Into the Impossible With Brian Keating Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary (#147)
May 12, 2021
Andy Weir, bestselling author and lifelong space nerd, dives into his thrilling novel, Project Hail Mary, where a lone astronaut faces an extinction-level threat. He discusses balancing realism with fiction, critiques COVID responses in relation to global cooperation, and shares insights on the importance of amateur contributions to science. Weir also candidly reflects on mental health, writing habits, and the challenges of adapting his work into film. With humor and depth, he illuminates the intersection of science and storytelling.
01:07:44
Minimize Physics Violations
- Minimize physics violations when writing hard sci-fi to keep plausibility believable to readers.
- Hand-wave only where unavoidable and push speculative elements as deep and small as possible.
Hand-Wave Narrowly And Deeply
- When inventing speculative science, ground it in correct, smaller-scale physics before hand-waving.
- Make the speculative mechanism as narrow and justified as possible to preserve reader trust.
Global Threats Spur Cooperation
- Global crises that threaten everyone force broader international cooperation than localized problems.
- COVID-19 showed cooperation is possible but imperfect, increasing plausibility for unified responses to existential threats.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Andy Weir's Background and Location
01:58 • 2min
Audiobook Production and Narration Choices
04:28 • 1min
Spoilers, Plot Hooks, and Structure
05:43 • 2min
Teaching, Tinkering, and Early Influences
07:27 • 4min
Balancing Realism and Fictional Science
11:33 • 3min
Timing of Writing and Real-World Parallels
14:11 • 2min
Global Cooperation and Plausibility of a Planetary Response
15:49 • 2min
Nerdy Easter Eggs and Beatles References
17:19 • 59sec
Amateurs' Contributions to Science and Engineering
18:18 • 3min
Skepticism About UFO Claims and Scientific Method
20:56 • 3min
SETI Strategies and the Fermi Paradox
24:16 • 3min
Should We Reply to Extraterrestrial Messages?
27:01 • 5min
Writing for Books vs. Movies
32:05 • 2min
Status of Film Adaptations and Involvement
33:55 • 2min
Daily Writing Habits and Word Targets
35:56 • 2min
Rewards and Challenges of Being a Professional Writer
37:30 • 2min
Practical Tools: Excel and Publishing Workflows
39:03 • 2min
Narration Choices and Preferring Professional Narrators
40:58 • 33sec
Best and Worst Writing Advice
41:31 • 1min
Fame, Reader Feedback, and Bug Reports
42:47 • 4min
Teaching: Would Andy Ever Be a Professor?
46:47 • 51sec
Why Andy Left UCSD and Views on Higher Education
47:38 • 8min
Favorite Sci‑Fi to Adapt: Asimov's Caves of Steel
55:12 • 40sec
Values to Pass On and Monolith Time Capsule
55:52 • 4min
Advice to His 20‑Year‑Old Self: Seek Help for Anxiety
59:56 • 4min
De‑stigmatizing Mental Health Through Openness
01:03:30 • 2min
Outro
01:05:41 • 1min
#342
• Mentioned in 61 episodes
The Martian
Andy Weir
R.C. Bray
The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is presumed dead and left stranded on Mars after a fierce storm.
With limited supplies, Watney must draw upon his ingenuity, wit, and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Meanwhile, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring 'the Martian' home, while Watney faces numerous challenges in his quest for survival.
The novel is praised for its blend of science, humor, and suspense.
#8431
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Artemis
Andy Weir
In 'Artemis', Andy Weir crafts a story set in the late 2080s in the lunar city of Artemis.
The protagonist, Jasmine 'Jazz' Bashara, is a young woman who works as a porter and part-time smuggler.
When Jazz is offered a lucrative opportunity to sabotage a rival business, she finds herself entangled in a complex conspiracy involving corporate and criminal interests.
The novel explores themes of science, technology, and the socio-economic dynamics of a lunar society, characteristic of Weir's meticulous research and engaging storytelling style.
#10549
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
Arrival
Ted Chiang
#18682
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Caves of Steel
Isaac Asimov
The Caves of Steel is a science fiction novel by Isaac Asimov, first published as a serial in Galaxy magazine from October to December 1953.
It is a detective story set in a future where humans live in vast underground cities.
The novel follows Elijah Baley, a detective, and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw as they solve a murder mystery.
Initially separate from Asimov's Foundation universe, it was later integrated as a precursor to the Galactic Empire.
#74
• Mentioned in 167 episodes
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
In 'Project Hail Mary', Ryland Grace, a high school science teacher, awakens on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there or his mission.
He soon discovers that he is the sole survivor of a desperate mission to save Earth from a microorganism called the Astrophage, which is threatening to cause a new ice age.
As Ryland regains his memories, he encounters an alien named Rocky, and together they work to solve the scientific mystery and save their respective home planets.
The story blends science, humor, and heart, exploring themes of survival, discovery, and unlikely friendships.
#
Wishful drinking
Carrie Fisher
'Wishful Drinking' is a memoir and stage play written and performed by Carrie Fisher.
It delves into her tumultuous life, marked by fame, addiction, and mental health challenges, with Fisher's characteristic wit and humor.
The narrative explores her unconventional upbringing as the daughter of Hollywood stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, and her own rise to stardom in 'Star Wars'.
Fisher candidly discusses her struggles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse, as well as her experiences with failed relationships and public scrutiny.
The memoir blends dark humor with poignant reflections, offering a raw and honest portrayal of her personal journey.
Through her storytelling, Fisher examines themes of identity, family, and the impact of celebrity culture.
Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight.
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About Project Hail Mary
A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.
Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian–while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
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Chapters
- 00:10:43 Did building things come naturally to you as reflected in the ingenuity of your characters?
- 12:00:00 How do you balance realism and scientific fact with a fictional narrative?
- 00:16:08 Could you really mobilize resources at a planetary scale?
- 00:19:00 Do you think it's realistic to turn an amateur avocation into a career?
- 00:20:48 Is there too much UFOlogy? What's your stance on SETI and UFOs?
- 00:25:24 Do you think we've been going about SETI the wrong way?
- 00:28:52 Do you think we really could communicate with an alien civilization?
- 00:31:46 Rapid-fire questions!
- 00:46:45 Would you ever want to teach?
- 00:48:00 What could UCSD have done better during your tenure here?
- 00:55:00 What science fiction novel would you make into a movie if you could?
- 00:55:35 Final Thrilling Three Questions: Ethical will, billion-year monument, advice to your younger self.
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