diff --git a/resolvers/author.py b/resolvers/author.py
index 1d9c7f6c..9e964ea6 100644
--- a/resolvers/author.py
+++ b/resolvers/author.py
@@ -57,35 +57,30 @@ def get_authors_all(_, _info):
 async def get_author(_, _info, slug='', author_id=None):
     author_dict = None
     try:
+        author_query = ''
+        author_dict = None
         if slug:
-            author_id = local_session().query(Author.id).filter(Author.slug == slug).scalar()
+            author_query = select(Author.id).filter(Author.slug == slug)
+            author_id = local_session().execute(author_query).scalar()
             logger.debug(f'found @{slug} with id {author_id}')
         if author_id:
+            author_query = select(Author.id).filter(Author.id == author_id)
             cache_key = f'author:{author_id}'
             cache = await redis.execute('GET', cache_key)
-            author_dict = None
             if cache and isinstance(cache, str):
-                logger.debug(f'got cached author {cache_key} -> {cache}')
                 author_dict = json.loads(cache)
-                stat_str = await redis.execute('GET', f'author:{author_id}')
-                stat = json.loads(stat_str).get('stat') if isinstance(stat_str, str) else {}
-                author_dict['stat'] = stat
-                logger.info(f'cached stat {stat}')
+                logger.debug(f'got cached author {cache_key} -> {author_dict}')
             else:
-                q = select(Author).where(Author.id == author_id)
-                [author] = await get_authors_with_stat_cached(q)
+                [author] = await get_authors_with_stat_cached(author_query)
+                if not author or not author.stat:
+                    [author] = get_with_stat(author_query)
                 if author:
                     author_dict = author.dict()
-                    logger.debug(f'queried author from db {author_dict}')
-                else:
-                    logger.warn('author was not cached!')
-                    author_query = select(Author).filter(Author.id == author_id)
-                    [author] = get_with_stat(author_query)
-                    author_dict = author.dict()
+                    author.stat = author_dict.get('stat')
             if author_dict:
                 await set_author_cache(author_dict)
-                logger.debug('author stored in cache')
-            return author_dict
+                logger.debug('updated author stored in cache')
+        return author_dict
     except Exception as exc:
         import traceback