Interview with Lisa A. Shiel – Author of The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1: Exposing Life’s Inexplicable Origins and the Cult of Darwin
Posted by pumpupyourbook on November 10, 2009
Lisa A. Shiel researches and writes about everything strange, from Bigfoot and UFOs to alternative history. She has been interviewed for big-city newspapers, national magazines, drive-time talk radio shows, and TV news. She has a master’s degree in library science and formerly served as president of the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) in Michigan.
As a fiction writer, Lisa developed the Human Origins Series—which includes the novels The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. Lisa’s 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. Her latest book, The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1, marks the initial release in a planned three-book series. Find her online at EvolutionConspiracy.com, Twitter.com/LAShiel, or on Facebook.
Q: Thank you for this interview, Lisa. Can you tell us what your latest book, The Evolution Conspiracy, is all about?
A: Scientists call evolution a fact, as unquestionable as the existence of gravity. But is it? In The Evolution Conspiracy I break through the hype to expose the bare evidence underneath. With a list of 171 references, a glossary, a thorough index, and relevant illustrations, The Evolution Conspiracy offers everything you need to reach your own conclusions.
Q: Is this your first book? If not, how has writing this book different from writing your first?
A: The Evolution Conspiracy is my fifth published book. My first book, The Hunt for Bigfoot, was fiction while The Evolution Conspiracy is nonfiction. I had researched evolution, as it pertains to human origins, for The Hunt for Bigfoot so when I started working on The Evolution Conspiracy my previous research served as a foundation for new research. With The Hunt for Bigfoot I wove the research into the fabric of an adventure story, the crux of which questioned evolutionary theories. In The Evolution Conspiracy I relied on facts alone to expose the snags in evolutionary theories.
Q: How difficult was it writing your book?
A: The hardest part of writing nonfiction is the research. For The Evolution Conspiracy I spent months combing through scientific journals, popular magazines, and websites for leads and facts. Fortunately, as a librarian I enjoy research—otherwise I’d be bald from tearing out my hair! Once I finished the research, the really hard part started. I had to choose which information to use, which to save for volume 2 or 3 of The Evolution Conspiracy, and which to chuck. I could’ve written an encyclopedia-size book and still had information leftover.
Q: Do you want to convince everyone evolution is wrong?
A: No, I want to encourage people to make up their own minds. Don’t accept evolution is an irrefutable fact simply because someone with a PhD tells you so, especially if that person doesn’t tell you why. Look at the evidence for yourself, consider it, then decide. For many people the evidence can be confusing and overwhelming. That’s why I wrote The Evolution Conspiracy, to sweep away the jargon and give you clear explanations of the concepts and evidence.
Q: Aren’t creationists the only ones questioning evolution?
A: This is a myth propagated by many evolutionists. Opinion polls usually give respondents three or four answers to choose from, all variations on creationism or evolutionism. Thus everyone is forced to choose one or the other. Evolutionists love those polls because the results give them a great excuse to focus on the religion vs. science debate rather than the evidence.
The truth is more complex. Plenty of people—non-creationist Christians, people of other faiths, and folks with no particular faith—have doubts about evolution. I wrote The Evolution Conspiracy for everyone, whether creationist or atheist or something in between, who wonders about the solidity of the evidence for evolution.
Q: Don’t all scientists accept evolution?
A: Hardly. Just look at the scientists who read and commented on The Evolution Conspiracy. While it may be true that the majority of scientists accept evolution, even that statement doesn’t give you the whole picture.
A 1998 poll found that 40% of scientists believe in theistic evolution, a scenario where God plays a role. Because polls invariably ask if you believe in creationism or evolution, offering no other option, we may never know how many scientists doubt evolution but don’t agree with creationism. Even scientists who agree on the broad concept of evolution disagree over just about everything else, from the importance of natural selection to the definition of a species. To say all scientists agree glosses over the complexity of the issue.
Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”
A: I am not anti-evolution. I find the evidence unconvincing, therefore I don’t believe in evolution. I find the attitudes of many evolutionists unscientific, when they belittle anyone who disagrees with them and insist everyone must accept evolution.
If you disagree with them you get labeled anti-evolution, an evolution denier, and a creationist (in their minds creationist equals idiot). And those are just the words I can repeat in mixed company! In The Evolution Conspiracy I promote the premise that we can and should question the mainstream dogma when the evidence fails to support it.
Thank you for this interview Lisa. I wish you much success on your latest release, The Evolution Conspiracy!
