Tag Archives: andy weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

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*this review may contain spoilers

I had to read this book for my English class and I actually enjoyed it which was surprising because I’m rarely interested in anything sci-fi related. However, I would say it is a generally long book, so I would only read it if you are dedicated to the storyline/plot.

Astronaut, Mark Watney and his crew mates travel to Mars but essentially he is abandoned alone on Mars due to his crew mates believing he had died. This book follows his journey of staying alive and the various challenges he faces on Mars. Through log entries, readers are able to encompass his thoughts and feelings and really feel connected to him throughout the book.

The book is mainly written in Mark’s POV but fluctuates between workers at NASA and his fellow crew mates. The structure that Weir presents, makes the book enticing and urges the audience to continue reading to know what happens next. I found myself continually rooting for Mark to survive and his comedic and witty personality makes him relatable amongst readers and build a connection amongst the protagonist (Mark Watney) and the audience.

I would first and foremost recommend this book to any sci-fi enthusiast because the entire book is pretty much set in the lonely Mars atmosphere. Another thing, a movie about this book has been made which I thoroughly enjoyed because it helped me envision the characters a lot better. I would say to read this book if you plan on branching out to new genres or wanting to get into sci-fi readings.

-Madison C.

The Martian by Andy Weir is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Artemis by Andy Weir

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Six years after the rousing success of his debut novel, The Martian, Andy Weir returns with another exciting take on space life, but this time the civilization is a little closer to home.

Artemis is the first lunar city, yet it’s far from perfect, as the novel’s protagonist Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara discovered. Born and raised on the lunar surface, she has built up a “monopoly” over illegal trade and smuggling into and out of Artemis. Unfortunately for her, this causes significant problems when she accepts a job from a wealthy businessman client, only for that client to end up dead, kicking off an action-packed and suspenseful series of events.

Just like The Martian, Andy Weir’s writing immerses you in the scenes he’s created. It is clear that rather than using “fake” science or technobabble, Weir has put quite a lot of thought into the logistics of running a lunar city, to the extent that the vast majority of the plot seems to progress logically, a rarity in science fiction.

The emphasis on scientific reasonableness most definitely does not bog down the plot. The timeline of events moves lightning-quick, helped along by Jazz’s stubborn and clever nature. Intricate and complex, the plot will quickly suck you in, keeping you guessing until the very end.

So, for fans of The Martian (or any science fiction book, really), I would recommend Artemis as your next read. After all, in another year or so, we might actually have our own settlement on the lunar surface, and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared!

– Mahak M.

Artemis by Andy Weir is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Andy Weir

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On July 18th, Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Artemis, visited the Norman P Murray center. After his introduction, he talked about how he “accidentally “ became an author. As a child, his Father had many science-fiction novels on his bookshelf. Weir, reflecting on this, said  he was “doomed to become a nerd.” He read those novels, and fell in love with those books because of the extensive focus on science in them.

At 15, he was hired by Sandia labs to be an intern. There, he was introduced to computers and fell in love with them. His passion for writing also kept increasing at this time. When the time to choose a college came, he wanted to write, but “wanted regular meals,” so he chose to pursue software engineering. In college, he was in debt and was not able to complete his degree. Fortunately, the software industry was desperate for engineers, so Weir was hired. Eventually, he landed a job at aol, but was laid off. He had enough money from stocks to pursue his dream of writing, but was unsuccessful, and went back to software engineering.

In the early 2000s, Weir made a website to publish his stories on. He would publish longer stories, and post a chapter at a time. His fanbase loved one in particular: the one about a man stranded on Mars. Dubbed, The Martian, it rose to popularity among his dedicated core group of “nerd readers.” One day, he got an email requesting him to create downloadable versions of his writing. So, he proceeded to self-publish on Amazon.

Initially, he was hesitant about that because of the minimum purchase price because he always wanted his work to be free. However, people did not mind paying the price, and he had people who wanted to donate to him. He said he did not want any donations because he was comfortable in his life. People, however, “donated” to him by purchasing his ebook on Amazon. Eventually, it rose to do the top ten in the science fiction category on the Amazon bookstore.

From there, he was approached by an agent and The Martian was eventually published by Random House. Once it was released, it was #2 on The New York Times Bestseller List, and the movie deal was confirmed with 20th Century Fox. After the immense success of The Martian, Weir wrote Artemis. This novel is about the first human establishment on the moon, and it is in the perspective of a 26 year-old women, and how she is entangled within various struggles.

As a writer, Weir aims to write 1000 words a day, and states that the “hardest part of writing is writing.” For aspiring writers, he has three pieces of advice: 1) In order to be a writer, you have to write. Sitting there and thinking about your story is not the same as writing. 2) Resist the urge to tell your story to other people until it is done because it saps your own will to finish the story. 3) There has never been a better time to self-publish. Because of this, there is no need to spend so much money on an agent, and by self-publishing, one can see how their book does without any risk of losing money. Seeing Andy Weir was a great opportunity, and I loved hearing him talk about his life and writing. I can’t wait to see what will happen with Weir;s future works, and if there are more movies adapted from his work.

-Anmol K.

The works of Andy Weir are available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.