The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney after he gets caught in a dust storm on Mars and his crew, assuming he’s dead, leave him there. Now, he’s got to figure out how to survive long enough to make contact with Earth and for them to get their butts back to Mars to rescue him. If ever there was a high stakes novel, this is it.
Now, this isn’t my ‘tyipical’ genre. I do read a little bit of sci-fi and fantasy, in fact I rather enjoy taking a break from my crime / thriller world on occasion to dip my toes into these new worlds, but I tend to prefer what publishing folks call ‘accessible’ sci-fi and fantasy. This means, from a sci-fi point of view, it’s not full on with the scientific details. I don’t need to be an expert in the field to undestand what’s going on. Anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, even if they’re not a hardcore sci-fi fan. Even if it means my interpretation of a story is scientifically inaccurate, I prefer getting the basics and then filling in the gaps for myself.
Well, what a pleasant surprise this book was.
Andy Weir made this rather tech-heavy book so enjoyable with his incredible voice, that it didn’t bother me in the slightest. Heck, Mark Watney could have been talking about quantum physics and I’d have still hung on every word, just because of that incredible voice. Andy Weir created the most relatable of characters, with healthy doses of comedy which I definitely wasn’t expecting considering the rather bleak premise. Obviously, none of us can empathise with what it’s like to be stranded on Mars, but because of Andy Weir’s excellent characterisation we can empathise with his emotions and we’re right there with him every time he makes a mistake or blows something up.
This book was turned into a film starring Matt Damon in 2015, and I can’t wait to see Mark Watney brought to life. He better do it justice!
