The Martian

Broadway Books

The Martian
Andy Weir
2011

The 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 forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars's surface, with no way to signal Earth that he's alive.  And even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.

"Chances are, though, Mark 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.

"Armed with nothing but his ingenuity, his engineering skills - and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest strength - Mark embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive.  But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

The Good
I loved The Martian.

I am not the most avid fan of science-fiction.  I mean, I've really enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (see:  Cinder), I like H.G. Wells, and I'm quite a fan for alternate universes and post-apocalyptic thrillers; however, I don't read much in the way of science-fiction.  (The sheer number of labels I've used to designate "fantasy" will tell you that.)  But I absolutely loved reading Andy Weir's novel.

Weir puts so much detail into his work:  he gives you maps of real locations on Mars, he uses jargon and real theoretical physics, he explains chemical reactions (being unafraid to throw a little chemistry into the mix), and, in general, he makes a hypothetical trip to the Martian surface seem like a legitimate venture.  Events, as they unfold, seem incredibly real and believable, like this could really happen - Mark Watney could really exist!  As quoted from the expanded edition, which features a small essay in the back:

"A castaway story for the new millennium, The Martian presents a fresh take on the classic man-versus-nature battle for survival by setting it on the surface of Mars - a planet completely hostile to sustaining human life.  Yet debut novelist and self-proclaimed space nerd Andy Weir manages to make every moment of astronaut Mark Watney's outer-space ordeal painstakingly realistic and believable. 

"At its heart, The Martian is a tale of survival of the geekiest.  Mark's scientific ingenuity, his radically inventive botanical solution to starvation, his ability to address seemingly insurmountable problems with rationality and practicality, his sanity-saving sense of humor, and his understated bravery become a moving testament to the human spirit.  When the ground team at NASA and his crew discover he is alive, their commitment to rescuing one man against all odds likewise speaks to humanity's deeply rooted sense of connection."

This is exactly how I felt about Weir's novel:  I absolutely loved it.

I loved reading Mark's log entries.  I loved having a glimpse into events on Earth.  And I especially loved the interludes that included his crew mates.  I loved the entire story, how it weaved together the narratives of many different individuals and combined scientific fact and theory to create a seamlessly blended story that kept me captivated from cover to cover.

The Bad
Mark Watney has a bit of a foul mouth (as do most of the other characters), but I can certainly understand why.  I mean, he's stuck on Mars - alone, by the way - with no way to communicate with his crew or ground control back on Earth, and he has a limited supply of food, water, air, shelter, and time if he wants to survive long enough for rescue.

When he says, "I'm pretty much fucked," I feel I can forgive him his strong language because, let's be honest here, he kind of is.

The Ugly
Survival can get pretty ugly, especially when you're trapped in space with limited supplies and nowhere to go.  If you think Mark has it rough, imagine his crew members if they get stuck in space without any advanced supplies.  I don't even want to imagine the desperate measures to which they would resort.

I'll just leave it at that.  I don't want to spoil any surprises.