Welcome to the inaugural episode of KBC (Kirti's Book Club)! Host Kirti Mutatkar launches the podcast with Aniket Mutatkar to discuss Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" - a science fiction novel about an unlikely hero's mission to save Earth from extinction. About the book Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher who awakens alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. Through flashbacks, we learn he's humanity's last hope to solve a crisis threatening Earth's sun. The story becomes a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and problem-solving as Grace encounters Rocky, an alien facing the same threat to his home planet. Key Discussion Points Communication across species - How physics and math become universal language when Grace and Rocky must learn to communicate Heroism vs. survival- Unlike typical sci-fi heroes fighting to live, Grace's mission requires sacrificing himself for others Global cooperation - How humanity unites during crisis, with parallels to COVID response Science meets emotion - The friendship between Grace and Rocky drives the story beyond just problem-solving KBC Reading Radar Brain Fizz Factor: Kirti - Mental Fireworks (4/4), Aniket - Rolling Boil (3/4) Bookshelf Worthy: Aniket - Prized Possession (4/4), Kirti - Borrowed Time (2/4) Looking Ahead Upcoming movie adaptation starring Ryan Gosling Next KBC episode will feature "Augustus" by John Williams Future roundtable discussions with listeners. Reach out to Kirti Mutatkar at kirtimutatkar7@gmail.com Challenge for sci-fi fans to try historical fiction and vice versa Both hosts enthusiastically recommend "Project Hail Mary" for its unique blend of hard science, emotional depth, and accessibility to non-sci-fi readers. Whether you're drawn to the scientific problem-solving or the touching friendship between species, this book offers something meaningful for diverse reading tastes. *Next Episode: "Augustus" by John Williams - A historical fiction exploration that promises to challenge genre boundaries once again.*
Welcome to the inaugural episode of KBC (Kirti's Book Club)! Host Kirti Mutatkar launches the podcast with Aniket Mutatkar to discuss Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" - a science fiction novel about an unlikely hero's mission to save Earth from extinction.
About the book
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher who awakens alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. Through flashbacks, we learn he's humanity's last hope to solve a crisis threatening Earth's sun. The story becomes a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and problem-solving as Grace encounters Rocky, an alien facing the same threat to his home planet.
Key Discussion Points
KBC Reading Radar
Brain Fizz Factor: Kirti - Mental Fireworks (4/4), Aniket - Rolling Boil (3/4)
Bookshelf Worthy: Aniket - Prized Possession (4/4), Kirti - Borrowed Time (2/4)
Looking Ahead
Both hosts enthusiastically recommend "Project Hail Mary" for its unique blend of hard science, emotional depth, and accessibility to non-sci-fi readers. Whether you're drawn to the scientific problem-solving or the touching friendship between species, this book offers something meaningful for diverse reading tastes.
*Next Episode: "Augustus" by John Williams - A historical fiction exploration that promises to challenge genre boundaries once again.*
[00:00:00] Kirti: I'm so excited. This is my first season. I'm going to launch the season of KBC, Kirti's Book Club, and I am super excited to be doing this. And the reason behind this is I love books. I love reading books. I love discussing books. But more than anything else, what I really enjoy is to have discussions like the one we are having and if during the process as we're discussing, if my perspective about the book changes or I start thinking about it a little differently or I connect some dots, it just gets very exciting for me.
So that's the reason I wanted to start KBC and the whole format of this is I reach out to my family and friends and anybody who would be interested in the future and ask them what book they would like to discuss with me. And your book was Project Hail Mary. So excited to have you as my episode number one.
[00:01:00] Welcome to the show.
Aniket: Yeah, I'm excited to be here. I love the concept of doing a book club. I've never actually been in one myself. So it'll be fun to discuss it.
Kirti: Yeah. And the cool part is, so we'll discuss it today. We will air season one in two or three months and there'll be six episodes and then we'll air them. And then what we will do after that is have roundtable discussions and we'll invite people to join our roundtable discussion and that's going to be really fun.
