genre the divine invasion
___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ ( often shortened to SF , sci - fi or scifi ) is a genre of ___MASK99___ , typically dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic science and technology , space travel , time travel , faster than light travel , parallel universes , and extraterrestrial life . ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations , and has been called a " literature of ideas ." It usually avoids the supernatural , and unlike the related genre of fantasy , historically science ___MASK20___ stories were intended to have a grounding in science - based fact or theory at the time the story was created , but this connection is now limited to hard science ___MASK20___ . ___MASK61___ (" science of craft ", from Greek , " techne ", " art , ___MASK41___ , cunning of hand "; and , "- logia ") is the collection of techniques , skills , methods and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives , such as scientific investigation . ___MASK61___ can be the knowledge of techniques , processes , and the like , or it can be embedded in machines which can be operated without detailed knowledge of their workings . ___MASK94___ ( or ; from French " ___MASK94___ " , " kind " or " sort ", from Latin " genus " ( stem " gener -"), Greek  , " gés ") The VALIS trilogy is a set of ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ / philosophical novels by author Philip K . Dick which include " VALIS " ( 1978 ), " The Divine Invasion " ( 1980 ), and " The Transmigration of Timothy Archer " ( 1982 ). Dick ' s first novel about the VALIS concept originally titled "" VALISystem A "" ( written 1976 ), was published as " Radio Free Albemuth " after Dick ' s death in 1982 . Hard ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ is a category of ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ characterized by an emphasis on scientific accuracy . The term was first used in print in 1957 by P . Schuyler Miller in a review of John W . Campbell , Jr .' s " Islands of Space " in " Astounding Science ___MASK20___ ". The complementary term soft ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ , formed by analogy to hard ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ , first appeared in the late 1970s . The term is formed by analogy to the popular distinction between the " hard " ( natural ) and " soft " ( social ) sciences . Science ___MASK20___ critic Gary Westfahl argues that neither term is part of a rigorous taxonomy ; instead they are approximate ways of characterizing stories that reviewers and commentators have found useful . ___MASK65___ is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the ___MASK24___ . The ___MASK6___ ( Medieval Latin : " superntrlis ": " supra " " above " + " naturalis " " natural ", first used : 1520  1530 AD ) includes all that cannot be explained by science or the laws of nature , including things characteristic of or relating to ghosts , gods , or other ___MASK6___ beings , or to things beyond nature . ___MASK96___ is a ___MASK20___ genre set in an imaginary ___MASK24___ , often but not always without any locations , events , or people from the real world . Most fantasy uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element , theme , or setting . Magic and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds . ___MASK96___ is generally distinguished from the genres of science ___MASK20___ and ___MASK81___ by the expectation that it steers clear of scientific and macabre themes , respectively , though there is a great deal of overlap between the three , all of which are subgenres of speculative ___MASK20___ . The Transmigration of Timothy Archer is a 1982 ___MASK34___ by Philip K . Dick . As his final work , the book was published shortly after his death in March 1982 following a series of strokes , although it was written the previous year . The book was originally titled " Bishop Timothy Archer ". ___MASK42___ is a branch of ___MASK69___ investigating the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it . ___MASK42___ attempts to answer two basic questions : ___MASK43___ Free Albemuth is a dystopian novel by Philip K . Dick , written in 1976 and published posthumously in 1985 . Originally titled " VALISystem A ", it was his first attempt to deal in ___MASK20___ with his experiences of early 1974 . When his publishers at Bantam requested extensive rewrites he canned the project and reworked it into the " VALIS " trilogy . Arbor House acquired the rights to " ___MASK43___ Free Albemuth " in 1985 . They then published an edition under the current title ( the original was too close to " VALIS "), prepared from the corrected typescript given by Dick to his friend Tim Powers . ___MASK70___ is the concept of movement ( such as by a human ) between certain points in time , analogous to movement between different points in ___MASK58___ , typically using a hypothetical device known as a time machine , in the form of a vehicle or of a portal connecting distant points in time . ___MASK70___ is a recognized concept in ___MASK69___ and ___MASK20___ , but traveling to an arbitrary point in time has a very limited support in theoretical physics , and usually only in conjunction with quantum mechanics or wormholes , also known as Einstein - Rosen bridges . In a more narrow sense , one - way time travel into the future via time dilation is a well - understood phenomenon within the frameworks of special relativity and general relativity , but advancing a large amount of time is not feasible with current technology . The concept was touched upon in various earlier works of ___MASK20___ , but was popularized by H . G . Wells ' 1895 novel " The Time Machine ", which moved the concept of time travel into the public imagination , and it remains a popular subject in science ___MASK20___ . VALIS is a 1981 ___MASK49___ by Philip K . Dick . The title is an acronym for " Vast Active Living Intelligence System ", Dick ' s gnostic vision of one aspect of God . Philip Kindred Dick ( December 16 , 1928March 2 , 1982 ) was an American writer , who published works mainly belonging to the ___MASK94___ of science ___MASK20___ . Dick explored philosophical , sociological and political themes in novels with plots dominated by monopolistic corporations , authoritarian governments , alternate universes , and altered states of consciousness . His work reflected his personal interest in metaphysics and theology , and often drew upon his life experiences in addressing the nature of reality , identity , drug abuse , schizophrenia , and transcendental experiences . The BSFA Awards are literary awards presented annually