{"id":18720,"date":"2017-12-01T17:45:59","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T09:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/science-fiction-authors-andy-weir-and-neal-stephenson-look-at-life-after-the-martian\/"},"modified":"2017-12-01T17:45:59","modified_gmt":"2017-12-01T09:45:59","slug":"science-fiction-authors-andy-weir-and-neal-stephenson-look-at-life-after-the-martian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/science-fiction-authors-andy-weir-and-neal-stephenson-look-at-life-after-the-martian\/","title":{"rendered":"Science fiction authors Andy Weir and Neal Stephenson look at life after \u2018The Martian\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Neal
Sci-fi author Andy Weir (\u201cThe Martian,\u201d \u201cArtemis\u201d) makes a point while Neal Stephenson (\u201cSeveneves,\u201d \u201cThe Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.\u201d) looks on. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What could be better than hearing a science fiction writer talk about how to create whole new worlds? How about doubling that to two science fiction writers?<\/p>\n

That was the case for a Seattle-area appearance by Andy Weir \u2014 the author of \u201cThe Martian\u201d and \u201cArtemis,\u201d a just-released novel set on a moon colony in the 2080s.<\/p>\n

When he showed up at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park on Thursday, he brought along Seattle\u2019s own Neal Stephenson, the author of science-fiction novels ranging from \u201cSnow Crash\u201d to \u201cSeveneves\u201d to \u201cThe Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.\u201d<\/p>\n

A standing-room-only crowd of 600 or so heard Weir and Stephenson hold forth on the writing racket. Here are some gems from the conversation:<\/p>\n

Start with the setting<\/h4>\n

How does Weir begin writing a novel? \u201cIt\u2019s all about starting with the world-building, and then moving into the story,\u201d he said. For \u201cArtemis,\u201d the former engineer sketched out the full design for a moon base, right down to how the domes for the habitats were built.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t make a physical model, but I made maps,\u201d Weir said.<\/p>\n

For the moonbase builders out there, Artemis\u2019 domes have two 6-centimeter-thick layers of aluminum, with a meter of ground-up lunar rock in between. The space between the aluminum layers is segmented into triangular compartments with pressure sensors. If any one compartment is breached, the sensors immediately alert Artemis\u2019 managers to make repairs.<\/p>\n

Keep it real<\/h4>\n

Weir tried to keep \u201cArtemis\u201d \u2014 and \u201cThe Martian,\u201d for that matter \u2014 as close to real-world science as he could. He said he hates to see inconsistencies in science fiction, and \u201creal physics is excellent at maintaining consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artemis\"<\/p>\n

That carried over to occasions when \u201cMartian\u201d film director Ridley Scott asked his advice. He recalled telling Scott that astronaut Mark Watney, the movie\u2019s protagonist, wouldn\u2019t pour toxic hydrazine fuel from one open container to another \u2014 and sure enough, Watney uses a sealed hose in the film scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you set Ridley straight on that one,\u201d Stephenson cracked. \u201cThat would have ruined the movie for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weir admits there\u2019s usually at least one bit of physics that ends up getting bent. In \u201cThe Martian,\u201d it had to do with making the Red Planet\u2019s winds stronger than they are in reality. Weir said \u201cthere is one bit of science in \u2018Artemis\u2019 that doesn\u2019t exist in the real world,\u201d but he avoided going into detail for fear of spoiling the story.<\/p>\n

Give characters a reality check<\/h4>\n

The main character in \u201cArtemis\u201d is a down-on-her-luck, irreverent lunar porter who comes from a traditional Muslim family. Weir said he took pains to ensure that the character didn\u2019t strike a wrong cultural note. The toughest part of the job was writing from a woman\u2019s perspective, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAerodynamics is easy,\u201d he said. \u201cThinking like a woman is harder for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weir shared his manuscript with women ranging from his mother and his girlfriend to his editor\u2019s boss, just to make sure the author\u2019s voice rang true. \u201cI took their advice, and made the changes accordingly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n