So we'll take bits and pieces of what we discuss here today. Maybe somebody will come on a roundtable and say, "Ah, Aniket, that was totally wrong," or "I got this totally different, right?" It'll be fun. So that's going to be super exciting. So the podcast followed by the roundtable, I am charged up for that.
But first let's start off. So why, why Project Hail Mary? What made you think of that book when I asked you?
Aniket: Yeah, so I'm not really, you already know this, but I'm not really a big reader in general. A lot of the [00:02:00] things I do end up revolving around videos or movies, but I loved The Martian when it came out and Andy Weir, who's the author of Project Hail Mary, when they announced this book, I was so intrigued to see what his next book would be like.
And I read it, and I actually really resonated with it. It's about a scientist, it's about space, which I love that concept. It kind of was just a natural thing for me to like and enjoy. So, yeah, I wanted to share it with you. And I'm kind of curious to see what you got out of it and what you thought about it.
Because I obviously love the book, I wouldn't have chosen it if I didn't. So, curious what you thought about it.
Kirti: And I really, really loved the book. So from very different reasons that you might have loved the book too.
So it'll be interesting to see as we discuss this, but before we get to any of our [00:03:00] deeper conversations, how about we give a synopsis of what this book is all about. So you want to kind of, without giving, you know, sometimes it's harder to do this because spoilers come out, but if somebody were listening to this and haven't read the book, what can we give them that gets them to pick the book and read it?
Aniket: Yeah, so, without trying to give too many spoilers away, unfortunately, I probably will have to give out a few, but the premise of this book is about a man who's in space and he's in space because he has to try to help Earth survive a cataclysmic event. So we actually are introduced to this character and he's already on his mission, but through a series of flashbacks you learn why he's on the mission, what's kind of happening and the premise of this book is essentially a man trying to save the world and he has to go into intergalactic space to find a solution to help the earth and the humans on earth from dying, essentially.
Kirti: And it's a book about somebody being an accidental hero, right, because this is a science teacher who gets put into this [00:04:00] project, which we don't know to begin with, because the way the book starts is we are kind of figuring out what happens. And the protagonist is doing the same.
And what I also feel the book is about is friendship. Because this is a friendship between a person on earth and somebody not from the earth. And what does that mean? And the reason I really was excited about this book was how do people communicate?
Right? How, what is language and what does that mean? And how do you make those connections with someone where there is no common language between the two people? Right. That was fascinating to me.
Aniket: Yeah, no, I agree. I think a huge crux of this book is obviously there's a character in the book called Rocky and Rocky is an alien. And you learn throughout the book that his mission from his perspective is to save his planet and to save the people that are on his planet. And both of these almost protagonists, I wouldn't consider Rocky a protagonist [00:05:00] necessarily, but these heroes are both unlikely heroes are trying to save their world and they come across a different species, a different alien and they have to navigate that situation. So yeah, I agree. It's a very interesting concept to play with because you don't really think about as a human how we converse. It's just how we do it. I mean, there's languages and stuff that we don't understand, but at the end of the day, we are speaking from our mouths.
So, that is a good point. Would you have preferred the science part of the book or the linguistic part of the book, out of curiosity? Because there's, it's very much both.
Kirti: I, you know what? I actually love the linguistic part because what I am super fascinated by is how people connect, and it kind of reminded me a little bit about from that movie that we love Arrival and again, based on a book, great book by Ted Chiang, right? Chiang or something?
Aniket: I think it's a series of short stories.
Kirti: Short stories and very [00:06:00] similar to that where for that deep down human connection, you really don't need that language that we know as language that comes out of our mouth, right? It can be, the connection can be made in different ways. So the linguistic part was absolutely fascinating. That was my favorite part in the book.
Aniket: Yeah, I think, I would agree. I think the linguistics part is very interesting. For me though, it's the science part of how they got the linguistic part to work.
Kirti: That yeah. And using physics, right? Don't they do it using physics and math and all that?
Aniket: Yeah. I mean, the premise of how they begin to communicate is through sound. And I always find it funny, there's a part in the book where Ryland Grace, who's the protagonist from Earth, he takes two laptops and duct taped them together. One of them has an audio mixer to pick up the sound incoming, and one of them is an Excel spreadsheet that [00:07:00] converts those sounds to words.
