Dean chats with science fiction novelist Andy Weir about what it takes to solve problems in the cosmos, or as a stay-at-home dad. The acclaimed author of The Martian (which itself became an acclaimed film) also updates listeners on the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of another of Andy's books: "Project Hail Mary."
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
Looking Up is transcribed using a combination of AI speech recognition and human editors. It may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print.
Dean Regas: Space, the final frontier. There's so many books written about space travel. So many movies made. Most of them are filled with drama.
[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]: Khan!
Dean Regas: Sometimes intrepid astronomers overcome astronomical odds to achieve success.
[Apollo 13]: Failure is not an option.
Dean Regas: But what's it really like to travel in space? What I understand after talking to astronauts and scientists, a little boring.
Filled with lots and lots of waiting, some mundane tasks, specialized skills practiced for years, all with the idea to avoid drama to accomplish their mission. But of course, the unexpected can happen, does happen, and astronauts may be the best people on the planet when danger strikes.
From the studios of Cincinnati Public Radio, I'm your host Dean Regas, and this is Looking Up, a show that takes you deep into the cosmos or just to the telescope in your backyard to learn more about what makes this amazing universe of ours so great.
Our guest this week is Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, Artemis, and his latest book, Project Hail Mary. So I'm really excited to be talking to Andy Weir here today. I mean, when I read his novel, The Martian, it was like really looking at what it might be like to be trapped on the red planet. If my math is right, he's going to starve to death long before we can help him.
I think about this a lot, about would I want to be an astronaut? You're thinking back to when I was a kid, and maybe you all can do this too. You know, you, you hear about astronauts going up into space, going to the moon. And I know a lot of people had that dream. You wanted to be an astronaut someday.
I don't know if I did. I'll be honest with you. I like earth a lot. That's number one, but number two, I, I also learned a little bit, maybe too much about what it's like to be an astronaut.
[Space Camp Ad]: Space camp trainees undergo five days of realistic astronaut training using hands on simulators. They tour NASA facilities and actually take part in a realistic space shuttle mission.
Dean Regas: I went to space camp that's down in Huntsville, Alabama. That's the NASA space camp. And I did not go as a child, so I went as an adult. And that's just because, you know,
[Space Camp Ad]: You really feel like you're an astronaut training and it makes you want to be an astronaut when you grow up.
Dean Regas: And it was pretty cool because you get to work on some of the simulated missions and that type of thing.
And I got picked to be the guy on one of the arms. You know, like if you think back to the old space shuttle where they had that robotic arm and they put the astronauts on the arm and they could go out and work. I got picked for that. It was so cool. Now, of course, that's all the, you know, glamour, but then you also have to think about logistics like food, water, going to the bathroom, sleeping, all that stuff in very cramped spaces.
Almost every second of their day is kind of occupied with tasks. They are, how can I put this? They're better than us. They really are. They're smarter than us. They're more athletic than us. They're more healthy than us. They know more languages than we do. They know math more than we do. They're driven people and I remember Interviewing an astronaut that was up in space for a long time almost an entire year
[Endeavor Launch, Archival Audio]: The shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch at 636 Eastern Time the commander of the mission Scott Kelly and pilot Charlie Hobart are both veterans of one spaceflight.
Dean Regas: And I Asked him, I said, you know, like, would you go back?
[Dean Regas, Podcast Clip]: I just have to ask when, when they threw this out at you, was there any part of you that said, no, I can't do a year in space?
Dean Regas: After thinking about that, you're up in space for a year away from all your friends, all your family…
[Scott Kelly, podcast clip]: All parts of me.
Dean Regas: And I thought the answer would be, no I wouldn't go back.
[Scott Kelly, podcast clip]: But you know,
after thinking about it, I knew I wanted to fly in space again. And the fact that this was going to be more than twice as long, which to me meant more than twice as challenging. And then eventually I kind of warmed up to the idea.
Dean Regas: I don't know if I could do it. I don't know. Could you do it?
[Endeavor Launch, Archival Audio]: OK, Scott, the weather is great. Debra's ready to fly after four and a half years. So good luck. Godspeed and have some fun up there.
Dean Regas: Take some special people, that's for sure.
So Andy, thank you so much for talking with us today.
Andy Weir: Hey, thanks for having me.
Dean Regas: All right, let's go back to The Martian. Let's go back in time. Here you were with a good job, a non astronomy job, which means good paying, and you decide I'm just going to write a novel about Mars. So like, how did this come about?
