Mark Watney est l'un des premiers humains à poser le pied sur Mars. Il pourrait bien être le premier à y mourir. Lorsqu'une tempête de sable mortelle force ses coéquipiers à évacuer la planète, Mark se retrouve seul et sans ressources, irrémédiablement coupé de toute communication avec la Terre. Pourtant Mark n'est pas prêt à baisser les bras. Ingénieux, habile de ses mains et terriblement têtu, il affronte un par un des problèmes en apparence insurmontables. Isolé et aux abois, parviendra-t-il à défier le sort? Le compte à rebours a déjà commencé ...
A good old-fashioned space adventure story of the sort you might have read as a kid. The technological details feel very realistic, and that's the strong point of the book: making a "shipwrecked on Mars" story seem plausible.
On the other hand, the characters are two-dimensional comic book figures, and the plot is just one can-he-get-out-of-this-fix after another. It's pretty fluffy stuff.
Man, what a blast. I read a description that this book was heaven for people who wished that Apollo 13 was entirely that bit where they go "well we have to connect this to that and flip this, and then...", and that's the best description I have. But it's also funny, entertaining, suspenseful, and even heartwarming. Good job, Andy Weir. Movie, here I come.
Man, what a blast. I read a description that this book was heaven for people who wished that Apollo 13 was entirely that bit where they go "well we have to connect this to that and flip this, and then...", and that's the best description I have. But it's also funny, entertaining, suspenseful, and even heartwarming. Good job, Andy Weir. Movie, here I come.
More like a 3.75, but I'm rounding up. Honestly, my eyes glazed over a little when Mark got into his descriptions of how he was fixing things. That said, I thought he was hilarious and really enjoyed the vast majority of this book. I kind of rushed the end because I NEEDED TO KNOW, so I think at some point I'll reread this and give myself more of a chance to think about it. So so excited to see the movie; I really believe this will be an amazing adaptation.
This has gotten lots of hype. But it is funny and a page turner. It is totally geeky, filled with reasonably accurate science. Who would have thought that pages and pages of science calculations, showing your work, could be dramatic and push a plot driving along.
With all the hype around this book, and the upcoming movie releasing on the 2nd of October, I wanted to read the book before seeing the film. Turns out I could have started reading on 1st Oct because the book is pretty much un-put-down-able. The XKCD comic sums it up best: xkcd.com/1536/
The Martian is very well written, and very easy to read. The story is convincing, but extremely accessible even though it does from time to time go into the technical details, which added value. And because it is written as a log, it is very easy to pick up and even tempting to do so to read during a short break.
It starts out really well (in fact it's a good candidate for most compelling first few lines ever). The entire first third of the book is un-put-downable.
But like...
Can we talk about how the narrator is SUCH A BRO? He's uncomfortable having feelings. He makes fun of himself for crying. He describes his reaction to two broken ribs as "screaming like a little girl". He's always on about nerds not getting laid in high school. He even makes a juvenile "That's what she said" joke.
Being stranded on Mars is such a huge opportunity for a lot of psychology and ~FEELINGS~ but you can't really do that if your narrator is too invested in toxic masculinity to examine them.
Here are some quotes to give you an idea of what kind of guy Mark is!
The worst part of the Pathfinder trip was …
I found this book profoundly underwhelming.
It starts out really well (in fact it's a good candidate for most compelling first few lines ever). The entire first third of the book is un-put-downable.
But like...
Can we talk about how the narrator is SUCH A BRO? He's uncomfortable having feelings. He makes fun of himself for crying. He describes his reaction to two broken ribs as "screaming like a little girl". He's always on about nerds not getting laid in high school. He even makes a juvenile "That's what she said" joke.
Being stranded on Mars is such a huge opportunity for a lot of psychology and ~FEELINGS~ but you can't really do that if your narrator is too invested in toxic masculinity to examine them.
Here are some quotes to give you an idea of what kind of guy Mark is!
