The Martian
by
Andy Weir
Summary:
Six 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 & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& 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—& 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?
*****
Marden's Review.
Before I knew about The Martian by Andy Weir there was only one book that I described as "a masterpiece," but now that I finished reading The Martian there are two books that I call masterpieces. The Martian is one of them.
This book is amazingly complex in terms of Science. Weir describes in great detail every event that comprises scientific processes. From chemistry to geology, this book includes a bit of everything for those into any scientific field. As someone said, it is a "love letter to science." The most surprising thing is that even though you keep reading scientific words throughout the novel Weir skillfully entertain with unpredicted humor. That was shocking to me, because it's not an easy task if you think about it. The author first engages you to a branch of science--in a serious fashion--and then he suddenly throws at you jokes about a TV show from the 70s, and it totally works. You learn, you laugh. It's incredible.
(Did I mention that his scientific descriptions are relatively accurate? Not that I'm a know-it-all but there is proof if you do research).
The novel spends a lot with the protagonist (who is on Mars), but it also bifurcates the plot to what is happening on Earth and what is happening in an unspecified region in the Universe. That changing of settings comes with great supporting characters, each of them with their very own personality and temper. Their roles are to complement what Weir is trying to build: a survival guide for if you find yourself stuck on Mars. It turns out that this survival guide also features good amount of drama, great thriller, special charisma, and an inspiring reflection to conclude the story. The result is an unforgettable sic-fi novel.
Andy Weir has proved with The Martian that science is not boring at all. I'm so impressed by this author.
This book is amazingly complex in terms of Science. Weir describes in great detail every event that comprises scientific processes. From chemistry to geology, this book includes a bit of everything for those into any scientific field. As someone said, it is a "love letter to science." The most surprising thing is that even though you keep reading scientific words throughout the novel Weir skillfully entertain with unpredicted humor. That was shocking to me, because it's not an easy task if you think about it. The author first engages you to a branch of science--in a serious fashion--and then he suddenly throws at you jokes about a TV show from the 70s, and it totally works. You learn, you laugh. It's incredible.
(Did I mention that his scientific descriptions are relatively accurate? Not that I'm a know-it-all but there is proof if you do research).
The novel spends a lot with the protagonist (who is on Mars), but it also bifurcates the plot to what is happening on Earth and what is happening in an unspecified region in the Universe. That changing of settings comes with great supporting characters, each of them with their very own personality and temper. Their roles are to complement what Weir is trying to build: a survival guide for if you find yourself stuck on Mars. It turns out that this survival guide also features good amount of drama, great thriller, special charisma, and an inspiring reflection to conclude the story. The result is an unforgettable sic-fi novel.
Andy Weir has proved with The Martian that science is not boring at all. I'm so impressed by this author.
Sounds good, I plan to read it too before watching the movie (I confess, the trailer grabbed my attention, but it's good that I did find out about the story no matter how). I am so glad that you loved it this much, can't wait to get my hands on it!
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