Andy Weir: Martian (2020, Penguin Random House)
English language
Published May 24, 2020 by Penguin Random House.
The Martian is a 2011 science fiction novel written by Andy Weir. It was his debut novel under his own name. It was originally self-published in 2011; Crown Publishing purchased the rights and re-released it in 2014. The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in 2035 and must improvise in order to survive. The Martian, a film adaptation directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, was released in October 2015.
Well shit, it was a wild ride all the way through to the end. I thought I might want to watch the movie after finishing this but I think I’ll just let it be,
I enjoy hard science fiction that remains firmly grounded in reality and aligns with our current understanding of what is possible. That said, the ending, particularly the sequence involving leaving the planet, felt a bit far-fetched. So many things had to go perfectly right! Otherwise, it was an excellent read.
Fun. Ass. Book. And this from someone who hates math! It was very exciting and the short chapters make it snappy and quick to tear through.
If you’re looking for a thrill, The Martian is the novel for you. It’s been a long time since I last found myself on the edge of my seat while finishing a story. And what an ending it has!
After the crew of the Ares 3 is forced to unexpectedly abort its mission, botanist Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind on Mars. Without any contact, he manages to survive in the hab, a facility where he has access to air, electricity, food, vitamins and water, though only for a limited time. Accustomed to thinking in terms of data and solutions, Mark starts to calculate his chances of survival, knowing there will be a fourth mission to the planet. What follows is a breathtaking account of an utterly isolated man who uses his knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to grow potatoes, create water from hydrogen and oxygen, …
If you’re looking for a thrill, The Martian is the novel for you. It’s been a long time since I last found myself on the edge of my seat while finishing a story. And what an ending it has!
After the crew of the Ares 3 is forced to unexpectedly abort its mission, botanist Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind on Mars. Without any contact, he manages to survive in the hab, a facility where he has access to air, electricity, food, vitamins and water, though only for a limited time. Accustomed to thinking in terms of data and solutions, Mark starts to calculate his chances of survival, knowing there will be a fourth mission to the planet. What follows is a breathtaking account of an utterly isolated man who uses his knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to grow potatoes, create water from hydrogen and oxygen, and repair damaged materials. Mark’s account is interspersed with stories from Earth – when NASA discovers through satellite images that he is still alive, a wave of ‘Markmania’ sweeps across the globe.
Science fiction author Andy Weir has a talent for making moments feel tangible. It is easy to share in the joy felt on Earth upon learning about Mark’s progress, or to empathise with his frustration at having to live in a space rover for days while traveling across Mars. Additionally, I loved Weir’s focus on chemistry, which was something new for me as a reader. While I’m no expert and can’t say whether his creations would make any sense in reality, I assume Weir, like most sci-fi writers, plays with the boundaries of physics. The detailed level of granularity adds to the story’s credibility.
The Martian reminded me of two other unrelated novels: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, due to Mark’s irreverent attitude, and The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, where the protagonist is also forced to make a living in solitude. In Weir’s story, however, an entire planet follows his journey. The project to save his life raises questions about the value of a human life and the influence of media in that context.
I was in doubt about giving the novel five stars. While it’s an impressive work of science fiction, I found Weir’s writing a tad too slick at times. The cultural references, which were meant as a running gag, didn’t quite work for me and became more of an annoyance. These are minor flaws in an otherwise excellent book.
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Ok, I am a bit bummed.
I don't know what I was expecting, but this story just didn't do it for me. I persevered and finished the book, but I won't lie, I skipped a page here and there.
Why? More than 80% of the book is log entries. thought, ok, well hopefully this will be jam packed with science.
I forgot the protagonist is a Botanist and fixes things - so not the science I have much interest in. I do not care about the specifics of growing plants - I have a garden in my backyard I can learn from. I do not care about how fast a theoretical rover could go with enough solar power. I was aching for cool science and felt this book didn't deliver for me.
Now, this is obviously a very personal experience I had with …
Full Review On Reading Blog || Socials
Ok, I am a bit bummed.
I don't know what I was expecting, but this story just didn't do it for me. I persevered and finished the book, but I won't lie, I skipped a page here and there.
Why? More than 80% of the book is log entries. thought, ok, well hopefully this will be jam packed with science.
I forgot the protagonist is a Botanist and fixes things - so not the science I have much interest in. I do not care about the specifics of growing plants - I have a garden in my backyard I can learn from. I do not care about how fast a theoretical rover could go with enough solar power. I was aching for cool science and felt this book didn't deliver for me.
Now, this is obviously a very personal experience I had with this book. Had it been more focused on computer science or on the NASA headquarters, I likely would have been more intrigued by this book.
I am giving it 3 stars because I did not enjoy finishing this book. It was a DNF initially, was a 5 star book around 60 pages in, and then dwindled down to three stars by the end. I hope this makes sense as a fair rating.
Content warning The story ends just as he finally gets beck to his crew, but him going back into society for me would have been super interesting
Interesting, but a rather traditional bland male main character
A re-read because I got my hands on the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton. The narration is divine - thus, I listened to the whole thing over two days. Beautiful.
Really good 👍
Emocionante desde la primera página a la última. Un final un poco meh, pero que no empaña una historia llena de referencias espaciales.
I really loved the journal style, I imagine if I write a book I will probably choose a similar writing style
I have no idea why I didn’t read this book earlier. It is a fantastic story that kept me reading until I was done (a day and a half!).
I’ve always wanted to take a trip into space, but certainly not if it ends up like Mark’s.
I went in with the understanding this was a book about a bunch of whatif science problems so enjoyed it. The author did a good job of keeping things moving forward without getting too bogged down in detail. The structure of the story meant the protagonist was maybe the most upbeat superhuman I’ve met so it there was no emotional stakes but that was by design.
I went in with the understanding this was a book about a bunch of whatif science problems so enjoyed it. The author did a good job of keeping things moving forward without getting too bogged down in detail. The structure of the story meant the protagonist was maybe the most upbeat superhuman I’ve met so it there was no emotional stakes but that was by design.
I finished the book in two days. It’s great. You will especially enjoy it if you’re interested in detailed explanations of how stuff works on Mars (farming, orbital dynamics, making water, fixing and tinkering with all the tools and machinery, etc). There isn’t a lot of emotions involved in large sections of the book, so don’t expect it. This makes sudden jokes hit very hard though. There are emotional moments and the book will keep you at the edge of your seat.
A really great tale of survival in an unforgiving landscape. The writing style is reminiscent of Michael Crichton and the adherence to realism is admirable!
Abgebrochen auf Seite 138
Der Film hat mir persönlich weitaus besser gefallen. Außerdem konnte ich mit dem Protagonisten nur wenig anfangen, obwohl er ja einer der Hauptgründe ist, weshalb das Buch bei anderen so gut ankommt.
