Did Andy Weir Borrow Scenes from The 13th Day of Christmas in The Martian?

It all started with a surprise question on Quora, which led to a complex web of accusations and counter-accusations. Robert Blevins, the author of the book The 13th Day of Christmas, alleges that Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, borrowed key scenes from his earlier work. This article delves into the contentions and explores the possibility of Weir having borrowed from Blevins.

The Background

The 13th Day of Christmas is a science fiction novel centered around a three-person crew attempting the first manned mission to Mars. The book was published a couple of years before Weir released his novel, The Martian. Blevins was not aware of Weir's novel until the film adaptation of The Martian was released and gained significant attention.

Upon watching the movie, Blevins found himself stunned and contacted Penguin Books with his allegations. Penguin Books dismissed Blevins' claims with legalistic explanations, which Blevins dismissed as inadequate. Blevins then contacted Weir directly. Here is a verbatim copy of their converstation:

Hello Andy, this is Robert Blevins from Adventure Books of Seattle. I hope you actually read this message. By now you are probably aware I have claimed plagiarism on your novel The Martian with Penguin books a few years ago. My claim is that you borrowed certain key scenes for The Martian based on scenes from my earlier book The 13th Day of Christmas. Penguin blew me off with several emails full of legal stuff why it was okay for you to do that. They asked me not to make those claims public and I didn't for quite a while. But in the end I did. I quoted them scenes from 13th Day that matched key scenes in your slightly later book. They wouldn't admit guilt which I expected but what I seek here is for you to do the right thing as Spike Lee once said. I don't want money or a share of royalties. Sci-fi writers borrow from all over the place but you and I know you did borrow a few scenes from my book and incorporated them into yours. Of this I have absolutely no doubt.

What do I want? I want a credit in the book for any future printings. A credit to my work. That's all and I don't believe that's asking much. Have no illusions. I actually like your work. I have no animosity with you. But fair is fair, my friend. And you should do the right thing.

Sincerely, Robert Blevins

Andy Weir’s Response

Weir's response was dismissive and unapologetic. He stated that he had never heard of Blevin's book until receiving Blevins' email and that his novel, The Martian, was first posted on his website in 2009, two years before Blevins' book. Weir also advised Blevins to do his own research and seek legal counsel if he felt that he had a justifiable grievance.

I don't know what else to say other than I can easily prove I wrote The Martian before your book came out. So unless you think I have a time machine that I use exclusively for plagiarism this conversation should really be over.

Examples of Borrowed Scenes

Regardless of the authors' positions, some scenes from The Martian do bear striking similarities to scenes in The 13th Day of Christmas. For instance:

In The Martian, character Mark Watney uses Morse code to communicate with Earth. In The 13th Day of Christmas, the stranded astronauts use a seismometer to send Morse code. Watney dismantles and unloads unnecessary gear from the MAV spacecraft in The Martian, a scene that mirrors a similar action in The 13th Day of Christmas, where the astronauts "Lighten the Load." Both Watney and the astronauts in The 13th Day of Christmas rig their spacecraft to save weight, leading to erratic motion after liftoff. Similar rescue scenarios are depicted in both books, with Watney using a homemade bomb to propel himself for final rescue and the astronauts in The 13th Day of Christmas using up their attitude control rocket fuel for the same purpose. The astronauts in The Martian and the crew in The 13th Day of Christmas must travel long distances to retrieve necessary items for their rescue mission.

These examples highlight the striking parallels between the two works. However, both books differ in their overall plots and characterizations. Despite these differences, the similarities are still striking, leaving room for further investigation and discussion.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Blevins believes that something should be done if Weir is guilty of plagiarism, and he is willing to take the issue further. He is seeking evidence and has approached Weir’s publisher and production company for clarification. The dispute remains unresolved, and the truth may never be fully known, but the issue has sparked interest among readers and critics of both books.

For now, both authors seem to have taken different stances. Weir denies any wrongdoing, while Blevins insists on demanding a proper acknowledgment of his work. The debate continues, adding layers to the rich history of sci-fi literature and its often-cited borrowings and influences.

Related Keywords

The main keywords associated with this article include:

The Martian: Andy Weir’s popular science fiction novel. 13th Day of Christmas: Robert Blevins’ earlier novel that sparked the controversy. plagiarism: The accusation of improper borrowing from one work to another.