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Andy Weir

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This article is about the novelist and computer programmer. For other people, see Andrew Weir (disambiguation).

Andy Weir
Weir in 2015
Weir in 2015
Born (1972-06-16) June 16, 1972 (age 52)
Davis, California, U.S.[1]
Pen nameJack Sharp[2]
OccupationNovelist, programmer
EducationUniversity of California, San Diego (did not graduate)
Period2010–present
GenreScience fiction
Fantasy
Notable worksThe Egg
The Martian
Project Hail Mary
Notable awardsGoodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction
John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
SpouseAshley Weir (wife)
Children1
Signature
Website
www.galactanet.com

Andrew Taylor Weir (born June 16, 1972) is an American novelist and former computer programmer.[3] His 2011 novel The Martian was adapted into the 2015 film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott. He received the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2016[4] and his 2021 novel Project Hail Mary was a finalist for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel.[5]

Early life

Weir was raised in Milpitas, California. His father, John Weir, was a physicist at Sandia National Laboratories, and his mother was an electrical engineer. He was an only child, and his parents divorced when he was eight.[3] Weir grew up reading classic science fiction such as the works of Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov.[1] At the age of 15, he began working as a computer programmer for Sandia.[6]

After high school, Weir studied computer science at the University of California, San Diego, though he did not graduate. He worked as a programmer for several software companies, including AOL, Palm, MobileIron, and Blizzard, where he worked on the video game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness.[1][7]

Writing

Weir began writing science fiction in his twenties and published work on his website for years. He also authored a humor web comic called Casey and Andy[NB 1] featuring fictionalized "mad scientist" versions of himself and his friends (such as writer Jennifer Brozek) from 2001 to 2008; he also briefly worked on another comic called Cheshire Crossing (bridging Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins) from 2006 to 2008.[8] The attention these gained him has been attributed as later helping launch his writing career,[9] following the failure to publish his first novel attempt called Theft of Pride.[10] His first work to gain significant attention was "The Egg", a 2009 short story that has been adapted into a number of YouTube videos, a one-act play, and is the overarching concept of Everybody, the third album by American rapper Logic.[1][11]

He wrote his first published novel, The Martian, to be as scientifically accurate as possible, doing extensive research into orbital mechanics, conditions on the planet Mars, the history of human spaceflight, and botany.[7] Originally published as a free serial on his website, some readers requested he make it available on Amazon Kindle. First sold for 99 cents, the novel made it to the Kindle bestsellers list. Weir was then approached by a literary agent and sold the rights to Crown Publishing Group. The print version (slightly edited from the original) of the novel debuted at No. 12 on The New York Times bestseller list in 2014.[12] The Wall Street Journal called it "the best pure sci-fi novel in years".[13] It was adapted into a film starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain, which was released in 2015.[14]

In 2015 Weir announced he was working on his second novel, provisionally titled Zhek, which he described as "a more traditional sci-fi novel with aliens, telepathy, faster-than-light travel, etc."[15] A fan-fiction story written by Weir, "Lacero", was published in the 2016 edition of Ready Player One, making it canonical to the book's fictional universe. The work functions as a prequel to the main novel.[NB 2][16] Also in 2016, Weir released The Principles of Uncertainty collection of short stories on the website/app Tapas.[17]

After announcing that the Zhek project had been "back-burnered", Weir moved on to another hard sci-fi novel titled Artemis, with a female protagonist, set on the Moon in the 2080s-2090s.[18] The thriller, published in 2017, follows "Jazz", a twenty-six-year-old woman constrained by her small town (which is also the only city on the Moon).[19] On September 26, 2017, it was announced that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had been hired to develop and direct a science fiction film based on the novel.[20]

In 2017 CBS picked up a pilot written by Weir titled Mission Control, following a group of young NASA astronauts and scientists.[21] In May of the same year, Weir collaborated with webcomic artist Sarah Andersen to reillustrate Cheshire Crossing for Tapas, before publishing it as a stand-alone graphic novel in July 2019.[22] In November 2019, a film adaptation was announced from Amblin Partners and Walt Disney Pictures, to be produced by Michael De Luca and written by Erin Cressida Wilson.[23]

