Author of ‘Old Man’s War’ series and ‘Redshirts’ to visit SJU

There have been numerous great duos in science fiction history. Kirk and Spock. Mulder and Scully. Han Solo and Princess Leia. The Doctor and the Companion.

You can add one more duo to the list – Kathy Parker and Kelly Kraemer.

Parker and Kraemer helped arrange a visit by award-winning, science fiction writer John Scalzi at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Pellegrene Auditorium, Saint John’s University. The event is free and open to the public, and a book signing will follow his presentation.

Their goal was twofold – to celebrate the renovation of Alcuin Library and the opening of the Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons at SJU, and create an event that would be interesting and fun for students.

“I thought it was worth leveraging the attention that the building was already getting,” said Parker, director of libraries at the College of Saint Benedict and SJU. “We looked at authors that would help us magnify what we’re trying to do with the building.

“This building is chock full of technology everywhere you look,” Parker continued. “But what the building is fundamentally designed to do is to foster conversation. The question becomes, ‘How do we balance technology in a way that embraces and does not diffuse human interaction?’ This author, using humor and quirky characters, can help us think outside the box.”

“Scalzi’s books explore the potential ways that new technology can affect human relationships and interactions on both a personal and societal level,” said Kraemer, business information and outreach librarian at CSB and SJU.

Parker contacted publishing agents to see who might be available to speak. After narrowing the list, Kraemer – a sci-fi fan who is familiar with Scalzi’s work – selected him.

“There is a strain of humor in his books that I like,” Kraemer said. “I think he’s a good storyteller.”

Scalzi is perhaps best known for his multi-book “Old Man’s War” science fiction series. The first book of that series (of the same name) was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first of three books in the series to be nominated for the award. He also received the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for science fiction.

He won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel for his book, “Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas.” Scalzi decided to write the book after noticing that many satirical works dealt with the idea of “redshirts” – the unnamed, low-ranking characters of “Star Trek” who always died on away missions.

Scalzi also writes a popular blog, “Whatever.” He has covered a number of topics since 1998 in the blog and frequently writes on politics and writing. Scalzi is also an active Twitter member.

“We were looking for someone that had broad appeal, and who was maybe a little more fun than a strictly academic speaker,” Kraemer said. “He seems to be someone that stays up-to-date on issues, and generally has good, insightful things to say about it.”

Parker didn’t know a lot about Scalzi until recently. She read “Redshirts,” and found it to be both compassionate and entertaining, and discovered his blog posts. It was Scalzi’s writing in the blog which revealed “a generous spirit” that signaled the value as a campus visitor.

“In writing on everything in the blog from poverty to gender to bias, he showed he was firmly grounded in the here and now, even when he makes up stories of the far-away future,” Parker said.

“I think that speaks to how he helps us think about what it means to live in the world, and he frequently uses science fiction as a way to do that,” Parker said. “But he’s also a social commentator, in many ways.”