A college dropout and former software engineer who is fascinated by space exploration, Mr. Weir started writing “The Martian” in 2009, mainly to entertain himself. The story grew out of a thought experiment, when Mr. Weir began imagining what a scientifically feasible manned mission to Mars would look like. Mr. Beck then emailed Mr. Weir and later, his publisher, and asked if they had considered releasing a PG edition for students. Watney’s swearing makes him seem more relatable as a character and helps offset the heavy science, Mr. Montalbano said in an email. Advertisement Continue reading the main story“Imagine if you were stranded on Mars,” she said.

Source: New York Times February 24, 2017 20:26 UTC