the martian a book review

The Martian

By andy weir.

'The Martian' by Andy Weir is a 21st century science fiction classic. The novel was published in 2015 and was adapted into a feature film in 2018.

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

After reading The Martian , I found myself torn between my appreciation for the storyline and Watney’s likable character and the moments that the amount of detail and narrative style took me out of the story.

Scientific Language

The author’s use of scientific language is one of the major reasons that the novel has reached the popularity that it has. It’s also the reason that some readers find themselves uninterested in finishing the book. Throughout this novel, readers will find numerous examples of Weir’s extensive research and knowledge of topics like botany, space travel , and the limits of living on Mars. Weir spent a great deal of time researching this novel, a fact that can be seen quite clearly in the below example:

I ran a full diagnostic on the Oxygenator. Twice. It’s perfect. If anything goes wrong with it, there is a short-term spare I can use. But it’s solely for emergency use while repairing the main one. The spare doesn’t actually pull CO2 apart and recapture the oxygen. It just absorbs the CO2 the same way the spacesuits do. It’s intended to last 5 days before it saturates the filters, which means 30 days for me (just one person breathing, instead of six). So there’s some insurance there.

This quote from The Martian comes from Chapter 2 of the novel when Watney is going over the various pieces of equipment that he has available to him and what might go wrong with them. Here, readers can see how Weir is able to weave scientific details with his narrator’s humor. There are casual moments mixed in with more detailed ones. For example, the novel begins with the lines:

I’m pretty much fucked. That’s my considered opinion. Fucked.

Watney’s narration comes in the form of log entries, as described below. This allows him to insert his emotional responses quite easily.

In most instances, readers are going to find themselves entertained as they’re exposed to an interesting explanation in regard to what Watney is doing or how desperate his situation is.

But, for some readers, including myself, there are times when the scientific details feel over the top or too detailed. There are occasions where it feels that Weir spends too much time explaining how something works and not enough time ensuring the events are dramatic. Of course, for others, this won’t be the case. In fact, this novel’s scientific details are one of the main reasons that the novel became as popular as it is. Its commitment to the genre earned the novel good reviews. Often, it is described as one of the best science fiction novels of recent years.

Narrative Perspective

Much of this novel is written in the first person, something that certainly adds to the realism of Watney’s experiences. One exception to this is that the narrative comes from a series of logs, similar to diary entries that Watney recorded. This means that each chapter is written after something has already happened or right before something happens.

On occasion, I found that this fact took away from the suspense and drama of the situation. Watney will speak to the details of a day but, readers are already aware (because the narrative exists at all) that he’s going to make it through the day okay. With most of the dramatic details written in the past tense, some readers may find the most dramatic moments slightly anticlimactic. For example, when Watney is on his journey to retrieve Pathfinder and Sojourner. All the information is relayed to the reader after it happens. A passage begins with:

Almost made it to Pathfinder today, but I ran out of juice. Just another 22km to go!

Watney goes on to describe how things went as well as can be expected, with readers already well aware that he’s not going to have any significant issues as he talks about the day from the tone at the beginning of the log entry.

Characterization

Mark Watney, Weir’s protagonist in The Martian, is incredibly well-rounded. Throughout the novel, readers learn more and more about who he is and how he will react to a specific situation. For example, at the beginning of the book, readers may find themselves surprised by the humor Watney uses to cope with being stranded on Mars. But, as the novel progresses and readers become more familiar with him, these humorous moments feel familiar in an even more entertaining way.

Perhaps due to how well developed Watney is, I found myself disappointed in the lack of character details the rest of the astronauts and NASA workers and administrators had. This is particularly true for the crew members. The details reader receive about the characters comes primarily through Watney’s relationship with them. They feature only as minor characters throughout the bulk of the novel until the rescue is fully underway. Watney’s letters to his fellow crew members serve as one of the primary ways that readers learn about them. For example, when he’s writing his letter to Johanssen:

Your poster outsold the rest of ours combined. You’re a hot chick who went to Mars. You’re on dorm-room walls all over the world. Looking like that, why are you such a nerd? And you are, you know—a serious nerd.

