Disucssing The Martian & Artemis | Andy Weir | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Andy Weir, author of "The Martian," shares his unconventional path to success as a writer and the inspiration behind his books.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talks at Google here in the Kirkland campus. Thank you all for coming out today. Today, we've got a really exciting author here to talk to you. We have Andy Weir, author of "The Martian," here to talk about his new book, "Artemis." [APPLAUSE] ANDY WEIR: Thank you. Wow. This is my first trip to the P... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤳 Andy Weir's success as a writer was not a result of traditional publishing methods but rather self-publishing and gaining a following online.
• 🥰 Weir's love for science fiction and attention to scientific accuracy in his writing has contributed to his success.
• 👨‍🚀 The inspiration for "The Martian" came from Weir's fascination with the challenges of a manned mission to Mars and survival in space.

Questions & Answers

Q: What inspired Andy Weir to write "The Martian"?

Weir was intrigued by the idea of a manned mission to Mars and how the astronauts would survive if things went wrong. This served as the basis for "The Martian".

Q: How did "The Martian" become a success?

Weir initially self-published the book online and gained a following. It was later picked up by a publisher and gained further attention, leading to a movie adaptation.

Q: What was the process of turning "The Martian" into a film like?

Weir had some involvement in the film as a technical consultant, answering questions from the screenwriters and director. However, he didn't have much authority and was mainly an observer.

Q: Did Weir face any pressures to change his writing style for a more general audience?

Weir didn't face any pressures from his publishers to make his writing more accessible. They recognized the success of his hard sci-fi style and supported it.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Andy Weir grew up wanting to be a writer and was heavily influenced by his dad's science fiction book collection.

• After a failed attempt at publishing his first book, Weir turned to self-publishing online and gained a small following.

• "The Martian" started as a serial on his website and gained popularity, leading to a deal with a publisher and eventually a movie adaptation.