Episode · How I Write · 2026-09-30
Books mentioned on Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary Author Teaches Writing | How I Write
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David Perell discussed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Andy Weir discussed The Martian by Andy Weir, Artemis by Andy Weir, and The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a gripping science fiction novel that chronicles a lone astronaut's desperate mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat.
Discussed“I want to hear about how you think about the premise of a science fiction book. Let's start with Project Hail Mary, but I want to see if there's any patterns that we can draw between your different books.”
Where to get it
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The Martian
The Martian by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel that follows an astronaut stranded on Mars who must use his ingenuity, scientific knowledge, and problem-solving skills to survive.
Discussed“Before I I tend to like personal stakes like in um The Martian, it was one guy's life.”
Where to get it
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Artemis
Artemis is a science fiction novel by Andy Weir that follows Jazz Bashara, a twenty-six-year-old smuggler living in a futuristic lunar city, as she navigates high-stakes heists and personal survival.
Discussed“And um in Artemis, uh the stakes are just Jazz Bashara's like well-being.”
Where to get it
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The Caves of Steel
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov is a foundational science fiction novel that merges a futuristic space-colony setting with a classic detective noir mystery.
Discussed“And Azimoth made a science fiction noir detective series, Caves of Steel, and the grizzled detective Elijah Bailey has his robot partner that he doesn't like very much, and they solve murders.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Andy Weir's on the show today who's famous for books like Project Hail Mary and The Martian.”
“Andy Weir's on the show today who's famous for books like Project Hail Mary and The Martian.”
“Like the idea of somebody stranded on a planet is not new. In fact, I think the first fiction novel ever written was probably Robinson Cruso, right? I mean like that. And that was the plot.”