GENA KITTNER For the State Journal
Author Andy Weir, probably best known for his book-turned-movie “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, said his main goal in writing was to entertain readers. And the fact that you can laugh out loud as his characters tackle life-threatening situations, like being the only man on Mars or, in his latest novel, the only astronaut on a suicide mission in space to save Earth. of a second ice age. , means that it achieves this goal.
Her latest book, recently released in paperback, “Project Hail Mary,” comes with science, humor and an alien bro-mance – fulfilling that entertainment purpose again. Weir will discuss his novels at an event at the Wisconsin Book Festival later this month.
Q: I was hoping you could start by giving a brief overview of the Hail Mary Project.
A: Sure. A man wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is. He comes to realize that it is his job to save the world. Basically, an alien algae is reproducing uncontrollably on the surface of the sun, which will decrease the output enough to create an extinction event on Earth.
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Q: “Project Hail Mary” has been out for about a year, right? How was last year?
A: It was released on May 4, 2021. It was pretty good. It was the heart of the pandemic. It sucked for me and everyone else. The book did really well. People really like it. They liked it more than “The Martian”, something I never thought I’d hear. We are working on a film adaptation. My wife and I also had a baby (in 2021) so that’s cool too.
Q: For people who don’t know, you’re a trained software engineer and self-proclaimed space nerd. How did you start writing novels?
A: I always wanted to be a writer. I was writing Beverly Cleary’s “Henry and Ribsy” fanfiction when I was 6 years old. I was always writing short stories and stuff. But I was also very dorky and interested in computers. When I went to college… I decided I liked regular meals, so I went into software engineering. At one point in my life, I had a three-year sabbatical. I wrote a book. It was not published, but I took it seriously. I wrote “The Martian” as a series that I posted on my website.
Q: Yes, your first book was born in a non-traditional way. Was one style of book more fun to write than another?
A: I prefer the current method. I can trace history. I can make massive changes without confusing readers. When it comes to a series, things are locked when you release a chapter. I think the current method is better. I miss being an engineer. I get tons of money as a writer, so that’s (good). (But) I miss working as a team, being one of several people working towards a common goal. The writing is so subjective and solitary. I liked having colleagues. I really liked the job I had when “The Martian” took off and became popular.
Q: I feel like your background as an engineer shows in how often your characters solve problems.
A: Problem solving is fun for me and fun to read. I like to read books and watch movies where smart characters solve different problems. One of my favorite things is when I didn’t see the solution coming…(I think) there’s no way out of it and he’s working his way out. I hadn’t predicted it, but it makes perfect sense.
Q: “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary” both have space programs around the world forced to work together to solve problems, and in the case of your latest book, save the world. Is this part of a larger commentary on how you think space programs should work? Or am I reading too much into this?
A: I think you read too much into it. I never have a message or purpose in a story. The only thing that interests me is to entertain the reader. There is no interest, no morality. I tend to be a bit Pollyanna. I like to write a positive vision of humanity. In fact, I have great faith in humanity. It’s easy to be really negative, (but) I think humans are pretty damn cool. I also think we’re good enough to finally make the world a better place. It’s easy to point fingers – we’re destroying the environment, it’s true – but would you like to live in the world of the 1700s when the environment was better? I also believe that we will eventually solve the current problems. I think humanity tends upwards.
Q: Although your three books have dealt with space, they are very different. “Artemis” has a woman as the main character and overall seems a bit bolder. The main characters of “The Martian” – Mark Watney – and “Project Hail Mary” – Ryland Grace – look very similar. Was it intentional?
