'The Martian' Author Andy Weir Aims for the Moon in Next Book 'Artemis'

Listen up, science fiction fans! If you enjoyed author Andy Weir's "The Martian" book or the subsequent movie (heck, the book AND the movie), then you're in luck. Weir's next book "Artemis" is hitting store shelves on Nov. 14 according to a Nerdist report.

According to Nerdist, Weir's focus in "Artemis" is not Mars, but the moon. The book chronicles the life and times of Jasmin Bashara, a young woman living in the titular Artemis, the first city on the moon. Bashara, also known as "Jazz" according to Nerdist, is also apparently a criminal who wanders into a wider conspiracy for the control of her lunar city, or so the book's official description states. 

Weir released a teaser video on YouTube to announce "Artemis." The book will be released by Crown Publishing when it comes out in November. A movie adaptation is apparently already in the work, too, according to this report by Tracking Board last week (hat tip to Nerdist, here). Here's some takeaways from the short video: 

On the name "Artemis":

"I never really considered any other name than Artemis. It's such a perfect name. So first off, Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon, among other things. Second off, Artemis is Apollo's twin sister. Apollo, with the lunar missions in the 1960s, so it just seemed to be the perfect fit."

On the differences between writing "Artemis" versus "The Martian":

"'The Martian' was a straight up human-versus-nature story where the goal was simple survival. Artemis is a more complicated crime story with mysteries involved. It was much more difficult to write, but also a lot more interesting, I think." 

It sounds like "Artemis" is going to have a much different tone than "The Martian," but Weir does say in the video that he spent "weeks and weeks" crafting the finer details of the moon city. So, if you're a fan of his super-detailed descriptions of life on Mars, take heart. It sounds like "Artemis" will have that, too. Just, you know, on the moon.

"Artemis" is available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.

So, space fans, what do you think? Are you excited for Andy Weir's "Artemis" or was "The Martian" enough for you? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.