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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I loved the humor and sarcasm of the main character! Also his adaptability and intelligence. I learned a lot also. The only thing I would have changed is some of the unnecessary crude language.
Great book, didn’t want to put it down.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Martian with one caveat: the author has a moment of preachiness at the very end that I found disingenuous and unnecessary.
Fascinating tale of survival against all odds.
A book I didn’t expect to enjoy but I couldn’t put it down! I loved it!
Excellent book. Very believable.
I enjoyed it all: the science, the pop references, the wit, the main character’s attitude… And have become a fan of the author.
Fabulous! This book grabs you right from the start and does not let go! I could not put this audiobook down! Wil Wheaton was amazing reading this book. His narration was absolutely perfect! 100
This is a great story of survival against unbelievable odds. The book was better than the movie.
I stumbled across this book the first time roughly a year before the movie came out and it blew me away. The movie was fun and ended at a better place than the book, but didn’t really match my reading experience. So it was with great curiosity that I approached the book again, this time in audio format, to see if it continued to live up to my …
Listened to the Audible version
If you are not a STEM geek, you might want to pass on this one. The amount of chemistry, physics, mathematics involved in space travel is mind boggling, and the author throws a great deal of it at the reader as Mark problem-solves for over a year. The amount of research Mr. Weir must have gone through in …
Tension, science, potatoes; what’s not to like?
Brilliant and innovative. A proper adventure without ludicrous car chases and people shooting each other. I really enjoyed this book, and looked forward to reading a couple of chapters a day to see how Watney planned to survive a little longer. The taut relationships between him and earth and the …
Reads like a science fiction story a space-program ‘insider’ would write. Outstanding McGyvering for a biologist. Unless said biologist also had degrees in physics and engineering…
I really enjoyed reading this book. I picked it up on a whim and started reading while waiting for my daughter in a bookstore. Suddenly, I was 100 pages in and could not put this book down. Weir created an incredible character in Mark Watney. Watney’s level-headed, calm approach to surviving an impossible situation could have been a bore, but it …
I’ve read it three times and will read it again…..
Save for the initial accident, which Weir himself admitted he fudged for the sake of the story, there’s some pretty solid science behind the tale. It’s told in the first person, and I loved how Weir’s main character used humor to handle his stressful situation. I laughed out loud in several places. What a fun read … and now to watch the movie.
Best techno-thriller I have read in years. The humor injected into the story is the icing on the top!
This book showed me I should always have a plan B and never stop trying to find a solution to an immediate problem.
This is a must-read for anyone who likes space-exploration, hard Sci-Fi novels, or just likes to read.
The thing that compels me most about this book is that it is obviously sci-fi, and yet earth-bound. Andy Weir’s brilliant story is character driven, and you cannot help but like Mark Watney’s biting wit, and his sometimes emotional acceptance of his circumstances. It’s sci-fi without any of the flashy tech and laser weapons. It’s easy to believe …