John Scalzi

FUZZY NATION: Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn't care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp's headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation's headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his ... (more)past, that's not up for discussion. Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth. But there's another wrinkle to ZaraCorp's relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species. Then a small furry biped - trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute - shows up at Jack's outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp's claim to a planet's worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed.and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the 'fuzzys' before their existence becomes more widely known. John Michael Scalzi II is an author and online writer, best known for his Hugo Award-nominated science fiction novel Old Man's War, released by Tor Books in January 2005, and for his blog Whatever, at which he has written daily on a number of topics since 1998. He has also written a number of non-fiction books.

SF writer and blogger John Scalzi will appear at the Merril Collection on Friday, April 23rd at 7:00 PM. Best known for the "Old Man's War" series, he's also written a number of non-fiction books, such as "The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies". A prolific blogger (http://whatever.scalzi.com/), his recent collection of blog entries "Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded" won the 2009 Hugo Award forBest Related Book. His books will be available (courtesy of Bakka-Phoenix Books) for signing by the author. The event will take place Friday, April 23rd at the Merril Collection, 3rd floor of the Lillian H. Smith library, 239 College St., starting at 7 PM.

Popular sci-fi author John Scalzi will be at Dublin Branch Friday, May 8 from 2- 3 p.m. John's books have won many awards, including the Hugo, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award (science fiction category) and the Geffen (Israeli science fiction ... (more)award). He'll discuss his upcoming book, (nominated for a Nebula Award) Zoe's Tale, and hold a Q & A session. Join in, if you are able!

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When three very versatile authors with unmatched skills gather together to read their works, it's amazing the room can hold them. From the person next door to the far reaches of space, there's no telling what rare treats are in store. Time permitting, they might even answer some questions. Be sure to ... (more)bring your books to be signed and wear a seatbelt.