Conclusion

The Martian is a remarkable novel, one that most readers are going to entertain and be thrilled by. But, it also has elements that some may find draw distance between themselves and the action. This includes the narrative perceptive and the amount of scientific detail that Weir chose to use in some passages. This shouldn’t deter anyone from approaching the novel and enjoying the drama of Watney’s situation. There are many good reasons to read The Martian, the most important of which is Weir’s creativity and the believability of the narrative. Many science fiction novels are criticized for their outrageous plotlines and non-scientific details. This is certainly not something that readers of The Martian will contend with.

The Martian Book Review: Andy Weir's Science Fiction Classic

Book Title: The Martian

Book Description: 'The Martian' is a meticulously researched and entertaining novel that tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded by himself on Mars.

Book Author: Andy Weir

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Paperback

Publisher - Organization: Crown Publishing Group

Date published: June 11, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-312-64796-5

Number Of Pages: 384

Writing Style
Lasting Effect on Reader

The Martian Review

‘ The Martian’ by Andy Weir is an incredibly creative and well-researched novel that has been described as one of the most important science fiction novels of the 21st century. It follows the plight of Mark Watney, an astronaut left behind on Mars and initially presumed dead.

Mark Watney’s humorous character.
Creative plotline
Interesting scientific detail.
Lack of characterization for secondary characters.
Amount of scientific detail.
Lack of drama in climactic moments.

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About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2014

New York Times Bestseller

THE MARTIAN

by Andy Weir ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 11, 2014

Sharp, funny and thrilling, with just the right amount of geekery.

When a freak dust storm brings a manned mission to Mars to an unexpected close, an astronaut who is left behind fights to stay alive. This is the first novel from software engineer Weir.

One minute, astronaut Mark Watney was with his crew, struggling to make it out of a deadly Martian dust storm and back to the ship, currently in orbit over Mars. The next minute, he was gone, blown away, with an antenna sticking out of his side. The crew knew he'd lost pressure in his suit, and they'd seen his biosigns go flat. In grave danger themselves, they made an agonizing but logical decision: Figuring Mark was dead, they took off and headed back to Earth. As it happens, though, due to a bizarre chain of events, Mark is very much alive. He wakes up some time later to find himself stranded on Mars with a limited supply of food and no way to communicate with Earth or his fellow astronauts. Luckily, Mark is a botanist as well as an astronaut. So, armed with a few potatoes, he becomes Mars' first ever farmer. From there, Mark must overcome a series of increasingly tricky mental, physical and technical challenges just to stay alive, until finally, he realizes there is just a glimmer of hope that he may actually be rescued. Weir displays a virtuosic ability to write about highly technical situations without leaving readers far behind. The result is a story that is as plausible as it is compelling. The author imbues Mark with a sharp sense of humor, which cuts the tension, sometimes a little too much—some readers may be laughing when they should be on the edges of their seats. As for Mark’s verbal style, the modern dialogue at times undermines the futuristic setting. In fact, people in the book seem not only to talk the way we do now, they also use the same technology (cellphones, computers with keyboards). This makes the story feel like it's set in an alternate present, where the only difference is that humans are sending manned flights to Mars. Still, the author’s ingenuity in finding new scrapes to put Mark in, not to mention the ingenuity in finding ways out of said scrapes, is impressive.

Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-8041-3902-1

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013

SCIENCE FICTION

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More by Andy Weir

BOOK REVIEW

by Andy Weir

by Andy Weir ; illustrated by Sarah Andersen

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

by Max Brooks ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).

A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you.” Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from “the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man’s heart and lungs.” Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.

Pub Date: June 16, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9848-2678-7

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine

Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020

GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SCIENCE FICTION

More by Max Brooks

by Max Brooks

BOOK TO SCREEN

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM

From the remembrance of earth's past series , vol. 1.

by Cixin Liu ; translated by Ken Liu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2014

Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.

Strange and fascinating alien-contact yarn, the first of a trilogy from China’s most celebrated science-fiction author.

