This Andy Weir Sci-Fi Book Was Supposed To Launch An Entire Franchise
by Debopriyaa Dutta · /FilmPhil Lord and Chris Miller's "Project Hail Mary" became an unexpected crowd-pleaser this year, thanks to its witty, hope-filled view of the human condition. This Ryan Gosling-starrer does justice to the source material penned by Andy Weir, who adores this adaptation and even has two favorite scenes from the movie. Weir has written a lot of hallmark science fiction, including "The Martian," which Ridley Scott turned into a blockbuster in 2015. Given that "The Martian" started as a series of blog posts that later enjoyed unimaginable popularity, Weir replicated the core formula in his 2017 book, "Artemis." This time, the setting was the moon — or to be exact, the lunar city of Artemis, where porter and part-time smuggler Jazz Bashara embarks on a risky adventure.
During the interview with Maude Garrett for Maude's Book Club, Weir revealed that "Artemis" was supposed to launch a series of spin-off novels that would feature different characters from the book:
"When I wrote 'Artemis', I wanted that to be the start of something. I wanted to write a whole series of books that took place in [the city of] Artemis. Each one would have a different main character. The next one was going to star Rudy [DuBois], [who] would be the main character solving a murder mystery. And it was the best title I had ever come up with...it was called 'Murder on the Moon.' [It] gives you the feel of an Agatha Christie-style novel."
Weir went on to state that the title "Murder on the Moon" was surprisingly never used before (at least at the time, as we do have a 2018 novel and 2025 escape-room game since then). Weir didn't offer any explanation for these unrealized plans, but the lukewarm reception "Artemis" got after publication could've been a decisive factor.
Artemis and The Martian are more closely connected than you think
The similarities between "Artemis" and "The Martian" go beyond a common thematic thread. In the same interview, a reader asked whether the two novels were part of the same universe timeline. Weir confirmed that he "left clues to indicate that they are," while clarifying that he cannot officially state that the two share the same universe, as it would "activate a bunch of contracts." The clues in question are related to an "Artemis" character named the Groundskeeper, who tends to the largest public park on the moon, namely Aldrin Park.
We don't know too much about the Groundkeeper except that he is at least 80 years old and that he moved to the moon after his wife died on Earth. Also, the moon's lower gravity makes his arthritis hurt less, and he shares an avid interest in plants. Weir confirms that this individual is an older Mark Watney, the protagonist of "The Martian," who is a botanist and engineer. Weir adds that the Groundskeeper would "travel a lot for work," which is a cheeky reference to Watney's career as a NASA astronaut. Matt Damon brought Watney to life in Scott's "The Martian," which Weir also liked a lot for its accurate portrayal of his protagonist (and ability to convey the desolate beauty of Mars).
As Weir hasn't made the connection between "Artemis" and "The Martian" explicit, this Easter egg isn't as blatant as it seems. The Groundskeeper isn't a central character at all, and the Watney connected only feels foolproof after Weir's confirmation. After all, "Artemis" has a lot going on for it in terms of its convoluted plotline, which juggles several storylines. It is also worth a read despite its many flaws.