Andy Weir: Well, I mean, I'd always wanted to be a writer my whole life. I mean, even when I was going to college, I kind of decided between. Software, you know, computer science and like literature. Like I considered that, but I decided I liked regular meals. So I went into computer science, but I was always writing my whole life.
And I mean, The Martian was the third full length novel I wrote. The other two sucked, you know, I guess it wasn't like I woke up one day and decided to write a book. It's just, that's the book that I wrote that finally got me in.
Dean Regas: Well, wait, what were these other two and how come they didn't make it? Are they available somewhere?
Andy Weir: Well, the first one I wrote was I started that one when I was in college, I'd written countless short stories and stuff like that beforehand in my teens and whatnot, but the first one I wrote, I was in college and thank God that was before the era of the internet. So no one can find it.
I've managed to destroy all known copies, except for my mother has a printout of it that she won't reveal the location of. So, it still exists, like at my mom's house. Somewhere, but it was awful. You know, it's the first pancake. It's the first time you write any long form narrative fiction. It's probably going to be bad unless you're some gifted, you know, ultra mega amazing author.
So that one was really bad. And then the second one was called Theft of Pride. I do think that had a decent plot and kind of some cool characters in it, but it was just like poorly written. I was still, I was still learning how to do the mechanics of writing. So it's a clunky read, but if anyone who's interested, you can find it online. It's out there.
Dean Regas: Oh man. And so like your first novel, I can just picture this. You're like, you're sending it to your mom and your mom's like, Oh Andy, this is so good. This is so good.
Andy Weir: We're going to put this right here on the refrigerator. That's right. That's right.
Dean Regas: So, but the, The Martian, man, big hit, and now you're a full time writer. What is that like?
Andy Weir: It's awesome. It's like being unemployed, but nobody thinks you're a lay about loser, even though you are.
What is it the old story of two guys at a bar, one guy says, I'm writing a book and the other one says, Hey, neither am I. I love being a writer, like I say, it's what I wanted my whole life. But I do actually miss a lot about being a software engineer. I was a computer programmer, I really enjoyed my work, I was a happy little cubicle dweller.
I was never unhappy there, I liked my job. I was a senior level engineer, people respected me. I was the tech lead on my project, liked my coworkers, liked my bosses, and I hung onto that job. Like long after The Martian was published, was on the New York Times bestseller list, they were making the movie. I didn't leave that job until I had to dedicate, you know, all of my available time to writing my next book because I'd signed a contract to do that.
Dean Regas: And, and so why do you think The Martian resonated with so many people?
Andy Weir: To this day, it's still a bit of a mystery. to me, because at the time I was writing all sorts of fiction on my website, posting it, you know, for people to see. And I had like a mailing list of like 3, 500 people. And my fans were like hardcore science dorks, like, like me, like people who, who just love the science and the math and stuff like that.
So I wrote a book, I posted it a chapter at a time to my website for my, for my readers. And I wrote a book that was really aimed at them, that demographic, the tiny percentage of people who love to see you spell out like every detail of the science and show your math, you know, show your work.
And so I have no idea why this book that is basically a sequence of algebra word problems ended up being so popular. The main thing I can think of is, it, he's a very likable main character, Mark Watney, he's a funny guy, you immediately empathize with him, and you can immediately understand his motivation.
[The Martian]: I'm alive, obviously, but, I'm guessing that's gonna come as a surprise to my crewmates, and to NASA, and to the entire world, really, so surprise!
Andy Weir: Like, okay, he's stranded in an inhospitable place and he doesn't want to die. I get it. Like, you don't have to, like, convince yourself that you understand the main character in a way you don't. You're like, does not want to die, is stranded on Mars, I understand why that's a dangerous thing, so we're good.
And then, I think a lot more people than we expect enjoy good for lack of a better term, competence porn, as people call it nowadays. Just showing people who are really, really good at what they do. doing what they do. Has turned out to be cathartically entertaining to watch.
[The Martian]: In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option. I'm going to have to science the shit out of this.
Andy Weir: I love watching on YouTube the, the makers, the people who are like machinists, like people who are just incredibly talented at what they do. Like Clickspring.
[Clickspring]: One of the projects that I have underway at the moment is the construction of a dial indicator.
Andy Weir: Or this old Tony.
[This Old Tony]: These pins are meant to sort of fit loosely in the groove. You saw me turn into the brass screws.
Andy Weir: These are some very popular YouTube channels of machinists who are just really, really good at what they do. And I'm just watching them. Like I don't have those skills. But I just really, really enjoy watching people who are good at what they do, doing what they do.
