Photographer?
What's that supposed to mean?
And, I know a very intelligent biologist who studies the silk made by spiders. He is very well read on polymers and polymer processing, but, I don't go to him for advice about polymer design. I go to him to learn about how the spider does it, but, not polymer design.
I guess I'm guilty of reading into your post. I read that you are posting this because you think that because the novelist says something means it must be so. I could be completely wrong. You might just be posting it because you find it interesting to hear a novelist's perspectives on things.