MAKING THE MARTIAN: Bestselling author Andy Weir visits Peninsula
On March 4, students were given the privilege of meeting Andy Weir, author of the award-winning novel “The Martian,” a science fiction book about a young astronaut named Mark Watney, who struggles to survive a risky journey alone on Mars after being accidentally abandoned by his crew. Watney spends his time on the planet in search of a way to contact NASA members back on Earth to rescue him. Weir spent three years (2009-12) creating this novel and considers it one of his best works out of the three novels he has written. Because Weir has been so fascinated with the science and technology of space travel since childhood, much of his writing has been space-related.
“I’m a lifetime space dork,” Weir said.
“Whatever hobby you’re interested in the most, you know more about it than the average person does.”
Weir wanted to create stories which he could enjoy writing. Since space interested him so much, Weir began self-educating on the topic by watching documentaries about space, doing much research and delving into the mindsets of astronauts.
Already a professional computer programmer, learning about the logistics of space travel came naturally to him. According to Weir, some of the main characters introduced in “The Martian,” especially those who are NASA employees, were based off people he has worked with in the science-based settings of his career. Eventually, the lifelong space aficionado retained enough knowledge to write a scientifically accurate novel. Little did he know, “The Martian” would end up becoming a New York Times Bestseller, gaining a large audience of readers in a short period of time.
Prior to publishing “The Martian,” Weir posted his works on a self-coded writing blog, Galacticanet.com. Many readers requested he turn the novel into an e-reader format, and eventually sell the e-book on Amazon. His book gained enough popularity on Amazon that the publishing company Random House discovered his work and offered to
publish it.
“My biggest challenge was making sure my book was scientifically accurate, because I wanted readers to understand what [all the logistics] meant,” Weir said Andy Weir gave an inspirational presentation to Peninsula students, letting them know that they could turn their own dreams into realities. Students were left influenced by Weir’s words and reflected on his perspective as a writer.
“He really put a lot of time and effort into this book,” freshman Alice Li said. “You could tell that he is really
committed and he loves to write. He inspired me to not hold back and to do the things I want to do.”
Weir visited two different audiences the day of his visit to Peninsula. The first audience was a randomly selected group of students who participated in a raffle drawing, as only limited spots were available to those who wished to meet Weir. After his first presentation, Weir gave a smaller presentation to the Publications Department, giving journalism students as well as faculty members the chance to have a meet-and greet.
During this second presentation, he gave advice to those hoping to pursue a writing career in the future.
“Whatever it is that you’re most passionate about is, that is what you should be motivated to pursue,” Weir said to students.
Weir is still pleasantly shocked at how readers praised “The Martian” so much that it turned into an award-winning movie. Producers of the movie asked Weir to be involved in its screenwriting, especially to answer technical sciencerelated questions to ensure accuracy in the film.
“I think ‘The Martian’ gained a large audience because of its humor and suspense,” freshman Emily Komatsu said.
“There are moments when you want to laugh and moments when you’re just waiting to read what comes next.”
