Andy Weir
Andy Weir | |
|---|---|
| File:Andyweir.jpg | |
| Born | Davis, CA[1] |
| Occupation | Novelist, Programmer |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 2013–present |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Website | |
| www | |
Andy Weir is an American novelist best known for his debut novel The Martian.
History
Weir was born and raised in California, and at the age of 15 began working as a computer programmer for Sandia National Laboratories. He studied computer science at UC San Diego (though didn't graduate) and worked as a programmer for various software companies, including AOL and Blizzard (where he worked on Warcraft 2).[1][2] Weir's father is a particle physicist, and Weir grew up reading class science fiction such as the works of Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov.[1]
Writing
Weir began writing science fiction in his 20s and published work on his website for years. His first work to gain a large amount of attention was a short story titled "The Egg," which still gets thousands of readers every day and has been adapted into a number of YouTube videos and even a one-act play.[1][3]
However, Weir is best known for his debut novel The Martian. Weir wrote the book to be as scientifically accurate as possible, including extensive research into orbital mechanics, conditions on Mars, the history of manned spaceflight, and botany.[2] Originally published as a free serial on his website, the novel gained a number of readers who requested he make it available on Kindle. First sold for 99 cents, the novel jumped up in the Kindle bestsellers list, and eventually Weir was approached by a literary agent and sold the rights to the book to Crown Publishing Group. The print version of the novel debuted at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list.[4] The novel was extremely well received, including the Wall Street Journal calling it "the best pure sci-fi novel in years,"[5] and it is being made into a film set for a 2015 release.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d Rowe, Georgia (10 March 2014). "Andy Weir's self-published 'The Martian' travels through space to best-sellerdom". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ a b c Altar, Alexandra (14 February 2014). "A Survival Guide to Mars". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Moran, Rita (10 January 2013). "Moorpark College students write, direct and stage five intriguing one-acts". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Shippey, Tom (7 February 2014). "Book Review: 'The Martian' by Andy Weir". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
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