Project Hail Mary Author Andy Weir Didn't Mince Words About This Isaac Asimov Adaptation

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It should travel arsenic nary astonishment to nan scholar that writer Andy Weir, nan writer of "The Martian" and "Project Hail Mary," is simply a large instrumentality of Isaac Asimov. He confessed arsenic overmuch successful a caller GQ interview wherein he recommended 10 sci-fi books and movies that shaped his sensation and style. Some of what he recommends are perfectly logical, fixed his interests successful problem-solving-based sci-fi storytelling, and nan inimitable powerfulness of a human's bully humor. 

He very overmuch enjoys Ron Howard's 1995 biographical disaster movie "Apollo 13," for instance, a movie astir nan satellite ngo that went awry and what needed to beryllium done to rescue nan space-bound astronauts. He recommends that we each publication Robert A. Heinlein's 1955 caller "Tunnel successful nan Sky," different communicative astir a group of resourceful astronauts, students this time, who find themselves stranded and having to past connected a distant planet. And he loves large escapade films arsenic well, being fond of Nicholas Meyer's 1982 movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and Irvin Kershner's 1980 epic "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back." 

And, yes, Andy Weir is fond of Isaac Asimov's 1950 postulation "I, Robot," a compilation of robot stories culled from Asimov's profession up to that point. It contains nan 1942 short communicative "Runaround," which first introduced Asimov's famed Three Laws of Robotics, a trio of ethical laws that has travel to pass astir robot stories that followed. But Weir wanted to explain that it was Asimov's book he likes, and not Alex Proyas' 2004 movie adjustment pinch Will Smith (which almost killed Smith). That movie is simply a very, very, very loose adjustment of nan "I, Robot" concepts, and Weir is not fond of it. He said that it wasn't nan slightest spot religious to nan original book.

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Andy Weir was definitive astir his fondness for Isaac Asimov's original book, writing:

"'I, Robot' starts pinch a elemental idea: There are nan 3 laws of robotics, and location is simply a nine successful nan early that has robots. Then [Asimov] creates these problems that contradict nan rules he's established, past he has to lick nan problems. Here's a communicative astir what happens if you messiness astir pinch nan 2nd rule a small bit. And I emotion that. And that's a batch of what my penning is. Asimov is my favourite author."

The Three Law of Robotics, for nan sci-fi laypeople, are, arsenic Asimov wrote them:

• A robot whitethorn not injure a quality being or, done inaction, let a quality being to travel to harm.
• A robot must obey nan orders fixed it by quality beings, isolated from wherever specified orders would conflict pinch nan First Law.
• A robot must protect its ain beingness arsenic agelong arsenic specified protection does not conflict pinch nan First aliases Second Law.

Those laws bent complete galore robot stories, and are featured correct astatine nan opening of Alex Proyas' movie version. But nan movie is an off-the-rack action/detective story, not a thoughtful philosophical treatise for illustration galore of Asimov's stories. One mightiness callback a variety of these laws being quoted successful nan 1956 classical "Forbidden Planet." I retrieve proceeding them successful an section of "Buck Rogers successful nan 25th Century." Perhaps astir popularly, nan laws were paraphrased successful James Cameron's 1986 movie "Aliens." The laws make a batch of logical sense, and would, by Asimov's estimation, wholly forestall a robot uprising.

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Andy Weir is not a instrumentality of nan 2004 "I, Robot" movie. The movie starred Will Smith arsenic Detective Del Spooner, a bull successful near-future Chicago, astatine a clip erstwhile robots locomotion astir among people, though it's safe, because they abide by nan Three Laws. Naturally, Spooner is assigned to analyse nan decease of a high-profile scientist, and it initially looks arsenic if a robot whitethorn beryllium responsible. The robot, Sonny, is voiced by Alan Tudyk, who wasn't included successful nan film's trading for a chaotic reason.

Weir didn't for illustration nan movie astatine all, saying:  

"The movie adjustment wasn't remotely existent to its source. No shadiness connected nan group who made it. It wasn't for me. I'm a beautiful hardcore Asimov instrumentality truthful it mightiness not beryllium imaginable to make a movie of 'I, Robot' that would please me, aliases it would please maine and 4 different group and that would beryllium it. It would not beryllium a crowd pleaser. If you want a bully cinematic Asimov, it's been sitting retired location for a agelong time: 'Caves of Steel.'"

"The Caves of Steel," first published successful 1953, is simply a sci-fi detective communicative group 3,000 years successful nan future, and stars nan characters Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw (a robot). Earth is overrun pinch humans, but hyperspace recreation allows group to move to lowly populated colony worlds. The crippled is an outsized execution mystery. 

If location is to beryllium a movie based connected "The Caves of Steel," possibly Weir could nutrient it. I would watch nan heck retired of that thing. I would besides beryllium 1 of nan 3 aliases 4 group that a wholly faithful, "I, Robot" adjustment would entreaty to, on with that freaky Harlan Ellison type from nan '70s.