In this interactive interview, author Andy Weir talked to IEEE Spectrum Senior Editor Stephen Cass about his book The Martian and movie adaptation that’s now hitting screens world wide. Weir (with the help of his cat, Demi) discusses how he used real science and technology to drive the plot of novel, how the movie adaptation reflects how he imagined his characters, just why potatoes are so important, and more. For more from Weir, read the interview published in Spectrum’s October issue.
Stephen Cass is the special projects editor at IEEE Spectrum. He currently helms Spectrum's Hands On column, and is also responsible for interactive projects such as the Top Programming Languages app. He has a bachelor's degree in experimental physics from Trinity College Dublin.