Esteemed Science Fiction Writer to Close Out 2022-2023 UC San Diego Library Author Talk Series

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The University of California San Diego Library’s Author Talk Series – in partnership with the Academic Senate Committee on Campus Climate Change – is concluding its third consecutive year of programming on April 17 with internationally-acclaimed author and prominent UC San Diego alum, Kim Stanley Robinson ’74, PhD ’82. Hosted at UC San Diego’s Sally T. WongAvery Library and part of the university’s 8th annual Earth Month celebration, the event will take a deep dive into how we can best tackle climate change today and into the future.

The evening’s discussion will focus on Robinson’s bestselling novel “The Ministry for the Future,” which begins in a fictional 2025 at the harrowing height of a lethal heatwave. The plot is centered around a group of individuals referred to as “the Ministry for the Future” whose mission is to act as an advocate for the world's future generations. While the ministers pursue various projects, responding to climate change is the core of their work.

At the start of the event, attendees will hear presentations from four students acting as a ministry for the future of our region. Calling upon their research, activism and expertise, the students will speak as “ministers” for their own future lives and those of subsequent generations, articulating a vision of what UC San Diego can do to protect the environment. Participants include:

• Minister of Atmosphere, Ke’La Kimble, PhD candidate in analytical and atmospheric chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Minister of Health, Emmet Norris, PhD student in geoscience, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Minister of Finance, Emma Rodriguez ’23, business economics major, Thurgood Marshall College
• Minister of Energy, Alex Andriatis, PhD candidate in physical oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

A moderated conversation with Robinson – led by Audrey Geisel University Librarian Erik T. Mitchell – will follow the student presentations. 

Robinson is the author of more than twenty books, including the international bestselling “Mars” trilogy, “New York 2140,” “Aurora,” “Shaman,” “Green Earth” and “2312,” which was a New York Times bestseller nominated for all seven of the major science fiction awards — a first for any book. In 2008, he was named a Hero of the Environment by Time magazine. In 2016, he was given the Heinlein Award for lifetime achievement in science fiction, and asteroid 72432 was named Kimrobinson in his honor. One year later, in 2017, he was given the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society.

A prolific writer and speaker, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Nature and Wired, among many others. His novel “The Ministry for the Future” was selected as one of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2020 and one of Bill Gates’ 5 Great Books for the Summer in 2022.

Event Details

A Conversation with Kim Stanley Robinson ’74, PhD ’82
Monday, April 17, 2023 | 6 p.m. PT
UC San Diego Sally T. WongAvery Library, 2nd Floor

Copies of “The Ministry for the Future'' will be available for purchase from the UC San Diego Bookstore at the event. Registration is now open and required.

Past 2022-2023 Author Talk Series Events

• March 29, 2023: A Conversation with Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Artist/Illustrator and Author of "Maus"
• November 9, 2022: A Conversation with Author Rex Pickett ’76

Established in 2020 as part of Geisel Library’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Author Talk Series aims to provide the campus community and public with the opportunity to hear from authors who have written about topics of profound relevance and interest. Each event is offered free of charge. The series is made possible through the philanthropic support of our generous Sponsors and Library Associates.

About the UC San Diego Library

The University of California San Diego Library, ranked among the nation’s top 25 public academic libraries, plays a critical role in advancing and supporting the university’s research, teaching, patient care and public service missions. The world-renowned research for which UC San Diego is known starts at the Library, which provides the foundation of knowledge necessary to advance cutting-edge discoveries in a wide range of disciplines, from health care and science to public policy and the arts. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and stay up to date on Library news by subscribing to the newsletter.

Learn more about research and education at UC San Diego in: Climate Change