In 1967, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, young physicist Ye Wenjie helplessly watches as fanatical Red Guards beat her father to death. She ends up in a remote re-education (i.e. forced labor) camp not far from an imposing, top secret military installation called Red Coast Base. Eventually, Ye comes to work at Red Coast as a lowly technician, but what really goes on there? Weapons research, certainly, but is it also listening for signals from space—maybe even signaling in return? Another thread picks up the story 40 years later, when nanomaterials researcher Wang Miao and thuggish but perceptive policeman Shi Qiang, summoned by a top-secret international (!) military commission, learn of a war so secret and mysterious that the military officers will give no details. Of more immediate concern is a series of inexplicable deaths, all prominent scientists, including the suicide of Yang Dong, the physicist daughter of Ye Wenjie; the scientists were involved with the shadowy group Frontiers of Science. Wang agrees to join the group and investigate and soon must confront events that seem to defy the laws of physics. He also logs on to a highly sophisticated virtual reality game called “Three Body,” set on a planet whose unpredictable and often deadly environment alternates between Stable times and Chaotic times. And he meets Ye Wenjie, rehabilitated and now a retired professor. Ye begins to tell Wang what happened more than 40 years ago. Jaw-dropping revelations build to a stunning conclusion. In concept and development, it resembles top-notch Arthur C. Clarke or Larry Niven but with a perspective—plots, mysteries, conspiracies, murders, revelations and all—embedded in a culture and politic dramatically unfamiliar to most readers in the West, conveniently illuminated with footnotes courtesy of translator Liu.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7653-7706-7

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Tor

Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014

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The martian.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 14 Reviews
Kids Say 42 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Gripping tale of space survival has unexpected humor.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

The first line of the book is "I'm pretty much f--ked." The Martian features adu

Adult characters make passing reference to their sex lives. The wife of an astro

Any Positive Content?

The Martian presents a very realistic picture of a near-future mission to Mars.

Education in the sciences has many practical uses. When in a life-threatening si

Mark Watney, the protagonist of The Martian, is an easygoing "everyman" who surv

The first line of the book is "I'm pretty much f--ked." The Martian features adult professionals in highly stressful situations, and the amount of strong language rises accordingly. In addition to variants of "f--k," "s--t," and "a--hole," used perhaps a dozen times each, the characters employ "damn," "hell," "bitch," and "ass" semi-frequently.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Adult characters make passing reference to their sex lives. The wife of an astronaut wants her husband to come home, and a couple is teased about being together secretly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Educational Value

The Martian presents a very realistic picture of a near-future mission to Mars. It features many discussions of chemistry, physics, and biology, with the details presented in an engaging manner.

Positive Messages

Education in the sciences has many practical uses. When in a life-threatening situation, don't panic, but stop and think. Perseverance pays off.

Positive Role Models

Mark Watney, the protagonist of The Martian , is an easygoing "everyman" who survives a deadly situation by remaining calm, thinking through the problem, and devising solutions that depend on his knowledge of science and engineering.

Parents need to know that Andy Weir's The Martian is a gripping, realistic tale of survival on an alien planet that's been popular with both adults and teens. Botanist Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars and must devise a way to stay alive until he's rescued. The story emphasizes the values of science and logical thinking. Adult characters under pressure often use strong language, including variants of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as "damn," "hell," "ass," and "bitch." No violence or sexual content. You may want to check out the 2015 film adaptation starring Matt Damon .

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

Parents say (14)
Kids say (42)

Based on 14 parent reviews

Try the Classroom Edition!

So much swearing, what's the story.

After a wind-whipped antenna punctures his space suit, botanist Mark Watney is left for dead on the surface of Mars. He survives that initial calamity but finds himself alone on the planet with no idea how to communicate with anyone back on Earth. His food, water, and oxygen will only last so long, so he needs to devise a plan that will let him live until rescue arrives. There's little room for error, though, and Watney comes dangerously close to disaster on numerous occasions.

Is It Any Good?

A first novel originally serialized on author Andy Weir's personal website, this 21st-century Robinson-Crusoe-on-Mars tale starts strong and maintains a high level of suspense. Mark Watney is an instantly likable protagonist: brave, resourceful, and smart and possessing an engaging sense of humor.

The tech talk may occasionally get a little thick, and some of the supporting characters are less than well-rounded, but Weir does a great job of escalating predicaments for his main character to surmount.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why people enjoy tales of survival against long odds. What others have you read or seen as movies?

What are some ways of staying calm in the middle of a crisis? How can you control your emotions to think rationally?

Do you think exploring other planets is a worthwhile endeavor? What kinds of information can come from such missions?