It's such a very coded, like, math. And he does something called Fourier transforms and stuff like that, which is something I learned in signal processing as a mechanical engineer. I mean, to this day, I couldn't tell you what it is, either, but he's doing math to communicate. Like, it's all science.
It's, as much as we think it's linguistics, he's literally using science to talk to Rocky, which I thought was so cool.
Kirti: That is so funny where and when he's doing the Excel things. The funny part of this, the way Andy Weir kind of put humor into it too, where, which is really funny because there are jokes that Rocky makes and as Ryland is trying to figure out, right, is he joking? Is he not joking? What does this mean?
I'm like, I don't remember listening to the sound before. That is very, that's funny. That's really fun to read.
Aniket: The banter is like, I think once you can banter with someone, me and my brother always say this, once you can banter with someone, you've made that relationship and you can kind of slowly see as the book [00:08:00] progresses, like it's less transactional and it's more emotional, which is how you make connections to your earlier point, it's just, how do you make a connection with someone who doesn't speak what you speak and they're able to make it happen.
Yeah.
Kirti: Right, right. So is Rocky your favorite character? Who's your favorite character in this book?
Aniket: That is a tough question. I think the interaction between Ryland Grace and Rocky is very, very fascinating. I think, as much as I would hate to say the main protagonist is my favorite character, it is Ryland. I mean, the way he thinks and his thought process of how he determines what's going on.
I mean, we are, like you said earlier, we are on this journey with him. He doesn't know who he is. We don't know who he is. So we are learning as he learns. So we think, and we're like, what could I do? And he's like coming up with these very clever ways to figure out how to deal with the lack of knowledge.
So, I really love his thought process, but I think if we're thinking about character in general, I [00:09:00] think Stratt is hilarious. Not because she's like a funny character, but she's, she's tasked with saving the world on earth and she just does whatever the hell she wants. She'll walk into a federal prison with her taser.
She'll like, go to court and say, "Hey, I have all this immunity. You can't sue me. You can't do anything." I think it's pretty funny that she does that. But yeah, I think overall it's probably Ryland. What about you? Would you say Rocky is? Because he, I mean, there is that sense of connection that goes there.
Kirti: Me too, but just to go back to something you just said reminded me of something, right? In this book, Ryland is out in the space because he's saving earth. Right. And so when they just find out what is impacting earth without giving a spoiler, right, there is the sun, sun's rays or sun's energy is diminishing because of something that happens.
Without sun, then earth will cease to exist. And that's what [00:10:00] they're trying to do here. So what happens on earth as this process is unfolding, right? It is interesting to see when it comes to a crisis. I mean, they might be all differences between different people, right? Different countries, different political beliefs and different things that this world faces.
But when crisis happens, we all come together to save earth. And that also was very interesting to me because, and this book came out right before COVID. I think he wrote it before COVID, but this book was released during COVID time. And even during COVID, I know there was some differences here and there, right?
But overall, everybody was together on how to solve for this. And that kind of reminded me of that, of when it really matters as human beings, we all come together and that's the cool part to see that.
But of course, she was an amazing [00:11:00] character for sure, to rally up everyone and make sure they focus on what really matters.
Aniket: Yeah, I think you make an interesting point. Because I always think about this when I'm rereading the book, I've reread the book many times now. The book is about a guy in space trying to save the world, but a lot of it revolves around what's happening on earth because as Ryland is learning, he's also learning about how he got to his spot right now.
Where he started when he was on earth when this crisis started, what he was doing as a part of it. And there's so many factors in this book where I'm like, it's so crazy how applicable it is to our day to day. Like the one of the most fascinating things. Not fascinating but just so like confusing interesting parts of the book is at one point they talk about how our failure to diminish greenhouse gases in our world actually saves a couple of years because it keeps the heat in with the sun and all that stuff.
[00:12:00] So at one point they're even deliberately releasing greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, ruining our atmosphere so that they can stay just a couple more years longer. I think it's like 10, 15 more years longer. So it's like these, like, there's so many like pointed points in the book about sustainability, climate change, like what is happening on earth today that are so pertinent to what's happening in the book as well.
