“The Martian” Author Andy Weir to Discuss New Novel at UCSD

Author, engineer, and programmer Andy Weir will discuss his newest book, Artemis, at Price Center Theater on Dec. 7.

Weir’s visit to UC San Diego is part of the Arthur C. Clarke Center’s event series Accelerating Imagination: FROM EARTH. Weir will contribute his personal thoughts on the human imaginations of space at 7:30 p.m. and will also hold a meet-and-greet event for VIP ticket holders from 6–7 p.m.

Weir attended UCSD from 1990 to 1994, but did not graduate. After working several programming jobs at companies like AOL and Blizzard, Weir was a software engineer up until creating the famous sci-fi novel The Martian. Set on Mars, The Martian takes readers into the unfamiliar world of isolation in outer space. Drawing on his experience as an engineer, Weir establishes the main character of his novel as a surprisingly resourceful and innovative astronaut trying his best to survive.

In 2015, The Martian was turned into a film starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, and Kristen Wiig, grossing over $630.2 million at the box office and earning a 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.  

Weir’s second novel, Artemis, is to be released on Nov. 14, 2017. Another science fiction adventure, the novel tells the story of a criminal’s life in the first city established on the moon. Weir’s knowledge of space and technology not only makes the fiction more believable, but also informative. Consequently, Weir received the 2016 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer by the World Science Fiction Society.

Tickets to Weir’s talk can be bought through the UCSD Box Office and are open to the general public. Tickets include one reserved seat and a signed copy of Weir’s Artemis.  

Ana Magallanes is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Triton.