Who Would Like This Book:
If you love smart, edge-of-your-seat survival stories and a healthy dose of snark, The Martian is a blast. Mark Watney is basically MacGyver marooned on Mars, using science and a ton of irreverent humor to tackle one life-threatening Mars problem after another. This book is catnip for space geeks, engineers, and anyone who enjoyed Apollo 13 or Cast Away (but with more disco and potatoes). Even if you don't usually go for science-heavy fiction, Watney's tenacity and wit make it super accessible - and unexpectedly hilarious.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found The Martian a bit too heavy on the technical jargon and math - if equations and science talk make your eyes glaze over, you might end up skimming. The storytelling can get formulaic (problem, solution, repeat), and not everyone loved Watney’s nonstop wisecracks or thought he was a realistic portrayal of someone stranded and alone for so long. If you’re looking for deep emotional introspection or literary prose, this might not scratch that itch.
About:
'The Martian' by Andy Weir is a thrilling science fiction novel that follows the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is mistakenly left behind on Mars after his crew believes he is dead. The plot revolves around Watney's incredible survival journey as he uses his ingenuity, humor, and scientific knowledge to overcome challenges, from building a potato farm to contacting NASA for a rescue mission. The writing style is engaging, filled with details and technical know-how that immerse the reader into the world of space exploration without being too tedious, making the character of Watney well-fleshed out and likable.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains strong language and themes of survival under extreme conditions.
From The Publisher:
A survival story for the 21st century and the international bestseller behind the major film from Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain.
I'm stranded on Mars.
I have no way to communicate with Earth.
I'm in a habitat designed to last 31 days.
If the oxygenator breaks down, I'll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I'll die of thirst. If the hab breaches, I'll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I'll eventually run out of food and starve to death.
So yeah. I'm screwed.
'A saga of courage, ingenuity and humour... utterly convincing' STEPHEN BAXTER
Ratings (1277)
Incredible (391) | |
Loved It (541) | |
Liked It (233) | |
It Was OK (72) | |
Did Not Like (29) | |
Hated It (11) |
Reader Stats (2024):
Read It (1309) | |
Currently Reading (11) | |
Want To Read (446) | |
Did Not Finish (34) | |
Not Interested (224) |
38 comment(s)
The Martian is a lot of fun to read, especially if you’re a physicist. Mark Watney is a hilarious and engaging character, and I had a blast following his problem-solving process as he tries to survive on Mars. Andy Weir made a significant effort to get the physics and science behind each challenge Watney faces as accurate as possible. I highly recommend!
The plot itself is fairly straightforward, but each scene is unique in its own way: Watney is stuck on Mars, and he must use his NASA training and scientific expertise to solve a new problem each Sol (Marian Day-Night Cycle) to survive long enough to eventually get off the planet. Meanwhile on Earth, NASA attempts ways to get Watney back to Earth as soon as possible.
Andy Weir seems like a nice guy. Just a space fanboy who self-published a book based on his love for sci-fi and orbital physics which - to his great surprise - was picked up by a publisher and movie director in one week. How great! Written as you would expect from a software engineer, but a really fun read.
Very entertaining! Great story teller. One exciting conflict after another and I didn’t mind the technical writing too much.
Watney is likeable, but there is no tension
Mark has got to be the most cringey character i’ve ever read! He’s literally a walking dad joke.
The space stuff and the people at NASA panicking every 5 seconds was really cool, but other than that, it’s a no from me!
I had seen the movie a few times before reading the book, so I knew what was coming - but it was still enjoyable to read, and to get the extra detail that a book typically provides.
Audio v en
Witty, Smarta** and funny. Very refreshing to read and enjoyable from the 1st to the last page. Focusing on a single character but never dull.
Compelling, the main character was clever and easy to root for, science was interesting to follow, idea of space travel in a realistic manner
Bit of a slow start and took a bit for me to feel invested. Once other characters came in and I got to see perspectives from everyone involved, I enjoyed it a lot more. Some of the science went over my head, but most I was able to understand at a basic level. Overall pretty good - liked it more than Artemis.
What can you read after
The Martian?
About the Author:
Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