I thought that was so, so fascinating. Even at one point they have to destroy the Sahara to like the ecological landscape of Africa, just to breed fuel. I was like, this is insane. Like, this is literally things that could happen today. Like, but it's necessary in this time of crisis.
Kirti: That's true. And some characters in the book are environmentalists or they're trying to save the Sahara and all that, right? But in a little bit misguided way, they are saying we are the environmentalists and this is what needs to happen. [00:13:00] But actually, what should happen to save the earth is slightly different.
So another thing that I found interesting in this book, or I kind of was relating it back to the way we work or the way we live is sometimes we get so caught up in our own rights and wrongs, and we are not open to listening to other perspectives and other situations where our right might not be the right thing to do.
So like you said, emissions that they were creating those methane emissions and doing all that to save earth, but a true environmentalist was like, "No, you can't do this." So it is very interesting, kind of, it gives you, as you think deeper and as you're thinking of the way you live and the way you are, why are we so stuck up in our own rights and wrongs?
And we [00:14:00] have to maybe consider other things. So based on what I just said, you know, what fascinates me in books is sometimes you think of certain things, right? So you think, "Oh, this is how science is. And this is how language is. And this is how relationships are. This is how connection happens."
And you read a book. And you question yourself and say, "Hold on, is there something that could be different?" And it gets you thinking a little different. And that gets very exciting from a book. Did you, reading this book, did you ever feel some of the things that you had in your mind? You got, you're thinking about a little different now, after reading the book?
Aniket: I've read this book a lot. But I feel like every time I read it, there's always something new I pick up on. So when I first read it, to be totally honest with you, I was only fully solely focused on the science. I was just fascinated at what's going on in space. But to your point, I think it's like, [00:15:00] there's these small little like points that are innocuous to the plot of the book that kind of just get you thinking so I don't have I guess one where it changed who I am because I read it, but it's these small little things like understanding like why things are, why they exist.
On this read, one point that I found so fascinating is there's a part where Rocky asks or Ryland asks Rocky like, "What are the coincidences that we two met each other, we're dealing with the same problem. The coincidence is crazy." And Rocky says, "Well, if you guys were too far advanced, you probably would have solved it from home. And if you weren't advanced enough, you would have just died." And I thought about that. And I was like, we are in our place in the world at the right time for a specific reason.
We don't know what that reason is, but we have been guided in a way [00:16:00] by the way technology has grown or whatever to be in the right place at the right time, no matter what. And people could take that in its own fashion. But I thought that line was so interesting. It's like everything had to line up for them to meet at this specific moment.
Whether it's the advances of technology, the advances of evolution, the advances of science, it brought them there then at the same exact time and I was like that's kind of crazy like how coincidence is kind of just coincidence sometimes.
Kirti: That's true, and the fuel that they use, the astrophage, right? Both of them come up with that. So when you really think about it Rocky's universe is a little advanced than Earth, right? But they come to the similar conclusions, you're right, at the same time, because,
Aniket: Actually I would disagree with you. I don't think Rocky's civilization is more [00:17:00] advanced than humans. The only thing that is slightly different that makes it seem like they're advanced is they have a material that is nearly indestructible. But if you also take some of the aspects, Rocky, the Eridians, as they call themselves, they didn't know what radiation was.
It doesn't exist on their planet. That's why his crew dies.
Kirti: That's true.
Aniket: And he, by coincidence, happens to be an engineer who's in the engine bay, which is where all the fuel was, and the fuel blocked all the radiation. So it's like, they have, like, we have our strengths and our weaknesses, but I would say they are as evolved as we have evolved because in any other standpoint, like think about it this way if they knew what radiation was Ryland would have been interacting with 23 Eridians, not just Rocky.
Kirti: That's [00:18:00] right, so, I don't know what would you say like I know we were talking about like things that are happening. I talked about like interesting points but what would you say your favorite part of the book is like you read this part and you were like, "Okay like this is easily the part I will remember. This is easily the part that I enjoyed the most out of everything that we've seen."
