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Reading Andy Weir in January 2022
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Theresa wrote: "I finished The Martian which was my #10 Trim read that started the whole 'let's have an Andy Weir Buddy Read' thread. Loved, loved, loved it! Here's my review: https://www.goodrea..."
Can hardly wait to hear what you think of the movie.
As for Artemis My review is HERE
Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I finished The Martian which was my #10 Trim read that started the whole 'let's have an Andy Weir Buddy Read' thread. Loved, loved, loved it! Here's my review: htt..."
I generally do not like audiobooks and rarely listen if I have not already read the book. So in spite of the raves for the audio, I will just read the ebook.
Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I finished The Martian which was my #10 Trim read that started the whole 'let's have an Andy Weir Buddy Read' thread. Loved, loved, loved it! He..."
I read it as well and loved it.
I'm glad everyone is enjoying The Martian. When it was fairly new it was recommended on Audible. I thought, "I'm not interested in space", but the reviews said it was funny. The current audio is a different narrator, but the original was perfect, in my opinion. I loved it and I ended up giving copies of the book to multiple people that year. It was before everyone in the world knew about it. And after reading this book, I actually was interested in space!Andy Weir is a self-proclaimed space geek and tries to make his books as scientifically correct as possible.
One thing I really appreciate about Andy Weir is that he is making science "cool" for young people. Male or Female.
Theresa wrote: "I am loving The Martian! I'm about 2/3rds in and it's got me smiling, even laughing out loud, while totally captivated. I definitely plan on watching the movie soon after finishing ..."I loved the movie version of The Martian. I saw the movie first, so I was worried it would ruin the book, but both the book and the movie are really well done. And then after reading the book, I watched the movie again - and still good! The humor really translates well on the screen.
Theresa wrote: "I have tonight finally started The Martian, and I am really enjoying it. I think the journal style works so well! The wry, almost too upbeat, tone is perfect. At least for now. I am..."My y10s did a similar assignment a few years ago, unfortunately one group of rather innocent kids had their rocket with a nose cone and the storage tanks came out looking like testicles so when they presented to the rest of the class it was dubbed a penis rocket by the others and created great hilarity (15 year old boys who knew).
Weir also has a YA graphic novel called Cheshire Crossing.....was totally unaware of this but have now ordered it. Should be interesting.
Still loving the audio of Project Hail Mary. His New Zealand accent is hilariously bad, mind! (I’m just through the bit where they go to Paremoremo maximum security prison in Auckland). The staunch security guard who greets them though is spot on for character and approach, though - delightful.
Jen wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I have tonight finally started The Martian, and I am really enjoying it. I think the journal style works so well! The wry, almost too upbeat, tone is perfect. At lea..."🤣🤣🤣 *snort*
Streamed The Martian last night and did enjoy it. I thought it a very good adaptation, a rating that will rise when I watch it with more distance from all the details and mental images from just reading the book. Damon was excellent. Enjoyed seeing Sean Bean (*sigh*) and totally loved that he got to give the Elrond secret meeting explanation. I did miss some of the survival detail in the book, hurdles he had to overcome, wishing more in movie. I read that there is an extended version released to video that restored some scenes that were edited out of the original nearly 3 hour cut of the film. That could be interesting.Enjoyed also the way they included 'where are they now' as part of the credits. That gave me the closure I needed. I realised after watching the movie that I had not been able to leave the book behind and move on to something else; I wanted a little more. That doesn't mean I change my rating of the book. It does explain my streaming the movie right after reading it.
I kept staring at the landscape of Mars in the movie, thinking some of it looked really familiar. Then I read that it was filmed in Wadi Rum, Jordan. I was there! Many years ago but we were driven around there among the sand and cliffs on the drive from Amman to Petra. We were given lunch by a Bedouin tribe and crossed paths with a camel drive. Wadi Rum is also where much of Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. I know it has been used in other movies, but I have not seen most.
Until April 1, The Martian is showing on cable channel FXM and is available On Demand with minimal ad breaks.
Now that I have read both Artemis and The Martian, I can understand why those who read and loved The Martian were disappointed by Artemis. It is a lighter plot, less science, and most of all, a very different subgenre. The Martian is a survival adventure, much of the excitement coming from how does our hero use his knowledge ... as well as do others ... to overcome the odds. Mark is an astronaut, looked upon with awe just from that. Mark is a noble hero from the beginning, though a wise-cracking funny one. Artemis is a light caper. Capers revolve around dishonesty at some level, and involve characters who are shaddy at best, often outright criminals. Jazz isn't noble, nor particularly honest and moral. She's a smuggler. Jazz is clever, is successfully walking the edge of hardened criminality, and is a survivor, but a very different type of survivor than Mark. Mark had to survive an event that happened to him. Jazz has to survive her life and every day of it.
