Renowned Author Dr. Robinson Speaks on Science-Fiction and Social Forecasting
St. Michael's welcomed highly-acclaimed author and environmental speaker Dr. Kim Stanley Robinson to present a lecture to coincide with Earth Week. Robinson is one of the most well-known and respected science fiction writers in the world and was named a Time magazine “Hero of the Environment.”
Through the science-fiction genre, Robinson reveals some possible solutions to the environmental challenges that humanity faces, and that topic was the focus of his lecture. Afterward, Robinson met personally with students in AP Environmental Science and English classes to further discuss the environment and the life of a writer.
“I really enjoyed the time with Dr. Robinson, especially the luncheon that the AP Environmental Science students had with him. We talked about the effects that human development can have on the environment and the available options for the future of climate change,” junior student Luc Pierce said.
Dr. Robinson spoke to the entire student body. Interestingly, he spoke to the students without any visuals - no video, PowerPoint, or special props, and totally captivated the audience. Dr. Robinson's talk was compelling in that it addressed climate change and global warming not only from a technological and scientific perspective, but also from a socio-political perspective, citing Mondragon, a corporation and federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain founded by graduates of a local technical college, as an alternative socially responsible business model. His theses sparked lively commentary and debate in the Q & A that followed.
According to an article in The New Yorker, Robinson is "generally acknowledged as one of the greatest living science-fiction writers.” His work has been translated into 24 languages. Robinson has won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Robinson's work has been labeled by The Atlantic as "the gold-standard of realistic, and highly literary, science-fiction writing."
His articles and stories have been published in Nature, The New York Times, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post, The New Scientist, and Wired. He has written 19 novels, and his most recent novel, “2312,” is a New York Times bestseller. Robinson is best known for his landmark “Mars” trilogy.
Robinson has a B.A. and a Ph.D. in literature from University of California, San Diego, and an M.A. in English from Boston University.
EDIFY: A Speaker Series is made possible by a $500,000 grant from a St. Michael’s family for the express purpose of inviting compelling, contemporary leaders and visionaries to the St. Michael’s campus to address students in a series of stimulating talks. Its mission is to unleash and enlighten the intellectual curiosity of St. Michael’s students so that they may form the habits of mind and heart that will enable them to courageously contribute to the common good.
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