Welcome to my Metazoic site! This site discusses the existence of the creatures to come along after humans will be extinct. I first became interested in a world after man when I acquired my first copy of Dougal Dixon's After Man: A Zoology of the Future in 1992. However, I unwittingly created creatures that did not exist from the time I was about 8 years old. But it was after I obtained a copy of that book (now a collector's item) that I decided to take these same creatures I created as a child and make them more realistic in an evolutionary sense. Though it may be hard for a lot of us to grasp, humans will soon become extinct. One of the biggest factors of how this will happen is the current overpopulation rate. Which is why I don't contribute to the population. I created this world with little more than mammals fulfilling all ecological niches with the help of some friends. I even gave the era of the age after man a name, I called it the Metazoic, derived from the words for "After-era" (Meta, meaning after, and zoic meaning era). We are now in the Cenozoic era. To view all the animals I have created since I began this project, you can go to the "Meet the Mammals" section of this site. To discuss your own ideas about what you think will happen in the future world, and share your ideas with others, please feel free to leave a comment.
One more thing, some of you may find this site quite offensive, and you have a right to your own opinion. But please respect my right to have an opinion too. I'm not saying there is no GOD, I believe it was HIM who got the ball rolling. But I believe after that, evolution took over. There is so much more evidence of evolution than there is of creation. Even that going on right under our noses. Other than that, enjoy yourself and visit our many links.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Nevermind Then....

I took down the post linking to this one guy's blog. The only reason I posted it up here in the first place was to return the favor. But since he deleted my link from his journal, I deleted the link to his journal from my blog. No big deal. I guess he couldn't handle criticism. Like I said, no one can handle it like I can!! Sorry, but I HATE anime-style drawings!!! I hate anime PERIOD, with the utmost, intense passion!!!! I can tolerate manga a little better, but there are no words strong enough to describe how much I HATE anime!!!! "Hate" is a very mild descriptive word compared to how much I dislike anime-style drawings and cartoons. Nothing personal in that, it's just my preference. And my own personal drawing style is the old-fashioned ways, like they did with Bugs Bunny, or like Walt Disney's old school style. I was watching Disney's Dumbo today and comparing it with how cartoons are done now, and it's sad that everyone prefers this sucky anime-crap that is out now. I never liked anime. Even as a kid, I hated anime-style cartoons. They hurt my eyes to watch. Cartoons today are not cartoons anymore.

My ma wants me to start learning how to draw modern-style and modernize Uncle Martin and the Gang. I told her I'm not sure I want him TOO modern!!! I don't want Martin to look like Spongebob with those ugly, balled-out eyes, one tooth on each side of his mouth, or a banana-shaped nose!!! Besides the only modern free-style of cartooning I would even consider would be manga and I'm too lazy to do that!!! I don't have enough money to do Pixar-style. So, it's old school or nothing with me.

But anyway, I guess this person couldn't handle the criticism. Like I said, not everyone can handle criticism like I can! I was told LONG ago that a person who cannot handle criticism, there's something wrong with them. Now, criticism that someone gives about someone else's work (or ideas) that is based on their own personal feelings about the other person, that kind of criticism is totally USELESS, and I agree!! I will always go against that kind of criticism. But I had nothing against this person at all. He just gave his own opinion of my site and that was it. So I can say that nothing I said to him was said with malice. I've never spoken out of malice. That's not who I am! Even if I did know this guy, and did like him, I still would have said what I did. But if he were my friend, he'd know not to take any criticism too personally. But instead LEARN from it. I've learned over the years to take all criticism with a grain of salt. LORD knows my site gets a lot of it, even from people I really do consider friends. Doesn't make me like them any less.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Interview With Dougal Dixon

I did it, I took the big leap. And now Metazoica presents their very own interview with the pioneer in speculative evolution himself, Dougal Dixon. He was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions I thought everyone would like to know. Just got his responses today through e-mail. And here they are, his own words to me. Enjoy!


1. What got you interested in speculative biology in the first place?
Always interested in dinosaurs, since about 5 years old. From there it was a small step to other strange-looking animals. And if the strange-looking animals had some scientific plausibility then that would fit in better with my scientific education.

2. How often have you thought about speculative biology?
Frequently.

3. What was your goal with your first speculative biology project?
AFTER MAN was a popular level book on evolution. But whereas all popular books on evolution look towards the past, and see what has happened, I wanted to look towards the future to see what might happen. Not a firm prediction but rather an exploration of possibilities. The result is a picture book of funny animals, but with each funny animal telling some story about evolution or ecology. Fictitious examples of factual processes, so that the novelty would draw people in to find out more.

4. What other sciences do you study?
Two degrees in geology, with a special interest in fossils and evolution. Masters thesis on palaeogeography - tracing the history of the landscapes of the British Isles throughout known geological time.

5. Among those, which do you find yourself most drawn to?
Palaeontology.

6. And why?
See above.

7. Are you currently working on anything new in the speculative biology field?
Second series of THE FUTURE IS WILD.
My novel GREENWORLD will be published in Japan this year. Again it deals with fictitious examples of factual processes - in this case the relationship between Homo sapiens and the natural environment - but set on an alien planet. A planet with a whole thriving ecosystem, based on the same biochemical principles that we have here on Earth. Human settlers - evacuated from an overpopulated and polluted Earth - arrive and set up a civilization. We follow the first thousand years of settlement, in which every environmental disaster caused by humans on Earth is repeated. Every incident has its counterpart in Earth's history. Told as a series of short stories, dealing with subsequent generations of a few principal families, and the whole thing building into a kind of a dynastic epic. Illustrated by excerpts from field guides, herbals, bounty notices, recipes, zoo advertisments, scientific papers - all aimed at the characters, not the reader. The reader is an eavesdropper here.



8. Do you consider yourself tops in the growing field of speculative biology?
Others do! I seem to be the go-to guy when it comes to that.

9. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in any scientific field?
In my case, from my day job as a science writer, to inspire others to take an active interest in the fields of science.