Let’s just be honest. An overwhelming majority of the time, we don’t really think about who wrote the screenplay or who wrote the novel the screenplay was based off when we go to see a movie. If they’re not also a director, actor or beloved classic author, the scribes may as well be the boom microphone operators to most people. Their names just don’t have enough appeal to drive theater traffic, but there are a few exceptions and John Green is hoping to add his name to that list. He wrote the novel version of The Fault In Our Stars, and he is reason enough to go see this movie.
If you’re under the age of forty and are even casually active on the Internet, chances are you’ve heard Green’s name somewhere, in some context, but there’s a good chance it may not have stuck. You may not have come to the split second realization in the moment that his name was worth remembering, but I can assure you it absolutely is. I’m here to tell you why.
In addition to churning out The Fault In Our Stars back in 2012, he has put his stamp on a number of bestselling books, a number of beloved Internet shows and even a widely attended convention. He is a jack of all trades with his hands in a number of delicious cookie jars. So, let’s dive in and start talking about them.
Here are 5 fascinating things about The Fault In Our Stars author John Green…
He Hosts Mental Floss
You know all those addictive, professional-looking YouTube shows that churn out scientific and/ or historical facts? There’s V Sauce, ASAP Science, and, of course, Mental Floss. Well, Green is actually the host of that latest program. Judging by the insane numbers each episode puts up (many over 1,000,000 views), there’s a good chance you’ve actually seen one of them too.
Each week, Green (and the writers) churn out a list focusing on the little known backstories and facts about historical figures, everyday items and pretty much anything else imaginable. They’ve tested life hacks to see if they really work. They’ve gotten boozy with histories of beloved cocktails, and throughout it all, Green has added enough charm and humor to elevate the somewhat dry material into a delightful must watch. You can check out a sample video below…
His Other Books Are Very Highly Regarded
Don’t call Green a one hit wonder when it comes to novels. The Fault In Our Stars might be receiving the lion’s share of the headlines right now, but other efforts such as Will Grayson, Will Grayson and An Abundance Of Katherines have sold huge numbers of copies and been nominated for a slew of awards. His first novel, Looking For Alaska even won the Printz Award. In all likelihood, we’re going to be seeing a ton of adaptations of Green’s work over the next several decades, and for those who appreciate a delightful mix of humor and poignancy, that’s a great thing.
Green is currently at work on his latest novel, The Racket. Not a ton of details have been released about the project thus far, but no matter what it ends up being, it’s probably a guarantee it will reach The New York Times Bestseller List and its movie rights will be quickly sold to an eager studio that wants to get in on the Green rocket right before it takes off and his name is suddenly everywhere. You can check out Green reading something from Looking For Alaska below…
His Brother Is Also Famous
Hank Green has not won any lofty awards for writing. He doesn’t have quite the name recognition of his brother John, and more than likely, he never will. In his own weird way, however, he’s even more of a YouTube superstar than his brother. He co-hosts the wildly popular Vlog Brothers alongside his sibling. In addition, Hank also has his hand in a ton of different cookie jars including but not limited to SciShow, Sexplanations, Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Crash Course and the environmental blog EcoGeek.
He’s really carved out his own niche over the past few years on YouTube, and that’s a really great thing for both him and John. It’s nice that Hank has established himself enough to not rely on his brother, and it actually benefits John because it allows Hank to carry the load when he gets too busy on Vlog Brothers or even to fill in on Mental Floss. To get a sense of Hank’s style, you can check out the fascinating video below in which he highlights some amazing maps…
He Founded VidCon
Last year, 12,000 people descended on the Anaheim Convention Center to attend VidCon, the fourth installment of the viral/ Internet community’s answer to Comic Con. Seeing as how the number of attendees has at least come close to doubling every single year, the future looks nothing but bright for the extravaganza, especially since it’s now starting to attract most of the biggest names in the YouTube world. As the host of several popular shows, it’s not a surprise Green would be a mainstay, but it probably is a surprise to many that John actually co-created the event alongside his brother Hank back in 2010. They thought it was the next logical step and best way to bring all the content creators together, and they were absolutely right.
It’s one thing to get people to sit behind a computer and watch a video for free. It’s quite another to mobilize a portion of the audience and get them to spend real money to attend a convention. That’s exactly what John’s fans, called Nerdfighters, have done, and now, the event is so much bigger than any one single creator, genre or even group of fans. VidCon should survive whether the Greens are involved or not, and that’s a testament to their careful planning. To watch blind YouTube all-star Tommy Edison give you his perspective on VidCon, check out the video below…
His Charity Is Awesome
Green’s charity is called “Project For Awesome”, and the stated mission is to “Decrease WorldSuck”. Every December, John and Hank ask YouTube’s best and brightest to create videos advertising their own favorite charities. The brothers themselves donate some money based on the number of comments that go up, and more importantly, they ask users to donate money to IndieGogo. The top ten most creative and all-around best new charity videos are then voted on and chosen, and they collectively split the money raised. Last year, it totaled more than eight hundred thousand dollars, and within the next two years, the annual fund drive is expected to easily surpass a million bucks.
You know what’s great about this charity? No one else is doing it. It encourages people to be passionate about the causes they care about. All too often celebrities start foundations that do a worse version of the same thing dozens of other charities are doing, but Project For Awesome is a completely unique, previously untapped market. It genuinely does a lot of good, and it hammers out plenty of smiles along the way. You can check out a longer video about it below…
