The Martian author’s next novel is a crime story set on the Moon

Lunar-noir.

Not a genre you’ve likely heard of but possibly one for the future with news that Andy Weir is following up his best-seller The Martian with a crime novel set on the Moon.

The moon! What, has someone been eating its cheesy surface again?

We’d laugh but given the success of Weir's last book - his only full novel - coupled with that of the Oscar-nominated film adaptation that saw Matt Damon playing the goofy botanist stranded on the Red Planet, you just know this will be turned into a screenplay after clogging up the New York Times bestseller list.

Additionally, Weir, who it won’t surprise you to know if you’ve read the novel, was meticulous in his research for orbital mechanics in preparation for The Martian, will once again be going the extra mile – or rather 225.623 miles, telling SmithsonianMagazine that it's "another scientifically accurate story".

He also had this interesting piece to say on his lead character, who, much like the plot, is anything but predictable.

"The main character is a low-level criminal in a city on the moon. Her challenges are a mix of technical/scientific problems, as well as juggling personal interactions—staying a step ahead of the local police, working with shady and dangerous people to do illegal things.

"She doesn’t encounter any distinctly 'female' challenges. There’s no love plot. And the story takes place in a future society where there is practically no sexism. I’m certainly not trying to make a point by having a female lead. She’s just a character I came up with that I thought was cool, so she’s the lead."

All in all, we’re over the moon with this news.