Book Details

Author : Andy Weir
Genre : Science Fiction
Topics : STEM , Adventures , Great Boy Role Models , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Broadway Books
Publication date : October 27, 2014
Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
Number of pages : 387
Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated : July 13, 2017

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The Martian: A Novel Paperback – March 30, 2021

Print length 480 pages
Language English
Dimensions 4.15 x 1.05 x 7.43 inches
Publisher Ballantine Books
Publication date March 30, 2021
ISBN-10 0593357132
ISBN-13 978-0593357132
See all details

Editorial Reviews

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books (March 30, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593357132
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593357132
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15+ years, from customers
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.15 x 1.05 x 7.43 inches
#152 in Hard Science Fiction (Books)
#573 in Science Fiction Adventures
#1,757 in Suspense Thrillers

About the author

ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time.

He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail.

He lives in California.

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Customer reviews

5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 74% 20% 4% 1% 1% 74%
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5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 74% 20% 4% 1% 1% 1%

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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the message inspiring and excellent for educators to use. They also describe the pacing as well-paced and easy to move past. Customers describe the plot as thrilling, gripping, and realistic. They appreciate the well-researched science and avoid overly descriptive details. Readers describe the writing style as clever, sarcastic, and well-organized. They find the humor delightful and well rounded. Opinions differ on the entertainment value, with some finding it satisfying and non-overwhelming, while others say it's a little weaker and obnoxious.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the plot thrilling, problem-solving, and brilliant. They also say the action builds and resolves and is satisfying. Customers also describe the book as resourceful, strong, and realistic.

"...Beyond its thrilling plot and engaging characters, "The Martian" also prompts readers to reflect on deeper themes such as perseverance, resilience,..." Read more

"...He was funny and witty which kept the story interesting and it contrasted well with the science side of things to make the book both educational as..." Read more

"...of unlikely survival celebrates human ingenuity, knowledge, perseverance and courage, but also loyalty, altruism and solidarity...." Read more

"...’s New York Times bestseller The Martian, an incredibly detailed scientific novel filled with thrill , humor, and passion...." Read more

Customers find the writing style clever, sarcastic, and amazing. They also say the details are relatable, vibrant, and never boring. Readers also appreciate the unique word choice and geek and nerd pop culture references. They say the book is a wonderful lite read that leaves them laughing.

"...blend of science, humor, and humanity makes "The Martian" a timeless classic that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come...." Read more

"...The side characters in the book were also well written ...." Read more

"...This chronicle of unlikely survival celebrates human ingenuity , knowledge, perseverance and courage, but also loyalty, altruism and solidarity...." Read more

"...However, in many ways, Mark’s experiences are very relatable ! From the moment Mark discovers he is stranded, he refuses to go down without a fight...." Read more

Customers find the book very detailed with good science. They appreciate the author's avoidance of overly descriptive details and the philosophical questions it brings up.

""The Martian" by Andy Weir is an enthralling masterpiece that seamlessly blends science , humor, and human resilience into an unforgettable narrative...." Read more

"...The book is full of action and problem-solving. It includes explanations for the many problems that Watney faces and how he plans to solve them...." Read more

"...This chronicle of unlikely survival celebrates human ingenuity, knowledge , perseverance and courage, but also loyalty, altruism and solidarity...." Read more

"...Weir’s meticulous attention to detail and scientific accuracy makes the novel both believable and educational...." Read more

Customers find the humor in the book delightful, cheerful, and well-timed. They also say the stark landscape with the levity serves as a great balance to some of the book's content.

"...Andy Weir's skillful blend of science, humor , and humanity makes "The Martian" a timeless classic that will continue to captivate readers for..." Read more

"Mark Watney has it all together: he’s got the looks, the great sense of humor , and let’s not forget the dream job: an astronaut on the Ares 3..." Read more

"...He made Watney's jokes come alive . He was simply outstanding...." Read more

Customers find the characters well-rounded and implausible. They also appreciate the mythic and epic journey of the hero.