And I think I think a lot of people feel that way and enjoy reading fiction about people who are really good at what they do doing it.
Dean Regas: Well, I have to admit that at times I find myself, you know, when I'm facing problems, a voice in my head says, I'm gonna science the blank out of this. I mean, like, are, are, do you think humans are natural problem solvers? Or is this reserved to astronauts and scientists.
Andy Weir: No, no, it's all humans. That's our whole shtick. I think that like what humans can do that other species on this planet aren't nearly as good at is hypothetical scenarios.
We look at a problem and say, okay, what if I did this? What if I did that? What if I did that? What would happen? What would happen? What would happen? Okay. After thinking about all that, I think this outcome over here is the best, so I'm going to do this thing. Like most animals don't do that. Animals aren't very good at problem solving.
Like cats are really good at tapping. Like cats will go like, Oh, I'm here on the ground and I want to get up there. A lot of animals are good at figuring out very, very specific things, but humans have this general ability to solve problems. And that's, I think one of our main advantages, of course, our intelligence, right?
It's just a manifestation of our intelligence. So yeah, I think I think we all have that. And you think of people as problem solvers, as engineers and backrooms, but it's also like the stay at home mom trying to figure out, okay. You know, I've got to get this kid off to soccer practice, but we're also at a snack for the younger kid.
Okay. So I'm going to go. over to soccer practice and while they're doing their warm ups, I'll go over to the store over there and pick that stuff up. Then I'll come back to the soccer practice and, and then I'll do this and I'll, oh, I'll have some laundry going at the same time. It's like no matter what you're doing, you're always problem solving.
I am in that mode of stay at home mom because I am in a way a stay at home dad. My wife and I recently had a baby. He's two and a half years old now and so we both spend a lot of time taking care of him.
Dean Regas: So you mentioned being a stay at home dad and of course a lot of problem solving going on there. So can we expect a stay at home parent character in a future sci fi story?
Andy Weir: No, I, I mean, I definitely like fatherhood. It's completely changed my whole worldview on everything. But I, I did have a book idea that kind of indirectly had a father daughter dynamic in it, but I always have multiple book ideas, and then I try to narrow down on which one I'm going to work on next, and that one that had the father daughter dynamic Well, it's slightly edged out by the one that I decided that I'm going to be working on now.
So not, not in my next book, but perhaps in a later one, you'll see fatherhood kind of vibes.
Dean Regas: Well, I want to get to your, your latest work Project Hail Mary. And in this book, we meet a unlikely astronaut, Ryland Grace, who has to deal with all sorts of space dangers. So I've read that you do not like flying.
So don't, but would you go into space? Is that a different kind of thing? Or have you scared yourself out of all kinds of travel?
Andy Weir: Well, I fly when I have to for work. And so I just take happy pills and go off to la la land and then off I go. But no, I would never go into space. I write about brave people. I'm not, I'm not one of them.
Dean Regas: Well, I, I, I have to bring this up in reading about halfway through reading Project Hail Mary, I got a sudden thought, Andy, this is very strange, but I said, you know what? I said to myself, I'll bet you a hundred bucks that Andy Weir is an only child. Like I am, I don't know what it was.
It was Mark Watney and The Martian, Ryland Grace project. Why do you think like that? Why do you think I thought that?
Andy Weir: Well, I mean In all of my books, there's sort of a theme of isolation, right? You're on your own, and you've got to do something. In Mark's case, survive. In Ryland's case, save humanity.
But it's like, you're on your own, and whatever you run into, you don't have any help. And I admit that, like, you know, some people said like, Wow, you must be so lonely. Or, oh, it's, you know, Some deep personality trait. There may be some of that, but mainly it makes the story much easier to write. Like I oftentimes when I'm watching a movie or TV show or reading a book where the main character is like a cop I'm like, why are you not making more use of the tremendous resources that a police department has to offer?
[The Simpsons]: I'd like to help you, ma'am, but I'm afraid there's no law against mailing threatening letters.
Andy Weir: Why, why, why can't you just go, you know, you are part of a system, and that system is oriented toward taking care of these problems. So the good cop movies always, one way or another, isolate the cop. Like, in the cheesy, kind of generic plot line, he's always like, ah, the captain takes him off the case because he's a loose cannon. So the cop goes rogue and solves the case on his own.
[Die Hard]: There are rules for policemen. Yeah. That's what my captain keeps telling me.
Andy Weir: One way or another, you have to isolate your problem solver, or just part of a system that's very, very good at solving that exact problem. So, I guess stranding an astronaut is a fun way to Make a science fiction story about a problem solver without having like the entire resources of planet earth or NASA, you know, at hand to solve it for you.
