Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American ReadSix days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that … alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
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Good science and reasonable characters. It is interesting to see how the main character faces problems of survival alone on Mars. A good switch-up type of sci-fi book from the normal action packed battle types.
This one probably doesn’t need a recommendation. Huge success. Matt Damon being rescued again in a movie. But it deserves the success because it’s a very well told yarn written by an author who makes you keep turning pages. If you like a bit of ingenuity, snark and space, give it a go!
I liked this book a great deal. The story was Robinson Crusoe on Mars, “a man vs nature,” but an entirely different kind of nature. My father in-law doesn’t read any fiction but he’s and engineer. I had Amazon send him a book he loved it, couldn’t stop talking about it. He called the problems the protagonist came up against as, “workarounds.” This …
I loved the movie so much that I picked up the book, curious to see how closely the movie had followed it. Spoiler alert: The movie follows the book very closely. Brilliant, tense, and funny, the book helps to flesh out scenes from the movie (and you find out what Watney typed to NASA! 🙂 ) Great movie, fabulous book…highly recommended!
This is fiction, but among NASA folk it is apparently considered one of the most meticulously researched science fiction books in the game. I gobbled up this fast-paced story, and part of what makes it so thrilling is the fact that according to people who really know what they’re talking about, most of the technology is plausible. This book is a …
A riveting sci-fi survival story that is equal parts thrilling, funny and triumphant. It is refreshing to read a book that showcases human ingenuity, especially without the need for an evil antagonist. I found the shifts in narrative perspective a little jarring at first, but they were necessary to the story and Andy Weir used them well to …
Once in a while you come across a book that grabs hold of you and just captivates your entire mind as you are transported into a world created by the author. As a former space science nerd, I thoroughly recommend this witty science fiction by Andy Weir. I watched the film first before reading this book, and as usual I found that the book is so …
Hard SF, a smart-ass MC, and an epic adventure. What’s not to like? 🙂
Well, let’s get the obvious out of the way. If you didn’t find this book literary enough and are one of those people who call themselves a “writer” on their Amazon/Goodreads/whatever profiles and yet have no books of their own published on Amazon/Goodreads/whatever I’d like to make a humble suggestion. First, please spend a few years writing a …
The Martian is an original story jam-packed with interesting, realistic details. Great fun to read and reread!
It took quite a while to get around to this book, simply because the movie was so good. The book is just as good, but is able to go into some of the technical details better to give even more depth to the engineering of surviving on Mars.
Mark Watney has a great voice in the book, similar to what was portrayed in the movie, but subtly different. I …
Although I’m not much of an engineer and my knowledge of physics and chemistry is by now rusty at best, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a story of survival of the human spirit, creativity and problem solving at its best.
In previous reviews I have commented on how usually we put ourselves in the place of the protagonists of the books we’re …
This book is one I had to tell everyone about as soon as I finished reading it. It was that good. I probably got on people’s nerves a bit because of how much I raved about it–I just couldn’t shut up. 🙂 I loved the premise–like Robinson Crusoe on Mars, only a much funnier and smarter Robinson Crusoe.
Great Science Fiction melded with good science. If you’re a fan of both, BUY THE BOOK!!!!!
My favorite book in a very long time! If you enjoyed the movie you’ll go nuts for the book. If you think Mark Watney was funny in the movie, read the book. It also explains for me why the disaster with the farm happened.
A wonderful book about the human condition and the thoughts that either make us better and continue working or make us give up and forget moving forward. In life, how we react to those things that happen to us rather than what actually happens. This book was also a scientifically interesting book, building on McGyver-ish skills and thoughts.
Think Apollo 13, but with a Mars mission rather then a moon mission.
I read this several years before the movie, but of course was ecstatic that it was made in to a movie. Book is a great blend of story and technical space science. Read the book then see the movie, they both deliver.
It was amazing. Obviously well though out and with an eye towards scientific authenticity. It managed to combine that authenticity with humor, adventure and with compelling and well written action to write a story that kept the audience in suspense as to the protagonist’s ultimate survival.
This book was impossible to put down. It’s intelligent, hilarious, and suspenseful. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes comedy (especially sarcastic wit), drama, realistic fiction, science, thrillers, or suspense. There’s even a romance between two minor characters. It’s a remarkable book that will restore your faith in humanity.
I have …
An epic “just one damned thing after another” story.
I’ve known many engineers. His logical, methodical dialogue is so much like them it is eerie. He is faced with many problems we earthlings would not think of, until faced with them ourselves.