the start of a thing. Now, in order for me to do this right, I'll have to use some labels and categories popular in book publishing. It's not that I like labels or categories, but we humans like to put things into tidy little boxes. It makes us feel certain. And certainty makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. So here it goes.
The D-Evolution books are not hard science-fiction (hard sci-fi) novels. Hell, they're not even science-fiction novels, really. "Um, Sean," you say. Or, if your mouth is anything like mine, perhaps something a little more...colorful. "What about all the space-themed stuff on this website? And the talk of Zebulon star freighters and what not?" Okay, okay. I get it. Much of the books are set in space. And yes, there is interstellar travel and various alien races living on different planets and space ports. Sounds pretty sci-fi, I know.
But die-hard sci-fi fans will be quick to point out that a story has to meet certain criteria to qualify as true science-fiction. And that goes something like this. While the goings-on in the story may be outside the scope of current technical possibility (meaning the reader's current world), said goings-on should be scientifically plausible. It's not the cleanest line in the sand.
So how do I convince you that the D-Evolution books aren't sci-fi? Well, the easiest way is to drop this little gem on you. These books have magic in them. And now, to all of you hard sci-fi and sci-fi fans, I bid you farewell. If you're still reading this, that means space + magic = something interesting enough to stick around for. And that's cool. I feel the same way.
So if these books aren't sci-fi, what are they? In terms of the publishing world and categories, the D-Evolution series, in my opinion, is space opera. And here's what the ol' interwebs have to say about that.
"Space opera is a sub-genre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, and risk-taking."
Yes, I know the definition above says that space opera is a sub-genre of science-fiction. But as soon as you throw magic into the deal, folks with even the most lax rules around their sci-fi tend to roll their eyes, if not taste the bitter sting of bile creeping up their throats.
So let's break this down, shall we? Do the D-Evolution novels have space warfare? Check. Melodramatic adventure? Sho' nuff. Interplanetary battles? Duh. Chivalric romance? Um...not so much. Risk-taking? In spades and barrels. If you're still not sure what to expect, many folks think of Star Wars as space opera. If The Wars really isn't your thing (not everybody's perfect), an internet search will give you plenty more examples. Some that come to mind are the Expanse novels by S.A. Corey (now a tv series) and Firefly (great show, died too young). I like to think of space opera as a story with Fantasy elements (as in the book genre) in a space setting.
And if you still don't know what to make of all this genre nonsense, you can download free samples of the D-Evolution novels on this site to see if they butter your toast, jelly your roll, sauce your noodles, etc. No commitment, I promise. If you do like what you read, cheers and welcome aboard. If not, thanks for spending a little time in my universe!
-Sean
Post script - I also wanted to say the D-Evolution series is not intended for kids. There's a lot of language, a fair amount of violence, and a little sex. I understand the character illustrations might look a bit cartoonish. But that's how the artist interpreted my written descriptions (straight from the books, actually). If I handed the same descriptions to a hundred different artists, I'd get a hundred different illustrations. But the fact remains the books aren't meant to be read by children. Cheers!