Three years ago this month, Andy Weir’s debut novel, “The Martian” was purchased by Crown Publishing. That deal turned him from a self-published author whose collection of work included speculative sci-fi and fan-fiction to, eventually, one of the hottest writers in the world — one whose work was adapted into a film that was not only a favorite of President Obama, but has been credited as a potential savior for NASA.
Now, the Mountain View-based author is coming to the Palos Verdes Peninsula as part of the Palos Verdes Library District’s One Book, One Peninsula initiative. Culminating in two programs on Saturday at the Palos Verdes Performing Arts Center, it already figures to be the biggest event that the library has yet put together in the program’s history.
“It’s something that we’ve done for about five years; the idea is to pick a book and encourage as many people as possible to read it,” said PVLD director Kathy Gould.
Over the last few years, the books have tended a bit on the dry side, Gould said — one focused on reconnecting with nature, another on the culture’s relationship with garbage. Weir’s book, the tale of a modern day Robinson Caruso, stranded and left for dead on Mars, fighting for survival, is the opposite of “dry.”
“And it started with a blog, a serialized story that he self-published; it got popular and a publisher picked him up, which is becoming a more common story these days,” Gould said.
The first of Weir’s two sessions at the Palos Verdes Performing Arts Center will be, essentially, a more standard author talk, Gould said. There, he’ll be talking about the book, about writing it and about the ideas behind the novel, starting at 11 a.m.
The second session, she says, is a moderated discussion, led by PVLD librarian Joshua Peck, giving library members an opportunity to ask their own questions of Weir.
Unfortunately for those willing to see the event in person, registration for both sessions, to be held in the 450-seat Norris Theatre, is full. But, there is a solution: For the first time in their history, PVLD will be livestreaming the event on the organization’s YouTube channel. They’ll also be featuring the stream at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Center Library’s Community Room.
“Having an author the caliber of Andy Weir is exciting for us,” Gould said. “This is certainly the largest event we’ve done.”
Interview with Andy Weir: A short email conversation with the author of “The Martian”
David Mendez: So, right off the bat: What does it mean to you to be approached, by libraries in particular, to participate in author talks? How do those sorts of discussions differ from what you might get at a convention, and what do you look forward to with these events?
Andy Weir: It’s nice to have had such an effect on the world that people want me to come speak. At a convention, mostly people ask about the film and details of production. For the more book-related fans they usually ask about the details of the publishing industry. My favorite part is the Q&A. I give the same presentation every time and it’s kind of boring to me now, but the questions are usually pretty fresh and it’s a more direct communication with the audience.
DM: You have an archive of pre-Martian work available at your personal website; do you take time to look back at those stories and consider where you were as a writer? All other things being equal, is there anything that you wish had gotten (or would get) more attention? Also, do you still jump into writing fan-fiction from time to time?
AW: Sometimes I look back, yeah. Some of them have real potential for future books, even. I love fan fiction, but I just don’t have time for side projects these days, sadly. I think of all my suspended stories, “Bonnie MacKenzie” is the best one. It has real promise as a book. But it’s not sci-fi, so it’ll have to wait a while. If I can entrench myself as a writer I can branch out from my forte. But for now I have to stick with sci-fi.
DM: The Martian came together as a serialized story — how do you think that process helped it develop?
AW: It got me feedback from the readers as I wrote. That was helpful to clarify what they did and didn’t like.
DM: The Martian grew out of curiosity — how a person might survive in hostile conditions on another world — then building further as your research grew. What other topics hit that same curiosity sweet spot for you?
AW: Engineering challenges. I like problem-solving. Mark did all his solutions on the fly, but I also like carefully planned solutions. Like: If we’re going to live on the moon, how do we deal with the increased radiation there?
DM: There have been a number of pieces in recent months considering how your book (and the movie) have reignited imaginations regarding space travel and exploration; what does that mean to you personally, as someone who is dyed-in-the-wool science nerd?
AW: I think there’s a re-surging interest in the space program, and The Martian is a small part of that. And I couldn’t be happier.
DM: I’ve read that you host wine-and-game nights with friends at your house. What games, or types of games, figure among your favorites?
AW: It’s not wine, it’s mixed drinks usually. Cocktails. That’s a hobby of mine. As for games, we buy new ones all the time. Lately we play a lot of Hanabi, Favor of the Pharaoh, and Tokaido.
DM: Of the many opportunities you’ve had since The Martian exploded into culture (from spending time at the JPL, to meeting science royalty such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, to kind-of-sort-of having Matt Damon as your avatar), what do you think you’ll hold onto most as the years go by?
AW: Meeting Buzz Aldrin. 🙂 ER