Kirti: Quite a few parts. It's hard for me to pinpoint to one. But again, not to give away anything about the book. But the ending of the book stays with me because I like the fact that even, even when he wakes up and he's the, so this is not, this doesn't give a giveaway much, but he wakes up and he keeps thinking about kids.
And then he notices that he's not married, right? And then he's like, "Do I have kids of my own? Do I not have kids of my own?" And we're thinking, does he have kids on earth? We don't know. And then we find out he's a school teacher. And he is so I mean, he was a really good scientist before then chose to go into school for his reasons but he's so passionate about these kids. And he keeps bringing that up even the small trivia things [00:19:00] that he remembers.
He says "Oh I know this because I'm a school teacher." And I like the fact that in the end it connects to that right without so I love the I am so looking forward to the movie where at the end you're going to see something which is like, "Oh, yeah, that's, that's the part." That would be my favorite. The end would be my favorite.
Aniket: That's a good point. Actually. I never really thought about the like connection back I mean obviously that exists but I never really thought about how the book kind of opens with him not knowing that and it ends with I mean, him obviously knowing that, but like that sentiment still stands with him.
Never really thought about that.
Kirti: The other thing I really liked about the book is when you think of Martian or you think other books, right? The hero of the book is fighting to stay alive, right? It's survival. It's true survival. He finds things and does science. And that's cool. You're saving yourself. In this book, this person has gone on to [00:20:00] find the solution, knowing that that's going to kill him, right?
He's saving the world. So it's a very different concept. So I got thinking about that. And I'm like, that's, that takes a very different individual, right? To take up that because you know, at the end of it, you're not going to be there to enjoy the fruits of success, because, and that comes back at the end, it's like when he's making a choice of coming back to the earth and getting all the recognition, that was not important to him and he chose something else.
And so any thoughts on that? Because that, that was very interesting to me to that point. Yeah.
Aniket: That is a very good point. I, it's so, I always think about this because it's, I would never do this. Like, you are basically forsaking your life for the betterment of others. As much as I'd like to say I'm selfless, I don't think I'm that selfless. But yeah, it's [00:21:00] so interesting that like his whole goal is to save earth.
He won't know if it was saved or not either. It's not like if he succeeds, it works and he solves it. But he has some sort of selfless driving factor. Because like at the end of the day, like if he dies and Earth dies, like what is it to him? He's dead, right? So it's, it's so fascinating that he has this like selfless desire to do good.
Kirti: Engineer mindset you think? Sorry to interrupt you because I see this in scientists and engineers and I see this a little bit in you, right? So when he's solving for problems, and he wants it to work. The excitement of solving the problem and finding the answer is his win. Right? So when he's, as he, when you think about it, as he's going through each thing, he's figuring out with that pendulum thing, remember?
He's figuring that out and he's figuring out different things of science. And he just gets so [00:22:00] excited when he finds something. When Rocky does a small thing, he gets excited. So yes, he's saving the earth. But for him, those small wins of success and he's trying to figure something out. It's so exciting. So do you relate to that as a scientist or an engineer?
Aniket: I relate to that. He is a better man because he's fighting against his life. If my life was on the line, I would care. I would not care about the small wins at all if it was my life that I was trying to win, but yes, you know, I totally, I totally resonate with that because sometimes you just kind of get lost in the game and every little thing that works is like a little mini accomplishment.
I don't necessarily think it's an engineer or scientist thing though. I think a lot of people have this kind of mindset. They like everyone feels gratified when they complete a task obviously in this case he's doing scientific tasks, and he's a scientist but I think an interesting point to note is he unwillingly is on this trip. It's [00:23:00] almost like he is like me.
He is not a selfless person. He's forced into a situation and he has to be selfless. But I think it's so interesting that, he chooses himself to be selfless, I think, at the end of the day.
Kirti: That part. Yep.
Aniket: He has, he chooses himself to be selfless, I think, at the end of the day. He
Kirti: Given a choice, he wouldn't have done it. Given a choice, he wouldn't
Aniket: I mean, he didn't want to. He was essentially, what, knocked unconscious and sent to go or something? I don't remember exactly how he goes or if he's just like the last man they could think of or what it is, but he wakes up and he's like, "Shit, I remember not even wanting to be here."