A: Mark Watney – it’s just me. He has my personality, but he’s everything I love about me, magnified. And all the things I don’t like about myself, eliminated. He’s the ideal version of me. What I would like to be. I’m pretty funny, so he’s really funny. I also suffer from chronic anxiety and he does not. I’ve always believed and still believe that I’m not very good at characters. I’m a very plot-driven writer and I want my characters to have more depth and complexity. I’m pretty good at coming up with interesting plots, but if I could add to all these complicated and interesting characters, then I’d reach the next level of being a good writer. That’s where Jazz (from “Artemis”) comes from. Mark is based on me; for Jazz, I wanted… a character who has flaws, makes mistakes, maybe isn’t always 100% confident, maybe makes bad decisions and grows as a character. Jazz, though people find it hard to believe, is also me — a 26-year-old Saudi woman is a 45-year-old white author. (But) when I was her age, I was like her. I was immature… I was smart but I kept making bad decisions in life.
Q: How did readers take the Jazz version of you?
A: I feel like I went a little too far with the Jazz. People really like the idealized self, but the flawed self was hard to root for. I feel like I made Jazz too imperfect. (People don’t seem to) find Jazz believable. (My take on that is): No, I think you did, you didn’t like it. There are people like her, but you don’t like them and you don’t support them. People will accept a male character doing everything, but say “no female will do that”. I got emails about Annie Montrose – Kristen Wiig’s character in “The Martian” – in the book, she had a much bigger role. She swore like a sailor and was a type A person who was very keen on media relations. (People said,) “Oh, no woman would talk like that.” I know women who talk like that! I think what’s happening is that…a lot of people hold female characters written by men to a higher standard than male characters. Nobody says, “Hey, JK Rowling, Harry Potter isn’t a real teenager.” I think male writers writing female leads have to walk a fine line, but I’m a little allergic to tropes; I hate writing things that have already been done.
Q: There seems to be a lot less cursing in “Project Hail Mary”. Was it intentional?
A: That’s just one of Mark’s (Watney) character traits – he swears like a sailor. Since Ryland was going to be a college professor, he trained himself to never swear. This ends up being a clue to his past.
Q: Did readers’ reaction to “Artemis” influence your decision to have a male lead character in “Project Hail Mary”?
A: I admit that was a factor. This dissuaded me. I was disappointed with how people were about it. Maybe I need to improve a little… take a step back and go with a white male. A., maybe it’s easier for me and B., people won’t see it under the same microscope. (Main character) Ryland is similar to Mark Watney. Ryland is the first time I tried to create a character that wasn’t just me. Ryland is not me, I am not like him. (Ryland) is basically a very good person, sort of a Boy Scout, kind of naive. He is also very averse to conflict, closing himself off to people who criticize him. There is more to learn about him and his backstory. I tried to give it its own complexity. He has to deal with fear a lot. Mark (from “The Martian”) is downright fearless; Jazz is rather in the spotlight; and Ryland is basically scared all the time.
Q: Can you tell us what you are working on next?
A: I don’t talk about it publicly. I’m working on another novel, but it’s still in its infancy. I wrote chapters 1 and 2, and threw them away because they suck. I like the concept and the science stuff and I think I have a pretty cool story and plot.
Q: Does it also have to do with space?
A: I don’t give anything at the moment.
Q: What details do you have on the status of the movie version of “Project Hail Mary”?
A: If it gets the green light, it will likely be filmed next year. MGM bought the film rights directly from me. Ryan Gosling is set to play the lead role. He is also the producer of the film.
Q: Your website says you’re making a wicked cocktail. What cocktail would Dr. Ryland Grace drink? Mark Watney looks like a beer guy.
A: Yes, Watney is a beer guy. Ryland, he might not drink. He might just be a teetotaler.
Q: What’s your favorite cocktail?
A: I like an Old Fashioned, but I like to do it with a dark rum instead.
Q: Well, you should have fun in Wisconsin, because Old Fashioned is very popular.
A: Every bartender has their own way of making an Old Fashioned. Every time you order an Old Fashioned…it’s a different experience.
“I always wanted to be a writer. I was writing Beverly Cleary’s ‘Henry and Ribsy’ fanfiction when I was 6.”