Artemis is shallower than The Martian, but capers tend to be more about the planning and execution than the characters.
For me Artemis was just as enjoyable as The Martian in pace, humor, engagement, even characters. It was thinner in plotting. Artemis was a good caper. The Martian was a great survival adventure.
Theresa wrote: "For me Artemis was just as enjoyable as The Martian in pace, humor, engagement, even characters. It was thinner in plotting. Artemis was a good caper. The Martian was a great survival adventure. ."Great comparison between the two, Theresa! I rated them both 4**** but for different reasons.
I am waiting for Project Hail Mary ebook from Library. Should get it this week. I am looking forward to it!
I am loving the audio for Project Hail Mary.
I just finished Project Hail Mary and it might be my favorite of the three books. Loved the character, the humor, the science. Rocky was definitely my favorite - especially once he got a little sarcastic and snarky! And the ending was so good.
I'm finishing up Project Hail Mary tonight - have about 80 pages left to read. Then I'll be ready to discuss it. Definitely will be hard to write a review without giving anything away.
I want to say how much I've enjoyed this author discussion, and how glad I am you all thought it was a good idea and joined in! I probably would not have read PHM this month but for this discussion thread, but you know, it was distinct enough from either Artemis and The Martian that I did not 'burn out' in the middle which almost always happens to me when I read more the same author one after another.
Sign me up for the Rocky fan club! From the first moment we meet Rocky, he won my heart and brought the book alive. Weir has such a gift. Yes the science and math was way over my head and sometimes a tad overwhelming. But his ability to bring to life a really believable story full of wit and humor answering not one but TWO of mankind's eternal questions is unparalleled.
I had some issues with the writing, which cost it a star from me and you can read about here. I can't wait to see what adventure Weir gives us next.
I can't believe it, I have a favorite SciFi writer!
Finally finished Project Hail Mary and also very much in the Rocky fan club!!
Theresa wrote: "I'm finishing up Project Hail Mary tonight - have about 80 pages left to read. Then I'll be ready to discuss it. Definitely will be hard to write a review without giving anything ..."
Yes, that's one of the things I love about Andy Weir's writing, too! Each story is unique all the way through.
My paperback copy of The Martian is autographed. Unfortunately, someone manhandled it at some point (probably shoved into a box when moving stuff around) and the cover got wrinkled and a bit of surface paper torn. But still precious!I can't remember if I met him or if someone gave me the book, because this was way back in 2012 or 2013 I think in my first San Diego Comic-Con (or it came from my friends who go every year and give us swag from it). I was lining up for so many books to be autographed even if I didn't know the authors. I got an autographed copy of Leviathan Wakes that way too. I do know I met Ernest Cline (Ready Player One), he was walking the length of the line and high-fiving everyone, he was so excited to see how many were lining up for him.
Karin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I'm finishing up Project Hail Mary tonight - have about 80 pages left to read. Then I'll be ready to discuss it. Definitely will be hard to write a review without ..."
I love that he hasn't caved into creating a series; that he is writing standalones. In my Feminerdy Book Club we are always complaining that everything is a series -- at minimum a trilogy -- which means often a commitment you may just not be in the mood to make. We often search for a good standalone -- one of the reasons we leaped at reading Black Water Sister and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
We all love a good series but does every fantasy or scifi have to be part of a trilogy or a series? That's how it often feels.
Oh, one more thing about PHM - the ending was tight and complete and totally wonderful! I was perfectly able to move on from the book, feeling happy and satisfied. With the Martian, I didn't get that feeling of closure until I saw the movie and saw what the screenwriters and director added during the credits. Then I felt The Martian was finished. I see that as Weir honing his craft. Of course The Martian was written as a serial online - in his blog? or somewhere.
Theresa wrote: "Karin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I'm finishing up Project Hail Mary tonight - have about 80 pages left to read. Then I'll be ready to discuss it. Definitely will be hard to write a r..."