Dean Regas: I think all of the only children out there can relate to be like thinking of, Oh boy, I'm going to have a conversation with myself. I'm going to figure things out myself. I'm going to have like inside jokes. It's just like, yeah, it comes through definitely Andy. It's awesome.
Andy Weir: That's interesting. Cause I never thought of that. I Never thought of that as like affecting my writing. I mean, I don't know. I, I genuinely don't know what it's like to have siblings, but I imagine it's a lot of noogies, you know?
Dean Regas: Yeah, it's a, well, see, I had a combo. Cause I have one brother who's older, six years older. And so I had the combination of having an older brother and then when he went off to college being the only child, so I had the the total combo.
And so with the, this newest work do you foresee it becoming a movie? And if so, oh yeah. You know who, you know, you're, you're the casting director. Who do you see as playing this character?
Andy Weir: Well, I'll tell you, it's already been Greenlighted for a movie and we have Ryan Gosling. Set to play Ryland Grace. So I can answer confidently. We're going to start shooting, I think, in June.
Dean Regas: Oh my gosh. That's so awesome. I mean, that's, is that like who you envisioned for this?
Andy Weir: You know, it's funny. It's like, I, I don't have, when I'm writing, I don't have like a clear cinematic view of what's going on in my head.
It's all kind of blobs and thoughts and concepts. I don't have an image of what my character looks like. Like, when I finished writing The Martian, I couldn't have told you Mark Watney's hair color, or eye color, or anything. And so although I never imagined them as being as like ruggedly handsome as like Matt Damon or Ryan Gosling I'm like, all right space dork who is also like, you know a really good looking guy. Okay, I'll take it.
Dean Regas: I think for this whole generation when you mention a Matt Damon eating potatoes It's going to be part of it's part of our, our, our zeitgeist, I guess.
Andy Weir: Yeah, I'm glad I could be a part of it. The quote that I'm most known for is I'm going to science the S out of this is, was never written by me.
That's not in the book. That's actually just in the film. And so Drew Goddard, who wrote the screenplay for The Martian is the one who should get credit for that. But I'm always credited for that quote, which is bad because a it's not accurate and be. I wish I'd come up with that quote like it's really good. It's a really good line curse you Drew Goddard!
Dean Regas: Oh, man, you shouldn't have told us that just don't just take credit.
Andy. It's yours!
Andy Weir: It's Drew's. And it's a great line. He's a great writer.
[The Martian]: Mark, Please watch your language everything you type is being broadcast live all over the world.
Dean Regas: What, what science fiction recommendations do you have? Like, who, who do you read or who do you find as like really out there?
Andy Weir: Well, for modern day, I'm a, I'm a big fan of Blake Crouch and Ernie Cline and Hugh Howey, and also Mary Robinette Kowal. But if you're going to go into the past, I grew up reading actually my father's science fiction collection, old kind of musty books that still have ads for cigarettes in them, because after all, they were expecting 15 year old boys to read this, you know, from the sixties and early seventies, late fifties and stuff. So I grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov, and Clark. They're my Holy Trinity.
Dean Regas: Well, this has been a lot of fun, Andy. Thanks so much for talking with us today and on to Mars.
Andy Weir: Onward. Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Dean Regas: So, yeah, I'm still working on my great sci fi slash comedy novel. It's called President of Pluto.
But, you know, we can talk about that on another episode. I'm wondering about science fiction influences. How can sci fi inspire science fact and vice versa? Lately, I think good sci fi is a little hard to come by. And so I'm wondering, has science fact become stranger than science fiction? Or are there just so many other outlets, you know, like video, TV, those kinds of things that are taking us away from reading.
So your homework is to read a science fiction story, one that involves space and preferably written in the 21st century and share it with us. If you like it, tell me about it because I need some new books. Please send them to me. Write to us at lookingup@wvxu.org and we'd love to hear your sci fi classics.
Looking Up with Dean Regas is a production of Cincinnati Public Radio. Kevin Reynolds and I created it a few years ago. Ella Rowen is our show producer and sciences the show out of this, well, show. Marshall Verbsky assists with audio production, editing, and he was once stranded at Planet Hollywood, but NASA got him home safely.
Jenell Walton is our Vice President of Content. Ronny Salerno is our Digital Platforms Manager. And Brittany Mayti is our Social Media Coordinator. Our theme song is Possible Light by Ziv Moran. And our cover art is by Nicole Chance. Keep looking up!