In May 2021, Weir's third novel, Project Hail Mary, was released. The plot revolves around an astronaut, Ryland Grace, who wakes up from a coma on a strange spacecraft and is afflicted with amnesia. Project Hail Mary has received widespread positive reception, winning the 2022 Audie Award for Audiobook of the year[24] and a nomination for the 2022 Hugo Awards for best novel, as well as achieving the #1 spot on the New York Times Audiobook Bestseller List.[25] Ryan Gosling is slated to produce and star as Grace in a film adaption,[26] with Lord and Miller also directing the project.[27]

Personal life

According to Weir, he grew up in Milpitas, California, where he attended Rancho Milpitas Junior High School[28] and Milpitas High School.[citation needed]

In 2015, Weir lived in Mountain View, California, in a rented two-bedroom apartment.[29] Since he has a fear of flying, he never visited the set of the film adaptation of The Martian in Budapest,[29][30] where most of the scenes set on Mars were shot at Korda Studios.[31][32] In 2015, with the help of therapy and medication, he was able to fly to Houston to visit the Johnson Space Center, and to San Diego to attend Comic-Con.[33]

Weir is married to Ashley Weir,[34] whom he met while he was in Los Angeles to pitch a TV series.[34] They have one son born in 2021.[35] Weir has stated that he is agnostic, and has described his political views as fiscally conservative and socially liberal.[36]

Works

Weir's original website lists his works, with free versions of many of his short stories.[NB 3]

Novels

  • Theft of Pride (web version 2000[10])
  • The Martian (web version 2011; Random House 2014[37]) ISBN 978-0804139021
  • Artemis (Random House 2017) ISBN 978-0553448122
  • Project Hail Mary (Random House 2021) ISBN 978-0593135204

Serial novels and long stories

Short stories

  • Principles of Uncertainty[17] (collection of flash fiction, Tapas e-book 2016). Includes the following stories:
    • "Access"
    • "Annie's Day"
    • "Antihypoxiant"
    • "Meeting Sarah"
    • "The Midtown Butcher"
    • "The Chef"
    • "The Egg" (short story/audiobook) 2009
    • "The Real Deal"
    • "Yuri Gagarin Saves the Galaxy"
  • "Bored World"
  • "Twarrior"
  • "Rat"
  • "Lacero", prequel to Ready Player One (Ernest Cline, ed.), Subterranean Press 2016[NB 2]
  • "Diary of an AssCan" (2015), tie-in prequel to "The Martian"[38]

Comics and graphic novels

Audio

  • James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal (Audible Studios 2017)
  • The Egg and Other Stories (Audible Studios 2017)
  • Hail Mary with narration by Ray Porter (Audible Studios 2021)