There are plenty of stand-alone scifi books among the classics, but it does seem to me that hard-core scifi readers often go for series. I did a quick peek down my science fiction shelf where I have 140 of the scifi books I've read shelved. Only 59 are stand-alone novels, and the majority of those are hard core classics that I no longer care much for. I have read many I can't remember the titles of, etc since I can't remember most of what I read when I was growing up, etc and my biggest scifi years were ages 10-16 (I was 10 when a new friend of mine introduced me to adult scifi books)
I'm about 80-85% done with Project Hail Mary. I like the story, and the science is mostly interesting and understandable, but the step by step process has become a little tedious so I need to set it aside for a while. Grace seems like a big kid to me, and I can see why he'd make a great teacher. I prefer main characters with some flaws, but I wish there was more depth in the character development. Rocky of course is my favorite character. I love how the two of them learned to communicate with one another, (but the instant trust seemed unrealistic).I understand the comments about sequels, but I can't help but wonder what is going on back on earth, and what will happen there next.
NancyJ wrote: "I'm about 80-85% done with Project Hail Mary. I like the story, and the science is mostly interesting and understandable, but the step by step process has become a little tedious so I need to set i..."I thought he had character flaws, but it's been long enough that I am rusty on what ones--but none of them were huge flaws, so you have a good point.
Rocky's character was brilliantly done, IMO. I loved how he had the thinking skills one would expect in his line of work and then some. A great problem solver but also very endearing.
About the instant trust... I too found that rather absurd. Yet I was easily able to get past it. We learn that Rocky (view spoiler). Ummm - I think I'd greet Jack the Ripper with trust and open arms (view spoiler) As for Ryland - he's expecting to die anyway and is in an incredibly dangerous situation - trusting an alien being? Not too risky.
Booknblues wrote: "Yes, especially [spoilers removed]"Yes! And the whole gradual way you learn that...sweet and touching.
This seems to have been a very successful project for the month!
Theresa wrote: "About the instant trust... I too found that rather absurd. Yet I was easily able to get past it. We learn that Rocky [spoilers removed]. Ummm - I think I'd greet Jack the Ripper with trust and open..."Good points. It seemed that both cultures recognized the social reciprocity concept, which helps a lot to gain trust. They imitated one another's behavior, took turns, and had expectations of tit for tat (you watch me sleep, I watch you sleep).
I really loved the ending. (view spoiler)
@NancyJ - your ending spoiler is a large part of why I said Never to my question!I also agree with Robin's analysis.
And totally agree this was a very successful reading project for this month! I think in part it was such a good topic because Weir has become one of those rare Space SciFi - and even SciFi in general - writers that appeals across genres, even to those who don't read the genre. He writes adventures in a relatable humorous even snarky way.
I am so glad I joined you all in "Reading Andy Weir" this month. Project Hail Mary was my favorite book for the month of January. I have a science background and used to be a big SciFi fan. I very much enjoyed The Martian but it was a bit too technical for my taste. I never was a "sequel" reader so most of my past SciFi reading was standalones - there are plenty out there.I think Weir has crossed over from pure SciFi to being read by many, many readers. He has a fine line to walk in putting in enough science for his hardcore Sci Fi readers, while not confusing the many people that will read his books for entertainment (and their eyes glaze over at some of the scientific details). I think he has done a beautiful job of walking this line. This book is about friendship - and what a memorable friendship it is! The geeky tech humor added to the experience. I just loved it.
As I recall (view spoiler)Joy D wrote: "I am so glad I joined you all in "Reading Andy Weir" this month. Project Hail Mary was my favorite book for the month of January. I have a science background and used to be a big SciFi fan. I very ..."
He wrirtes novels that Donald Maas calls "breakout" but after Maas's book--in it he discusses how that can happen, although his examples are from other novelists who write scifi novels that speak to many, where are most regular scifi doesn't. I just read that book recently out of curiosity (I am not actually writing a novel even though Anita and I were working on them when we first met online--as you can see, neither of us continued with it long term!)
I didn't write a review on that book, but all the elements he mentioned are in Weir's books, so it makes sense that his books have crossed over.
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Project Hail Mary (other topics)Project Hail Mary (other topics)
Project Hail Mary (other topics)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (other topics)
Black Water Sister (other topics)
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Hilary Mantel (other topics)Andy Weir (other topics)
Loved, loved, loved it! Here's my review: https://www.goodrea..."
I think you will like Project Hail Mary. From what I am seeing from others is that the audio might be the way to go. I didn't do that and still enjoyed it immensely.