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The Martian

Book 1 in the series:The Martian

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'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.

Characters:

Mark Watney, the main character, is a clever and humorous astronaut. Supporting characters include NASA personnel and fellow crew members, who, while less developed, contribute to the story.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is witty and conversational, primarily told through Watney's log entries while interspersing third-person perspectives to show the rescue efforts.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows astronaut Mark Watney who is left behind on Mars after an accident that his crew mistakenly believes resulted in his death. He then must find a way to survive until a subsequent rescue mission arrives.

Setting:

The setting is predominantly on Mars, in an inhospitable environment where survival is a daily challenge for Watney.

Pacing:

The pacing is brisk, keeping readers engaged with rapid developments and ongoing tension from Watney's struggles and NASA's rescue efforts.
For the record…I didn’t die on Sol 6. Certainly the rest of the crew thought I did, and I can’t blame them. Maybe there’ll be a day of national mourning for me, and my Wikipedia page will say, “Mark W...

Notes:

Mark Watney is a botanist and mechanical engineer left stranded on Mars after his crew leaves him behind.
The book alternates between Mark's logs and scenes from NASA and his crew.
The novel is filled with humor, often juxtaposed against dire circumstances.
There is a focus on survival using ingenuity, science, and sarcasm.
The author Andy Weir did extensive research to ensure scientific accuracy.
Mark's first line is: "I'm pretty much fucked. That's my considered opinion. Fucked."
The bulk of the book is written in a first-person log format, detailing Watney's daily survival efforts.
Readers are taken through scientific principles and problem-solving methods to grow food and create water.
The book is often described as a mix of Cast Away and Apollo 13.
The movie adaptation stars Matt Damon as Mark Watney.
The narrative explores themes of human resilience and teamwork.

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 (759)

Incredible (228)
Loved It (342)
Liked It (123)
It Was OK (38)
Did Not Like (20)
Hated It (8)

Reader Stats (1193):

Read It (765)
Currently Reading (5)
Want To Read (280)
Did Not Finish (20)
Not Interested (123)

26 comment(s)

Incredible
1 week

I thought I had reread it before but after looking it say I just read it once in 2018. For someone who can forget a book I've read this morning it's amazing how long the book have stuck with me and I was a little afraid I wouldn't love it as much. But of course I did. It's one of my favorite sci-fi novels out there with a believeable plot yet scary and the bravery and humour that comes from there. It's sure a book I will keep re-reading!

 
Loved It
3 weeks

Humor

 
3 weeks

I believe it is as entertaining as the film.

 
Incredible
1 month

I cannot even tell you how much I loved this book. The heart, the humor, the suspense... it was a fantastic combination of everything.

I loved that there's no villain here - just a whole group of people trying to figure out a way to solve these problems and save this man. This is the kind of book (and movie!) that restores your faith in humanity, reminds you who we can be at our best.

Can't recommend this enough.

 
Incredible
1 month

Fantastic.

 
Incredible
1 month

I loved the humor and the way humanity came together to save one person.

 
Incredible
2 months

My inner space nerd is screaming. I loved this book so much. I loved the science behind it, the plot, and the way it felt like it was a legitimate mission.

 
Incredible
3 months

WHAT. You know that scene in Apollo 13 when all the engineers on earth have to find a way to land the space ship using a roll of duct tape (which is magic and should be worshipped according the

The Martian's protagonist), a piece of string, and a paperclip? I think that's how it goes. Anyway, that sense of urgency and adrenaline pervades this entire book, which is also about a space adventure gone terribly wrong. I don't know how, but Andy Weir wrote a book about engineering, math, and potato farming and made it impossible to put down. Mark Watney is an amazing protagonist; we mostly get to know him through his logs, but Weir uses a few differently-structured scenes to build tension and basically make the reader crazy. Mark is stuck on Mars and subject to Murphy's Law at every turn. However, I couldn't have hoped for a better, funnier, stronger book when I picked this up.

 
Loved It
3 months

*****4.0****

This book was on my to-read shelf from eternity. So I took it up and got tangled in some other mess and had to put it down. And it took me lot more time to sync in to the book a second time.

So guys, if you pick this one up, just read it in a go. The science stuff just makes you irritable in here.

Mark Watney is stranded on Mars due to some accident and he is trying to stay alive. He is a very aintelligent and humorous guy. The suspense whether he will survive or not kept on the edge. A very fulfilling read with lots of fun.

Happy Reading!!

 
It Was OK
3 months

I thought this book was only okay. I did not think it was particularly well-written. Entire sections of the book are super dry and technical. The characters seem like emotionless super genius robots. Then during other sections the characters morph into very immature frat-boy types, like teens. The women scientists are weirdly sexualized and demeaned throughout. Did not seem realistic at all and I couldn't ever get really into the story or believe the tension was real. It got tedious. I didn't find Mark particularly funny or sarcastic and it seemed weird to be all "I'm fucked lolz" while stranded on Mars for over two years while supposedly being intelligent enough to just MacGyver yourself out of every single situation. I guess I was expecting a little more depth, like that in Bowie's song "Space Oddity" or [b:2001: A Space Odyssey|70535|2001 A Space Odyssey (Space Odyssey, #1)|Arthur C. Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432468943s/70535.jpg|208362] and this fell very flat.

 
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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…

 
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