Far Out! Exploring Sci Fi with John Scalzi and Isabel J. Kim

Room: Lecture Hall

Building: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main (Oakland)

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Books: After the presentation, attendees are welcome to purchase a book and/or get their book signed at the tent outside.

Pre-registration: Closes on Thursday, 5/28, at 12 PM. Pre-registered attendees will receive priority seating. Walk-ins are welcome if capacity allows.

Moderator: Diane Turnshek

Description

Countdown to a supernova of a session bringing together veteran science fiction writer John Scalzi, with novelist Isabel J. Kim, author of the breakout debut Sublimation. Already being hailed as one of the best releases of 2026, learn more about Kim’s inspiration for the book Junot Diaz describes as “Beyond candescent… after Sublimation, the immigrant story will never be the same.”

"One of the best debuts of the year. Sublimation speaks to our moment, in ways we could not have expected.” —John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain

Kim will be joined by the superstar spaceman of sci-fi Jon Scalzi. Scalzi is known for his blend of humor with the otherworldly. You may be familiar with the snarky spy cats of Starter Villain. After a decade, Scalzi returns to the galaxy of the Old Man’s War series with The Shattering Peace. Kirkus (starred review) calls it, "Classic Scalzi space opera at its wisecracking, politically pointed, and, somehow, fiercely optimistic finest."

We’ll also explore, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, which offers up a moon made of cheese and was one of NPR’s best books of 2025 and described by Kirkus as "A ridiculous concept imbued with gravity, charm, humor, plausible cynicism, and pathos—and perhaps the merest touch of spite."

It’s a moonage daydream, oh yeah!

Author Biographies

John Scalzi is one of the most popular SF authors of his generation. His debut, Old Man's War, won him the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts (which won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel), The Last Emperox, and 2022's The Kaiju Preservation Society.

Isabel J. Kim lives near New York City in an apartment filled with books and swords. She is the author of numerous short stories and has won the Nebula, Locus, and the Shirley Jackson Award. Her work has been translated into multiple languages and reprinted in multiple best of the year anthologies. When she’s not writing, she’s practicing law or podcasting. Sublimation is her first novel.

Moderator Biography

Diane Turnshek is a Pittsburgh astronomer. She is the Exec Dir of Parsec, Pittsburgh’s premier SF organization. She mentored grad students at Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction MFA program and founded Write or Die, a local critique group since 1996, Alpha, a residency teen writing workshop since 2002, and the Triangulation anthology series, editing in 2003, 2019, 2020 and 2021. dianeturnshek.com

For more information about the Pgh Book Festival, check out the website here.

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