The Martian, A Self-Publishing Dream

Based on the best selling book by Andy Weir, the upcoming movie The Martian, directed by Riddle Scott, promises to be the latest sci-fi thriller in the growing list of near-future hard sci-fi. If I were to give it a short synopsis, I would say it’s a bit like MacGyver in space (or specifically, on Mars), with MacGyver looking more like Matt Damon, and named Mark Watney.

What I like most, however, is the fact that author Andy Weir self-published The Martian, only to have it become a best seller, and then become a major Hollywood motion picture, directed by the legendary Ridley Scott. That, frankly, is supremely awesome. You can read more about his wild success story on this Business Insider article.

The movie comes out on October 2nd, so be sure to check out the trailer! Oh, and also, read the book.