Science + Fiction: Kim Stanley Robinson
Join us for a journey where science and fiction, observation and fantasy, nature and technology intertwine to spark new ideas for Earth’s future. A titan of speculative fiction, Kim Stanley Robinson has spent decades crafting blueprints for how humanity might survive its own making—from terraforming the Red Planet in his seminal Mars trilogy to the flooded, yet resilient streets of Manhattan in New York 2140. Where others see only the abyss of the climate crisis, Robinson sees a logistical and political challenge, famously proposing a "Ministry for the Future" to advocate for generations of the unborn.
On this evening, Robinson joins Pioneer Works Director of Sciences, the astrophysicist and author Janna Levin, for a career-spanning conversation. Together they will navigate across worlds, exploring the patience of deep time, the politics of survival, and human responsibility to the inherited Earth. In the KSR-universe, utopia isn't a destination, it's a direction.
Looking back on a life spent dreaming of “2312” and beyond, Robinson will reflect on his impact as a literary provocateur and offer his latest predictions for our species. In the KSR-universe, utopia isn't a destination, it’s a direction. In an age of mounting anxiety, can we even find—let alone make—our way forward?
Kim Stanley Robinson will be signing books after the conversation. Copies will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
Before and after the conversation, DJ Black Helmet will be spinning sets to score the evening. For All Things Good will be serving fresh Mexican food available for purchase. Plus, look to distant worlds and stargaze with the Amateur Astronomers Association in our garden, weather permitting.
About the speakers
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer. His most recent books are The Ministry for the Future and The High Sierra: A Love Story. He went to Antarctica in 1995 and 2016, courtesy of the US National Science Foundation. He was a featured speaker at COP26 in 2021, at the UN’s Summit of the Future in 2024, and at COP-30 in Belém, Brazil. His work has been translated into 30 languages. In 2016, asteroid 72432 was named “Kimrobinson.”
Janna Levin is the Founding Director of Sciences at Pioneer Works and the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Pioneer Works Broadcast. She is a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. A Guggenheim Fellow, Janna has contributed to an understanding of black holes and cosmology. She is the presenter of the NOVA feature Black Hole Apocalypse, aired on PBS. She writes books about math, physics, and cosmology, including a PEN award winning work of first fiction. Her most recent book is Black Hole Survival Guide.
Our signature Science vs Fiction series is inspired by the idea that scientific discovery and fictional world-building can be complementary. Each is driven by a love of complexity, a curiosity about the workings of the universe, and the capacity to imagine alternative realities or entirely new worlds. We celebrate filmmakers, authors, and artists for whom science and fiction, observation and fantasy, nature and technology, intertwine to spark new ideas in science and beyond.
About the participants
DJ Black Helmet (Azikiwe Mohammed) is a New York-based DJ and musician who specializes in long-form live mixes and generative ambient works. He has performed at venues such as Elsewhere, Bembe, Pioneer Works, Public Records, Roulette Intermedium, The High Line, MoMA, and MoMA PS1. He currently has a weekly radio show on WFMU’s “Give The Drummer” radio called “Your Boy Black Helmet Radio.” He is founder and director of the Black Painters Academy, the home for the New Davonhaime Food Bank—a food bank based in Manhattan’s Chinatown that focuses on health equity and community wellness.
This program is supported by the Simons Foundation's Science, Society and Culture division.