Kirti: I know.
Aniket: Would you do it? Would you go on some of this trip? Assuming you had the know-how and you knew how?
Kirti: You know, I will be like Ryland too. Somebody will have to drug me to send me up.
Aniket: Yeah, balanced.
Kirti: I was and I'm thinking about even to act under pressure, right? The different things he's facing and you're in space. And I always think about any space movies or any space books I read, you're out there all by yourself [00:24:00] and the fear and the stress.
And I could sense it. And I was thinking how could this guy be so cool? I'm like, and he's having fun and he's trying to test out if this guy understands music. He's like, the funny part also I thought was he makes a few references to books or like the movies or something. And then he realizes, "Oh, he's not going to know that."
And he goes halfway through a joke. One time he starts explaining a joke and he says, "Oh, Rocky's not going to get that." Right. So it's like really funny. I like that. I like the friendship with the two of them. That was really, really cute.
Aniket: Yeah. The friendship is, is a great part of the book. I think that initial interaction with them is one of my favorite parts of the book is when he realizes and he's discovering who and what Rocky is, like humans didn't have to evolve. Humans evolved to have eyes because they needed to see.
Eridians, they couldn't see anyway. The atmosphere is too [00:25:00] dense. So they perceived by sound or like they have five limbs. They have like all of these small little things and he and his brain is like, "Why, why is this the case for him? Oh, that makes sense." And he's like playing why they evolved a specific way.
But to your point about like their friendship and their connection, there's one point in the book where Ryland actually poses a hypothesis and says that Eridians and humans are related. So there's this theory in science of all life and matter that was created is from the same source, which is the Big Bang.
So if we were created here and someone else or something else was created somewhere else, it's from that same, it's just how it arranged itself into what it is. So they always talk about like, we will always have this connection because we are made up of the same exact things as you are made up of. And I thought that pretty, pretty interesting because that even further fosters like the relationship that, that strengthens throughout the book.
Kirti: At some point, I think they also say because [00:26:00] the astrophage for their sun and all, so there was somewhere that happened, right? I think he says that and maybe scientifically also kind of defends that notion that they could have started, Eridian and earth could have been started from the same
Aniket: And, and Astrophage, yeah, could started off from the same thing. I mean, when they were
Kirti: Same elements, right? Isn't carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, the same
Aniket: Yeah, something like that, yeah. And even at the beginning, like, Astrophage has a mitochondria, that needs, humans have, our cells have mitochondria. Astrophage has water, we have water. Like, it's a whole premise of interest in the beginning of the book when they're discovering what the hell is happening.
Kirti: Right, it's all that is actually really, really fascinating. So I hope the listeners listening to this get excited and read this book because you enjoyed it from a [00:27:00] started off with the science, but liked everything else about it. I enjoyed it from that connection, the linguistic part that I get excited about and just learning a lot of things, right?
And how this person is thinking under pressure, that was exciting too. Anything else Aniket, that you think we missed that maybe somebody might want to listen to before they pick up this book?
Aniket: I don't think so, but I will make like a, I don't want to say it's a disclaimer or just like a small point. I think people tend, and I'm very much like this, tend to pigeonhole their interests into one type of genre for me, I don't really read anything but science fiction, or maybe some fantasy.
I don't pick up other types of genres and stuff like that just because I don't know if I'll like it. I think the cool thing about Project Hail Mary is to your point earlier, it's not just about science. And I think whether you like the book or you dislike the book, maybe the book is written kind of childishly for you or not, or you find it very interesting.
I think the cool thing about this book is you don't have to be lost in the world of sci-fi [00:28:00] to enjoy it. Like if you take a book like Game of Thrones, you kind of have to be a fantasy nerd to like and read a type of Game of Thrones type of book. The cool thing about Project Hail Mary is it's not necessarily gonna alienate a non sci fi fan, which is something I very much enjoy about the book
Kirti: Right? And that's so true. We do that all the time. We get siloed. The intent of this podcast is hopefully I picked up Project Hail Mary because you recommended and I hope that people listen to it. I'm like, "Okay, maybe this is not my thing, but let me read it and let's see what happens."