since 1970 by the British ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ Association ( BSFA ) to honour works in the genre of science ___MASK20___ . Nominees and winners are chosen based on a vote of BSFA members . More recently , members of the Eastercon convention have also been eligible to vote . ___MASK99___ is a broad umbrella genre denoting any narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements ; this encompasses the genres of science fiction , fantasy , ___MASK81___ , alternative history , magic realism , and superhero fiction , as well as combinations of the previous genres . It typically strays strongly from reality and so may feature fictional types of beings like mythical creatures and supernatural entities , technologies that do not exist in real life like time machines and interstellar spaceships , or magical or otherwise scientifically inexplicable elements . The term ' s popularity is sometimes attributed to Robert Heinlein , who referenced it in 1947 in an editorial essay , although there are prior mentions of speculative fiction , or its variant " speculative literature ". Innovation can be defined simply as a " new idea , device , or method ". However , innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements , unarticulated needs , or existing market needs . This is accomplished through more - effective products , processes , services , technologies , or business models that are readily available to markets , governments and ___MASK76___ . The term " innovation " can be defined as something original and more effective and , as a consequence , new , that " breaks into " the market or ___MASK76___ . It is related to , but not the same as , invention . Innovation is often manifested via the engineering process . The exnovation is the opposite of innovation . Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to understand what is real . Common symptoms include false beliefs , unclear or confused thinking , hearing voices that others do not , reduced social engagement and emotional expression , and a lack of motivation . People with schizophrenia often have additional mental ___MASK37___ problems such as anxiety disorders , major depressive illness , or substance use disorders . Symptoms typically come on gradually , begin in young adulthood , and last a long time . The causes of schizophrenia include environmental and genetic factors . Possible environmental factors include being raised in a city , cannabis use , certain infections , parental age , and poor ___MASK64___ during pregnancy . Genetic factors include a variety of common and rare genetic variants . Diagnosis is based on observed behavior , the person ' s reported experiences , and reports of others familiar with the person . During diagnosis a person ' s culture must also be taken into account . As of 2013 there is no objective test . Schizophrenia does not imply a " split personality " or " multiple personality disorder " conditions with which it is often confused in public perception . The mainstay of treatment is antipsychotic medication , along with counselling , job training , and social rehabilitation . It is unclear whether typical or atypical antipsychotics are better . In those who do not improve with other antipsychotics clozapine may be tried . In more serious situations  where there is risk to self or others  involuntary hospitalization may be necessary , although hospital stays are now shorter and less frequent than they once were . About 0 . 3  0 . 7 % of people are affected by schizophrenia during their lifetimes . In 2013 there were estimated to be 23 . 6 million cases globally . Males are more often affected than females . About 20 % of people do well , and a few recover completely . Social problems , such as long - term unemployment , poverty , and homelessness are common . The average life expectancy of people with the disorder is ten to twenty - five years less than for the general population . This is the result of increased physical ___MASK37___ problems and a higher suicide rate ( about 5 %). In 2013 an estimated 16 , 000 people worldwide died from behavior related to , or caused by , schizophrenia . The British ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ Association was founded in 1958 by a group of British science ___MASK20___ fans , authors , publishers and booksellers , in order to encourage science ___MASK20___ in every form . It is an open membership organisation costing £ 29 per year for UK residents and £ 20 for the unwaged . The first president of the BSFA was Brian Aldiss . Stephen Baxter is the current President . The BSFA currently publishes two magazines , sent to all members : ___MASK11___ is the critical ___MASK18___ of the nature of the divine . It is taught as an academic discipline , typically in universities , seminaries and schools of divinity . Reality is the state of things as they actually exist , rather than as they may appear or might be imagined . Reality includes everything that is and has been , whether or not it is observable or comprehensible . A still broader definition includes that which has existed , exists , or ___MASK16___ exist . The Divine Invasion is a BSFA Award nominated 1981 ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ book by Philip K . Dick . It is the second book in the gnostic VALIS trilogy , and takes place in the indeterminate future , perhaps a century or more after VALIS . It was originally titled , `` Valis Regained '' . After the fall of Masada in 74 AD , God , or `` Yah '' is exiled from Earth and forced to take refuge in the CY30 - CY30B star system . Meanwhile , the people of Earth are ruled by Belial , the spirit of darkness , but Yah is intent on reclaiming his creation . Eastercon is the common name for the British national ___MASK65___ ___MASK20___ convention . From 1948 until the 1960s , the convention was held over the three - day Whitsun bank holiday at the end of May . It has taken place over the four - day Easter holiday weekend ever since then . The pre - 1960s conventions are generally considered to have been " Eastercons " even though they were not held over Easter . Extraterrestrial life , also called alien life ( or , if it is a sentient or relatively complex individual , an " extraterrestrial " or " alien "), is life that does not originate from Earth . These as - yet - hypothetical life forms may range from simple single - celled organisms to beings with civilizations far more advanced than humanity . Although many scientists expect extraterrestrial life to exist , there is no unambiguous evidence for its existence so far . The ___MASK65___ of extraterrestrial life is known as exobiology .