“The danger of mass deaths from overheating is very real,” said Kim Stanley Robinson in an interview with Liz Jensen at Writers Rebel about his climate fiction novel, “A Ministry for the Future.” “I wanted to warn readers that bad things are going to happen; [and] describe humanity reacting to the climate crisis in an uncoordinated way that nevertheless dodges the mass extinction event we have started, and comes to a better moment in future history, where even more progress could be made.”

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is pleased to host Robinson, an award-winning science fiction author, for the Tanner Lecture on Human Values on March 16 at 7 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall.

“We are thrilled to have Kim Stanley Robinson at the U,” said Erika George, director of the Tanner Humanities Center. “His work speaks to pressing issues we’re facing in our own community with the Great Salt Lake. It also invites us to imagine alternative futures. We’re excited to hear his lecture and insights during our own ecological crisis.”

Robinson will be discussing his exploration of a near-future world facing a global crisis caused by climate change in “The Ministry for the Future.” He has been praised for his ambitious and vivid portrayal of a world struggling to cope with the consequences of its collective actions.

“Kim Stanley Robinson artfully weaves science, economics and politics into his work,” said Hollis Robbins, dean of the College of Humanities. “His politically astute and technologically informed science fiction writing is not only a reflection of our current climate crisis but also offers guidelines for our future.”

Entry is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Books will be available for purchase at a book signing hosted by The Kings English Bookshop following the lecture.

Robinson is best known for exploring themes of ecological and social issues since his first novel in 1984, “The Wild Shore.” He has since written over 20 novels including his latest book “The High Sierra: A Love Story,” the Mars trilogy (“Red Mars,” “Green Mars” and “Blue Mars”) and “Aurora.” Robinson holds numerous awards for his writing, including two Hugo Awards, two Nebula awards and six Locus awards. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek, Nature and Wired. In 2020, former President Barack Obama selected “The Ministry for the Future” as one of his favorite books of the year.