I was rather shocked a couple of days ago to receive an email from a fellow author David Firth (who writes for the business world) anouncing a book he’s got out in September (self-published). It’s called HUMAN 2.0: THE UPGRADE IS AVAILABLE.

The reason it shocked me is that I’ve just sent a manuscript to a publisher with the working title UPGRADE ME: OUR AMAZING JOURNEY TO HUMAN 2.0

As it happens there is no overlap in content between the books. David Firth’s is an “instruction manual” for a human being, detailing the “upgrades” to allow for being rich, joyful and fulfilled – it’s a self-help book – while mine is addressing the Singularity /cyborgs /human upgrading kind of issues.

Even so it was something of an eyebrow-raiser. I could rather expect that sort of thing to happen with a book I’ve got coming out in October called THE GLOBAL WARMING SURVIVIAL KIT. It was bound to have parallel titles (THE GLOBAL WARMING SURVIVAL GUIDE, recently rushed out to accompany the Live Earth concerts, springs to mind) – but the other coincidence seems much more striking.

It’s not really the same as the common occurence that two or three books on one topic will independently come out at the same time, because it’s a topic that has reached a point where there ought to be a book about it. At least, I don’t think it’s the same.

Has it happened to you with a book or article? Should we worry or simply accept it demonstrates that it’s a good idea (and of course your version is much better than the others, so will wipe the floor with them)?