No more UFOs

The U.S. government decided some time ago that we no longer have UFOs.  They're now UAPs, as in Unexplained Aerial Phenomena.  Either way, the mysterious objects, whatever they are, continue to fly above us with alarming frequency.  

    My 18th novel, arriving at the end of 2021, visits the strangeness of life beyond Earth.  I won't tell you where the story is going, but I'll give you a few relevant facts.  There are somewhere between 100 billion and 400 billions stars in our Milky Way galaxy and roughly the same number of planets.

    Ah, but there are also about two trillion galaxies in the known universe, some larger and some smaller than ours.

    Do the math, if you can.  Begin at the low end and assume there are only 100 billion planets in the Milky Way.  Now multiply that by two trillion to see how many planets there might be in the universe.  Is your calculator smoking yet?  

    The answer I got is 200 sextillion, or 200 followed by 21 zeroes.

    Now here's the question.  Is it plausible to believe that only one planet out of 200 sextillion has intelligent life on it?  Seriously?  

    No, I can't buy it.  But I'll go one step further.  Since there are planets out there vastly older than Earth, is it reasonable to assume that ours represents the most advanced civilization anywhere?

    Another no.

    We are not alone, friends.  Our nearest neighbors may be a thousand light-years away, but they're out there.  

    I'll keep you posted on my upcoming novel.  In the meantime, think about a nice relaxing summer book.  Fear River will take you on a thrilling ride among the Thousand Islands, where a killer matches wits with two NYPD detectives.  You can find Fear River and all my other novels through Goodreads and Amazon.

    Happy reading.