The worst part of the Pathfinder trip was being trapped in the rover. I had to live in a cramped environment that was full of junk and reeked of body odor. Same as my college days. Rim shot! Seriously though, it sucked.
I need some encouragement. I need to ask myself, “What would an Apollo astronaut do?” He’d drink three whiskey sours, drive his Corvette to the launchpad, then fly to the moon in a command module smaller than my Rover. Man those guys were cool.
On the first night, I ran into a little problem with the temperature. It was fucking cold. The rover and trailer regulate their own temperatures just fine, but things weren’t hot enough in the bedroom. Story of my life.
If I could have anything, it would be a radio to ask NASA the safe path down the Ramp. Well, if I could have anything, it would be for the green-skinned yet beautiful Queen of Mars to rescue me so she can learn more about this Earth thing called “lovemaking.” It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a woman. Just sayin’. Anyway, to ensure I don’t crash again, I’ll— Seriously…no women in like, years. I don’t ask for much. Believe me, even back on Earth a botanist/mechanical engineer doesn’t exactly have ladies lined up at the door. But still, c’mon.
And it's not just that Mark is a bro. The entire narrative is so, well, unchallenging. It reminded me of Reader's Digest more than anything else. Nothing truly unexpected happens: it's just an endless cycle of "Something goes wrong, Mark MacGyvers his way out of it, and then everything is fine until--" lather, rinse, repeat. The ultrarealistic science nerdiness is pretty cool at first, but somewhere about halfway through the book it starts to read like someone talking you through their math homework.
Worse, the book never made me seriously doubt that he'd get out of it. Damningly, it doesn't even function that well on the level of a suspenseful space drama! Toward the end, I was holding out for a completely left-field plot twist. I almost wanted him to die (or turn out to be a ghost the whole time, or meet an alien, or SOMETHING) just so that this book could surprise me.
Don't get me wrong, there are some great lines in this book. Mark is genuinely really funny in a way that fully engages with modern internet and meme culture, and I would be a soulless monster if I couldn't appreciate him speculating about his own Wikipedia page, considering whether his theme song should be "Life on Mars?" or "Rocket Man", or quipping about leaving an online review after trying to use a laptop outside:
I thought a laptop would be fine outside. It’s just electronics, right? It’ll keep warm enough to operate in the short term, and it doesn’t need air for anything. It died instantly. The screen went black before I was out of the airlock. Turns out the “L” in “LCD” stands for “Liquid.” I guess it either froze or boiled off. Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. “Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.”
It's just that like... this is a very traditional science fiction story, albeit with modern-day science and memes. And that is disappointing.
I could nitpick about the sometimes abrupt changes of POV in this book or that Mark Watley, the main character, does not have a lot of emotional depth. I could complain that occasionally the technical detail of how Mark gerry-rigs solutions to terrible problems can get overly detailed, at the expense of forward motion in the plot. But these would be nitpicks. This book is a big fat hoot, and I loved it.
Picked up after viewing the spoiler laden trailer forthcoming film.
I suppose this would be classified as 'hard science', similar to the book I read earlier this year 'Seveneves'. Both books feature lengthy (likely accurate) procedural descriptions of various space engineering. But where The Martian wins over Seveneves is it's judicious use of humour, breaking the tension enough to balance what would otherwise be a depressing deathmarch of a read. That and The Martian doesn't have a ridiculous third act featuring Mer-Men.
Enjoyed tremendously. Matt Damon is perfectly cast as the protagonist. Sympathised with his potato problem.
A friend recommended that I read this book, and I am so glad that I did. It's also convenient that I've finished the book a few weeks before the movie hits theaters. I'm going to stick to some of the metaphorical or symbolic elements in Weir's book so that I don't spoil the plot for anyone reading.
