Actor Joseph Fiennes, left, and Canadian writer Robert J. Sawyer are shown on location in Los Angeles shooting a TV series based on Sawyer's novel Flashforward. (Carolyn Clink)

Robert J. Sawyer, one of the world's most famous science fiction writers, has taken up his position as writer-in-residence at Saskatoon's Canadian Light Source synchrotron.

The Ottawa-born author of 19 novels, including Calculating God, Mindscan and Nebula-winner The Terminal Experiment, says he's there to learn.

"Normally when I go to an institution as I did when I came here four years ago, it's the VIP tour," he told CBC News.

"You only see the highlights, but you don't see how the scientists talk over the lunch break, what they do in terms of their social committee, the activities that are not work-related, you don't really get the real flavour of what it's like working in a science facility."

Sawyer is the first writer-in-residence at the synchrotron and his duties include meeting with the public and giving literary advice.

The Canadian Light source synchrotron is a facility the size of a football field at the University of Saskatchewan. Opened in 2004, the synchroton is a high energy particle accelerator that is used to research the structure of matter and test chemical, physical and biological processes.

Sawyer said his new position has the potential to inspire him in all sorts of ways.

'Wonderfully useful for me'

"I'm walking to my office and there is a scientist talking to an engineer and the conversation is just right out there in the public because there is nowhere else to do it." Sawyer said.

"And I'm a polite person but I'm also listening to what they're saying, getting the rhythm of how they talk, and all of that is just wonderfully useful for me and when I go and sit down in my keyboard it's channeling that."

Having a world-renowned science fiction writer in house may also play a role in showing Canadians the importance of scientific research, said Jeffrey Cutler, director of industrial research at Canadian Light Source.

"I know Robert and a number of his books have used large Canadian national science facilities," he said.

"Well maybe this is an opportunity to get the Canadian Light Source in one of his books, as a focal points into one of his novels. And that would be a huge boon for us as we are trying to show the importance of national facilities in Canada."

Sawyer wrote about the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory in his Hugo-winning book Hominids and the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva featured in Flashforward, which is to be adapted into a U.S. TV series.

Sawyer will remain in Saskatoon until the end of July.

With files from CBC's Kavieri Bittira