Sourcebooks

Other works

  • Der Mars Survival Guide (in German), an interview with Weir and his tips for surviving on Mars, published as a booklet[42]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Galactanet – The Creative Writings of Andy Weir, Casey and Andy (webcomic)
  2. ^ a b Galactanet – The Creative Writings of Andy Weir, "Lacero" (short story fanfic)
  3. ^ Galactanet – The Creative Writings of Andy Weir; Creative Writings of Andy Weir (list)
  4. ^ Galactanet – The Creative Writings of Andy Weir, Detectives (short story)
  5. ^ ASIN B07VDJBKNJ, Randomize (Forward collection) (2019)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Rowe, Georgia (March 10, 2014). "Andy Weir's self-published 'The Martian' travels through space to best-sellerdom". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. ^ "Philosophical 4chan". Reddit. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Vilkomerson, Sara. "Andy Weir on his strange journey from self-publishing to Hollywood". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  4. ^ "2016 Hugo Awards Announced". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  5. ^ "2022 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  6. ^ "The Martian". Skepticality. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Altar, Alexandra (February 14, 2014). "A Survival Guide to Mars". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  8. ^ Novelli, Michael A. (October 2, 2008). "An Interview with Andy Weir, author of Casey and Andy". The Agony Booth. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017.
  9. ^ Garrity, Shaenon (May 2, 2016). "The Old Masters". The Comics Journal. Retrieved May 3, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b Sharp, Jack (May 11, 2000). "Theft of Pride". Galactnet. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  11. ^ Moran, Rita (January 10, 2013). "Moorpark College students write, direct and stage five intriguing one-acts". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. March 16, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Shippey, Tom (February 7, 2014). "Book Review: 'The Martian' by Andy Weir". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 10, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "The Martian". Fox Movies. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  15. ^ "I am Andy Weir, author of "The Martian", soon to be a major motion picture. AMA!". Reddit. January 2015.
  16. ^ Wilbur, Brock (March 28, 2016). "How 'The Martian' Impacted the 'Ready Player One' Movie". INverse.
  17. ^ a b Britt, Ryan (August 24, 2016). "'The Martian' Author Andy Weir's New Story Isn't a Book, It's an App". inVERSE.
  18. ^ Brooks, Katherine (December 17, 2015). "'The Martian' Author Andy Weir's New Book Will Take Place On The Moon". Huffingtonpost.
  19. ^ Franklin, Garth (May 9, 2017). "Fox Scores "Martian" Author's "Artemis"". Dark Horizons.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 26, 2017). "Phil Lord & Christopher Miller To Direct 'Martian' Author Andy Weir's New Novel 'Artemis'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  21. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2017). "CBS Picks Up Dana Klein-Mark Feuerstein Comedy Pilot, NASA Drama". Deadline. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  22. ^ Krishna, Swapna (May 24, 2017). "Tapas' Cheshire Crossing: Interview with Andy Weir and Sarah Andersen". Syfy. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  23. ^ Kit, Borys (November 15, 2019). "Amblin, Michael De Luca Tackling 'Martian' Author's Fantasy Graphic Novel 'Cheshire Crossing' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  24. ^ "2022 Audie Awards® – APA (en-US)". www.audiopub.org. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "Audio Fiction Books – Best Sellers – Books – Feb. 6, 2022 – The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  26. ^ McNary, Dave (March 27, 2020). "Ryan Gosling to Star in Astronaut Movie 'Project Hail Mary'". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  27. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (May 15, 2020). "Phil Lord and Chris Miller to Team With Ryan Gosling for Astronaut Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  28. ^ Weir, Andy. "When I was in eighth grade at Rancho Junior High School in Milpitas, CA". Facebook. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  29. ^ a b Garratt, Sheryl (September 11, 2015). "The Martian: how a self-published e-book became a Hollywood blockbuster". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  30. ^ "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe". Skeptics Guide (Podcast). October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  31. ^ Goundry, Nick (September 25, 2015). "Ridley Scott and Matt Damon film The Martian on location near Budapest". The Location Guide. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  32. ^ Vilkomerson, Sara. "Andy Weir on his strange journey from self-publishing to Hollywood". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  33. ^ Berger, Eric (August 5, 2015). "Would Andy Weir, author of The Martian, ever go into space? Hell no, he says in a lengthy interview". SciGuy blog. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  34. ^ a b Alter, Alexandra (May 3, 2021). "Andy Weir's New Space Odyssey". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  35. ^ Bethea, Ryan (August 18, 2022). Andy Weir (The Martian, Project Hail Mary) Talks Mental Health and Writing. I Went Camping With. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "I am Andy Weir, and I wrote "The Egg". AMA". Reddit. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  37. ^ The Martian, Random House. Accessed 13 February 2018.
  38. ^ "Andy Weir: The Short Story Prequel to The Martian". WHSmith. September 30, 2015.
  39. ^ Cheshire Crossing, Random House. Accessed 5 June 2019.
  40. ^ "Warehouse 23 – GURPS Casey & Andy". www.warehouse23.com. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  41. ^ "Daily Illuminator: GURPS Casey & Andy – Brand New For GURPS Fourth Edition!". www.sjgames.com. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  42. ^ Andy Weir. Der Mars Survival Guide (in German). Heyne Verlag. ASIN B0759RS89L.
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