On one hand, I think this book is a powerful story of human ingenuity and the ability for humans to adapt in the fact of tragedy. I think in the event of any apocalyptic scenario most humans will lack the skills and problem-solving to survive. Nevertheless, if this book says anything, it's that a few humans will be able to press on whether through force of will or by utilizing their survivalist skills (and no, I'm not waxing poetic about the "doomsday preppers") to perpetuate the species.
On the other hand, this is …
A friend recommended that I read this book, and I am so glad that I did. It's also convenient that I've finished the book a few weeks before the movie hits theaters. I'm going to stick to some of the metaphorical or symbolic elements in Weir's book so that I don't spoil the plot for anyone reading.
On one hand, I think this book is a powerful story of human ingenuity and the ability for humans to adapt in the fact of tragedy. I think in the event of any apocalyptic scenario most humans will lack the skills and problem-solving to survive. Nevertheless, if this book says anything, it's that a few humans will be able to press on whether through force of will or by utilizing their survivalist skills (and no, I'm not waxing poetic about the "doomsday preppers") to perpetuate the species.
On the other hand, this is a strong reminder that humans possess a certain altruism at the most basic level. Humans will often sacrifice disproportionate amounts of money, effort, or energy to help those in the direst situations or save one life. I'm reminded that despite the national and ethnic tensions that frequent our television screens, there are many who will drop everything and join together to be first responders in a disaster, to find the lost, or to secure justice for victims of crimes and prejudice.
Of course this is a work of fiction. But I think Weir speaks to the basic human instincts for survival and altruism, and his story is a powerful metaphor for much of the good that we still see in the world today.
This is a cool book, especially for those who love reading real science science-fiction. Weir is a software engineer by trade, but has extensive knowledge of physics, botany, chemistry, biology, and astrophysics from both his educational years and his personal interests. Much of the work is adapted from real NASA contingencies for Mars work. When Watney delves into mathematical and scientific problem-solving, the reader doesn't feel lost.
This book is written in the form of Watney recording video-diary logs during his time on Mars. This makes is similar to the composition of World War Z, or some military diaries that I've read. The only drawback is that using the diary model detracts from Weir's ability to write consistent and engrossing prose narrative.
It's been very long time since I've read a pure Sci-Fi story that I've enjoyed this much. The author's use of conversational blog style to record the main character's thoughts makes the story immediately approachable and fun.
Ultimately this is a story about survival not of merely the body but of the human spirit under insanely difficult conditions. Perhaps this is best illustrated from this quote the end of the book: “If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are assholes who just don't care, but they're massively outnumbered by the people who do.”
Astronauts. Space. Survival. This book hits all of the right notes for me. There was very little chance I wasn't going to enjoy it.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. Mark Watney was a fun character. He's smart, he's courageous, and he's funny. I have a little bit of a book crush on him right now. Smart-asses who are intelligent, resourceful, and brave make my heart go pitter-pat. If you have ever met my husband, he's a lot like Mark Watney. Sigh.
However...I wish I had read this sooner. I kept picturing Matt Damon as I read, and this might have slightly influenced my crush. Now I'll never know if I love Mark Watney for who he is or for who is portraying him. Either way, it was fun ride.
Good book--really good. It's a fairly quick read and I'm really looking forward to the movie now. Don't …
Astronauts. Space. Survival. This book hits all of the right notes for me. There was very little chance I wasn't going to enjoy it.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. Mark Watney was a fun character. He's smart, he's courageous, and he's funny. I have a little bit of a book crush on him right now. Smart-asses who are intelligent, resourceful, and brave make my heart go pitter-pat. If you have ever met my husband, he's a lot like Mark Watney. Sigh.
However...I wish I had read this sooner. I kept picturing Matt Damon as I read, and this might have slightly influenced my crush. Now I'll never know if I love Mark Watney for who he is or for who is portraying him. Either way, it was fun ride.
Good book--really good. It's a fairly quick read and I'm really looking forward to the movie now. Don't let me down, Matt Damon! (Who am I kidding? He never does. Matt, don't be mad. I love you!)
