As his "own alternative to cyberpunk," Rucker developed a writing style he calls Transrealism. He gave a brief explanation of Transrealism in his 1983 essay, "The Transrealist Manifesto". It is science fiction based on the author's own life and immediate perceptions, mixed with fantastic elements that symbolize psychological change. Many of Rucker's novels and short stories apply these ideas. One example of Rucker's Transrealist works is "Saucer Wisdom", a novel in which the main character is abducted by aliens. Rucker and his publisher marketed the book as non-fiction as a kind of joke.