And there is a movie that'll come out next year with Ryan Gosling. And you might want to see it just for that. Love you.
Aniket: I'm not even really excited about the movie because I have so many doubts because I enjoy the book and I'm very much one of those people that says the movie is never as good as the book. You take the Martian, you take some of the other books, the [00:29:00] books are incredible compared to the movies.
So I don't really have high hopes for the movie, but the fact that it's Ryan Gosling makes it a little bit higher expectations for me with the hope that it will be good. So we'll see
Kirti: You know, the funny part is after watching the movie, somebody says, "Who is your favorite character?" I wonder if somebody will say Rocky or Ryan Gosling with Ryan Gosling as Grace.
Aniket: If the movie is as popular and as good as The Martian came out, I think this book will get a lot of press because I think people will start to realize, like, "No, maybe let me check out the book because they've already watched the movie." But, I might be stealing your thunder here, but out of curiosity, because you read so many books, and I don't, so this is very high up on my list, I don't read that many books, where would you rank this amongst all of the books [00:30:00] that you've ever read.
Kirti: This is really funny because I was going to supposed to ask you
Aniket: I know, I stole your thunder. Ha ha! That's what happens when you ideate for the first episode. Huh.
Kirti: KBC reading radar. So the way we look at this is KBC's,
Aniket: Ring a bell.
Kirti: I know it should ring a bell and say KBC reading radar. Right? So I we'll see where that falls for you and I. So the first is KBC brain fizz factor. So what that is since I've been thinking, since my passion is, did I think differently after this?
Did I discuss this book? Did I like you know, the, my thought process. So first is a flat soda. Yeah. Second is Gentle Bubbles. Third, Rolling Boil. And fourth is Mental Fireworks. So Mental Fireworks is fundamentally everything changed. Something changed in you after reading the book. Flat Soda is you forgot everything about it.
You read the book and it's gone. And the two and three are in between. So for me, Aniket, this is [00:31:00] number four. Mental Fireworks. What about you?
Aniket: I honestly think,
Kirti: Mental Fireworks. That sounds really bad. It's Mental Fireworks.
Aniket: Mental Fireworks.
Kirti: Mental Fireworks.
Aniket: You know, it's interesting that you say that. I think mine's only a rolling boil. Because, from a brain factor, it's not like it fundamentally changed who I was. I actually resonate with the guy a lot, so it's actually like, it's a little bit more of like, "Oh, I kind of am already like that." It does open your eyes to all these new concepts, but it hasn't fundamentally changed me the way some movies are.
I don't want to say books because I don't read, but some movies have changed me.
Kirti: You know, I disagree a little bit because I'll tell you why I rated it a four. So the reason it had mental fireworks for me is when I think of an alien, I think of eyes, nose, mouth and a brain.
Aniket: Like Jadoo from Koi... Mil Gaya.
Kirti: Exactly. And anytime you see an alien, it's kind of a humanoid form of, like an alien looking, right? And the mouth is always a mouth. [00:32:00] And the fact that was very interesting to me that how, I mean, it doesn't have to be a mouth. It doesn't have to be eyes. It doesn't have to be, there's different ways that you can sense and communicate with each other, like animals do under the sea, people have relationships and have connections.
And that's, that was, I thought that was exciting to me. So that's why my mental fireworks.
Aniket: That's a good point.
Kirti: Okay, so my second reading KBC Reading Radar is bookshelf worthy. So where would you place this? Would you place this, eh, read it, delete, delete, delete from everything that I have? Borrowed time, you borrow it from someone, give it back or donate it to a library.
Or shelf resident, you put it on your shelf, it's there. You think, "Oh, maybe one of these days I'll read it again." And the fourth is a prized possession. You read it and read it and it's right there in your shelf out there that you can see.
Aniket: For me, it's easy, it's a four. It's one of two books that resides in my room in New York right now. I have no other books, clearly it has to be a four. And one of these I got really bored so I bought a Subway book. So even the second book that I have is maybe a three. But yeah, this is for sure a four.
