Writing Science Fiction Out of Experience: SF, Social Science and Planetary Transformations

Kim Stanley Robinson, who has been writing science fiction novels and short stories for over three decades, is widely seen as one of the most important science fiction writers of today. He has explored a wide range of topics including planetary transformations, climate disruptions and the relations between science, society and politics, as well as sustainable ways of living and alternatives to capitalism. Robinson’s stories are often set in rather ‘plausible universes’ (no aliens in sight). As he explains, his distinctive SF style is a consequence of writing from, or out of, experience. To many readers, this at once evokes a sense of familiarity, and shows the transformative potentialities (whether technological, environmental, social, or personal) that lie within reach. Robinson has received many SF awards, including two Hugo Awards for Best Novel (for Green Mars and Blue Mars) and Nebula Awards for Best Novel (for Red Mars and 2312). The following interview was conducted as an email exchange in October 2018 as part of the forthcoming special issue of NATURECULTURE titled “Anthropology and Science Fiction: Experiments in Thinking Across Worlds,” just as his newest novel Red Moon was published.