Science is boring. Unless it’s pointing out all the ways that fundamentalism is wrong. Then it’s hilarious.

Technical things are boring too. Unless it’s recording music.

Details, not so much. Blah… Blah…Blah.

So when my best friend suggested that I read The Martian, by Andy Weir, it’s a good thing he didn’t tell me much about it, because it’s pretty technical. Strangely enough it’s also awesome! It’s a fantastic story about one man’s survival – set on Mars. If you’re lazy or too busy, go see the movie; but if you want a great read, get the book.

As a writer, I marvel at Andy’s talent to both entertain and be scientifically technical. For me, details can grow in such magnitude that I begin to skim pages. Perhaps I’m shallow, but I want the meat of the story to slap me in the face. Get to the damn point! Or as Tom Petty once said regarding music, “Don’t bore us. Get to the chorus.”

I took a chance and reached out to Andy where he immediately responded, “email the questions. I’d be happy to answer them.” Some of these blogs take me months to complete, but he had it back to me in minutes. That’s a freaking Christmas miracle. In some cases, I get answers that resemble half-truths. In a subtle way it becomes clear that many interviewees are concerned about what other people might think. I get that. To some extent we all are.

Andy, on the other hand, was completely forthright. And unfortunately I’m now ten pounds fatter from his family’s recipe, “French Mush.”

Without further ado, Andy Weir.

Q: What is your favorite sandwich and who makes the best one?

A.W. The Reuben. Not sure who I would say makes the best one. Tough call.

Q: What is your favorite meal your mom makes?

A.W. We have a family recipe called “French Mush.” It started with my grandfather screwing up while making French fries. He cut them too big and threw them all in the oil at the same time, which dropped the temperature of the oil too low to make the outsides crisp. So he ended up with something like mashed potatoes in a slightly braised potato shell. Tastes great. Mom makes it every now and then. Also a critical ingredient: onion rings. No batter – just rings of onion thrown in with the fries. They turn all black and crispy. Mmm.

Q: How did you meet your best friend?

A.W. We were in the same college dorm suite.

Q: When or how did you find what you wanted to do?

A.W. Well I always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a little kid. But I also liked computer programming as I got older. I spent 25 years in the software industry and I liked those jobs.

Q: How did you pursue it?

A.W. For the writing, I didn’t think I could make a profession out of it, so I wrote for fun in my spare time.

Q: Did you have a mentor/mentors in pursuing it? Who were they and what did they do for you?

A.W. No mentors. Just me on my own.

Q: What do you dream of doing or are you doing it? If so then what is the goal?

A.W. I dreamed of being a writer. Now I get to do that. Yay!

Q: What would your 15-year-old self say to you now?

A.W. “Dude! All my dreams come true?! Can I see a picture of my future girlfriend?!”

Q: If life were a person what would you say?

A.W. Hey, Life. How ya’ doin’? I don’t blame or credit you for anything. All my successes were accomplished by me, and all my failures were my fault.

Q:  If you were in charge of the world and you have no restrictions, real or imagined, what is the one thing you would give it?

A.W. I guess if I could only do one thing, I’d spend whatever it takes to cure malaria. It’s the number one killer of humans worldwide and it’s a core reason Africa is economically suppressed so badly. Eradicating malaria can have a huge beneficial effect on humankind.

Q: Has morality disintegrated to the point that we now need Yelp for people?

A.W. Nah. People are people. Basic instincts to cooperate and help each other will never change. They’re built into our DNA—literally. It just seems like things suck because we have such a good information system now (the Internet) that we hear about every single case of people being assholes.

Q: How is society getting things right?

A.W. Constant technological and social advancement. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this: Would you rather live right now, or in any previous century?

Q: Do we still need religion?

A.W. I don’t answer political or religious questions, sorry.

Q: Do you have hope for the future?

A.W. Of course I do. As a species, we continually improve the quality of life. I ask again: Would you rather live right now, or in any previous century?

Q: Hot topic of the week: This is an open discussion. Could be Gay marriage or Confederate flag, Donald Trump, for example.

A.W. Sorry, I don’t do political questions.

Q: What are three things that work for you? For example, I can’t find a good razor. Because of an excessive requirement for massive profits I find that many products don’t live up their advertising. What works for you:

A.W. Go online, read reviews, and see what the customers say about razors. They have no financial interest to lie.

More thought-provoking questions:

1:  Do Americans have the right to complain about immigration?

2: If our value system is based on scarcity then what of a human life, now that the population is in the billions?

3: Would life be easier if racism were accurate? (This is a question to get you thinking about racism. Often ideas of race are talked about as an absolute truth.)

A.W. These three questions are all political, so I’ll pass on answering them.

4: What would you like to see written about you on your gravestone?

A.W. I’d rather not have a grave. I want to be cremated and have my ashes spread out somewhere cool. If I live long enough for ashes to routinely be sent into space I might go for that. Mars or the Moon would be cool, too.