It's for the longest time since Baba bought me this book. So the fun thing about the way I read is my dad ends up just buying me books that he thinks I'll like and I end up liking them, so he gets validated by that. But this book came out as, I think, a bestseller. And Baba bought me this book.
And this book has been with me at my UCLA apartment. It's been with me at my apartment in Englewood, in my house in Redondo Beach, and now in New York. And no other book has made it across to any of those houses like that. So I think this would be a prized possession for me.
Kirti: That's a four plus and you've read it quite a few times, [00:34:00] right?
Aniket: Yeah it's getting up there is one of my most reads. It's not like a Harry Potter for me, but it's, it's up there. It's probably like a top five, top ten most read book by myself.
Kirti: Nice. Would you, what are the other books? Would you recommend Interstellar? Would it fall into the same thing?
Aniket: Oh, that's a tough one. So, Interstellar is one of my favorite movies. And for those who care enough to read, there's a semi textbook version of Interstellar called The Science of Interstellar that is written by Kip Thorne, who is the executive producer of the movie and an extremely famous physicist.
He's a professor at Caltech. That would probably be up there, because that fundamentally changed how I watched Interstellar. Fundamentally. It's all about science, and it fundamentally is the reason why Interstellar is so high on the top of my list. So, that would be, that's like a, I should put that on my TV stand and everyone sees it when they walk into my house type of book.
Kirti: Nice, nice. So, you know what? Maybe that's a sneak peek at Season [00:35:00] 2. Maybe we can do Season 2 with Interstellar.
Right?
Aniket: If you want to read a textbook on space, ask me about it. I will provide the book for you.
Kirti: Yeah. I wonder how many takers we'll have for that.
Aniket: I don't think anyone would take that. I've even convinced my friends who are big space nerds and they're not willing to read it.
Kirti: Maybe that'll be a movie discussion with just a side Kip Thorne thing.
Aniket: Yeah, exactly. So, wait, how would you, how would you recommend it? Or how would you rate it?
Kirti: I would rate this one. It's not my prized possession. It is yours and by default it has been in the house and left the house but the fact that I did not end up buying one for myself,
Aniket: Damn, borrowed time. Buhhhhhh
Kirti: It's number three, number three
Aniket: Yeah, but is it number three because I always had it there or is it number three because you wanted it there?
Kirti: I it's actually I would think it's number four because I if you did not have it I would have gotten it and [00:36:00] I
Aniket: Would you have, though?
Kirti: Yeah, I would have I think
Aniket: What'd you have?
Kirti: I yeah, I know I
Aniket: I don't I think you're You're
Kirti: I'm making it up. I'm convincing it because you know what my son likes it. So I better like it. So
Aniket: Sounds like a borrowed time to me.
Kirti: It's a borrowed time. So now it's back in New York, left California. It's back in New York now. So thank you so much, Aniket, for joining. This has been fun. And I hope somebody picks up the book and reads it and joins us for our roundtable discussion.
That's coming soon. So we'll have the details. I know I was actually going to have my email address so people can sign up for the list. The, what do you call our.
Aniket: The slots?
Kirti: The yeah with the slots so they can sign up for the book discussion, but we should have that set up soon. But this is this has been really exciting.
The next book I'm going to discuss is called Augustus by John Williams
Aniket: Wow, let me guess, who came up with that one?
Kirti: I know that's like history, history, history, [00:37:00] history, historical fiction. It's actually, you know what, what you had said earlier, right? So somebody who says, "Ah, science fiction is not my thing. Reading is not my thing."
And they pick up Project Hail Mary and love it the same way. I would challenge you Aniket to read Augustus and join us for that roundtable discussion with our guest for Augustus and the others on that roundtable.
Aniket: Yeah, so I will pose an outro for the listeners who will be eventually watching this and realizing it's a great podcast and moving on to the second episode. My outro is how often do you think about the Roman Empire?
Kirti: Okay. We'll leave it at that. Thank you. Until next time.
Aniket: Thank you for having me. This was, this is great.
Kirti: This is awesome. Bye.
Aniket: Bye.