Kurt's Thoughts

Andy Weir wrote a fabulous book called “The Martian” about an astronaut that, by a relatively feasible set of circumstances, manages to find himself stranded on Mars.

This is easily one of my all-time favorite novels.  If you haven’t read the book, I suggest the Audible audiobook.  The reader is fantastic:

• “The Martian” – A novel by Andy Weir
  (March 22, 2013 – 10hrs, 53min, $20.99) 
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Martian-Audiobook/B00B5HZGUG/

Now, if you HAVE read the book or listened to the audiobook, and are a fan, here’s some other things to look into to “continue the experience”.

• Andy Weir’s Web Site & Facebook Page
  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andy-Weir/462962073803090
  http://andyweirauthor.com/
• Andy Weir’s “The Martian” Map
  An actual map of Mark Watney’s Mars travels along Acidalia Planitia, Ares Vallis and Schiaparelli. (5605 km)
  http://cannonade.net/mars.php
• TWiT Triangulation: “Andy Weir” (Episode 163)
  Andy Weir is the author of “The Martian,” a science fiction novel that follows astronaut Mark Watney as he becomes stranded alone on Mars.  This is an hour long interview of Andy by Leo Laporte, host of the podcast, “Triangulation” from August 11, 2014.
  http://twit.tv/show/triangulation/163
• “Adam Savage Interviews ‘The Martian’ Author Andy Weir – The Talking Room “
  Adam Savage interviews Andy Weir about the science in his book, “The Martian”.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SemyzKgaUU
• “The Egg” – A short story by Andy Weir
  You were on your way home when you died.It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.And that’s when you met me.” A short story about the universe.
  (November 16, 2014 – 8 min, $2.09)
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Egg-Audiobook/B00Q5NQ3DO/
• Film Adaptation of “The Martian”
  (Taken from the Wikipedia page)
  In March 2013, Twentieth Century Fox optioned the film rights, and hired screenwriter Drew Goddard to adapt and direct the film.^[5][14] In May 2014, it was reported that Ridley Scott was in negotiations to direct an adaptation that would star Matt Damon as Mark Watney.^[6] The film is scheduled for release on November 25, 2015.^[7] On September 3, 2014, Jessica Chastain joined the film as the female lead.^[15] The cast will also include Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Peña, Mackenzie Davis, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, and Aksel Hennie.^[16]

——————

Annnnd the movie trailers of The Martian are in!

• The Martian – Official Trailer (2015) Ridley Scott, Matt Damon [HD]
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK6AZHyT9eQ
• Ares 3: Farewell
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wygmxzp6VzY
• Ares 3: The Right Stuff
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wygmxzp6VzY

This is so awesome.  SO SO SO VERY AWESOME.  This is better than the Penn & Teller bit on the fallacy of anti-vaccination.  Seriously.

Jimmy Kimmel is tired of parents not vaccinating their kids.  “Parents here are more scared of gluten than they are of small pox.” Knowing he couldn’t sway the people of Los Angeles himself, he got a bunch of real medical professionals to set the naysayers straight. If you thought Jenny McCarthy knew what she was talking about, this is for you.

In case you missed the Penn & Teller bit on how anti-vaccination logic is total bullsh-t:

I listened to a ton of audiobooks during last holiday vacation and really, really enjoyed myself.  I preferred to listen to the books I had than watch TV, surf the web, play Halo on my Xbox One… yeah, they were that good.

So I decided to make a list of some of my favorite audiobooks.  Here it is:

• Ready Player One: Ernest Cline (Read by Wil Wheaton)
  This maybe very well be my all time favorite audiobook.  It’s definitely in my top 3.  Besides being a edge-of-your-seat page turner, it touched me on a very, VERY deep soulful level.  Never mind that I got every single geeky 80’s reference made in the book: (including Kikaida & Raideen, both of which were mispronounced by Wil in the audiobook)  It tells a story that, well, let’s just say very accurately reflects some personal experiences of mine when I was much younger, making this book mean more to me than perhaps others. 
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Ready-Player-One-Audiobook/B005FRGT44/
• The Martian: Andy Weir
  This is the audiobook that got me back into listening to audiobooks.  Everything you’ve heard about this book is true.  It’s crafty, hilarious, riveting, and most of all, intelligent.
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Martian-Audiobook/B00B5HZGUG/

Here are some others to consider:

• The Art of Racing in the Rain: Garth Stein
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Art-of-Racing-in-the-Rain-Audiobook/B002V1O3MM/
• At the Center of the Store: George Tenet
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/At-the-Center-of-the-Storm-Audiobook/B002V0PVQK/
• Desperate Networks: Bill Carter
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Desperate-Networks-Audiobook/B002V1BKHI/
• The War for Late Night: Bill Carter
  http://www.audible.com/pd/History/The-War-for-Late-Night-Audiobook/B0049Q6JZG/
• Illegal Procedure: Josh Luchs
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Illegal-Procedure-Audiobook/B007P4E33Y
• Home Game: Michael Lewis
  http://www.audible.com/pd/Home-Game-Audiobook/B002V5IZSG
• American On Purpose: Craig Ferguson
  http://www.audible.com/pd/American-on-Purpose-Audiobook/B002V0JQOS