"...Beyond its thrilling plot and engaging characters , "The Martian" also prompts readers to reflect on deeper themes such as perseverance, resilience,..." Read more

"...It was nice to see such well-rounded characters with different backgrounds that even though they were briefly mentioned it made me what to know more..." Read more

"...Why, you ask? Well, Mark is a cool character . He curses, he rejects authority, and he’s super blunt...." Read more

"...fetchingly sketched individuals, flawed and often funny and very, very likable ...." Read more

Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced, with Mark Watney's quick wit and impressive resourcefulness. They also say the book is page-turning and things move along at a nice clip. Readers also appreciate the book not set in the very distant future, but within a setting. They say the author does a good job utilizing dialogue correctly for different situations throughout the book.

"...This is still a very well paced book that builds tension and makes you think how you would act if left behind on a Mars mission...." Read more

"...writing, but I found his attention to detail, and pacing to actually be pretty darn good ...." Read more

"The book was fast paced . I particularly liked Mark's positive attitude.l also liked the technical aspects of space travel. Enjoy." Read more

"...You'll read through the book fairly quickly because of the way the author pulls you into the storyCon's..." Read more

Customers find the message inspiring, life-affirming, and helpful. They say the book teaches the perspective audience how to potentially live off the grid. Readers appreciate the optimistic outlook on everything. They also say the pacing keeps them constantly engaged, and the book gives Watney some much-needed humanity.

"...'s portrayal of teamwork and collaboration is both heartwarming and inspiring . While Watney may be stranded alone on Mars, he is far from forgotten...." Read more

"...survival celebrates human ingenuity, knowledge, perseverance and courage , but also loyalty, altruism and solidarity...." Read more

"...detail and scientific accuracy makes the novel both believable and educational ...." Read more

"...and exciting plot which ties in some real world science and makes you think ...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the entertainment value of the book. Some mention that there are satisfying moments as a reader, and it's not boring. However, others say that there's no much of a plot, and limited dialogue. They also say the premise may fool them initially, and the book can be easy to turn away out of fear. Customers also mention that the book has structural problems and lacks action.

"...The Martian’s plotline seems entirely unfeasible and unrelatable...." Read more

"...The typical complaints I found were these:The book is boring /tediousThe book is too technical/"science-y"..." Read more

"...The action builds and resolves and it is entirely satisfying ...." Read more

"...Now, I need to start off first: this could be quite boring and tedious for some people because nearly the entire book is problem solving...." Read more

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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, the martian.

As debut novels go, you won't find many finer than THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir. I'll just come right out and make that clear from the get-go. From its opening descent into chaos to the final nail-biting pages, the book is a complete triumph. And before you think you know what's going on by the title alone, know this: the Martian in question is not a little green alien bent on domination of Earth. No, here the Martian is a man.

The Ares Program is NASA's manned Mars project. Mark Watney is the lowest ranked astronaut on the Ares 3 mission, and while he's one of the first people to ever walk on Mars, he may now become the first man to die there. When a tremendous dust storm ravages the surface encampment, Watney is injured and blown away from his team as they attempt to reach the evacuation module. Fearing a loss of the entire crew, they leave, believing Watney is dead.

Following along with Watney's story is easy because he documents it in a mission blog. He's alone, the only living thing in a harsh world, with limited food, water and air. His calculations tell him that he will starve to death long before the next possible mission arrival. He has no means by which to speak with NASA. He is, quite literally, a man alone.

"As debut novels go, you won't find many finer than THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir.... From its opening descent into chaos to the final nail-biting pages, the book is a complete triumph."

On Earth, however, NASA has said their goodbyes. Watney has had a memorial service, the Postal Service has issued a memorial stamp, and they're wondering if the Ares 4 mission will be able to secure funding after this loss. They determine that one way they just might get those funds is if part of the next mission becomes a "recovery operation" by which they locate and bring back Watney's remains. Positioning satellites to photograph the old Ares 3 mission base, they are shocked to see things out of place, and more shocked to learn that Watney is, in fact, alive.

This sets off the rollercoaster ride of THE MARTIAN. They have to announce the findings by law, which could backlash against them for abandoning an astronaut, yet just may secure even more funding for a rescue mission. How can they contact Watney and let him know that they know he's alive? That they're coming? And how do they even put together the necessary means to do so in such a short window? They know how much time he has. It's the Apollo 13 square peg/round hole problem on a massive scale.

Weir spends a lot of time getting the science right. He did tons of research, and what he has come up with is the most realistic-feeling manned space adventure you could want. Every page may be riddled with science --- solid, hard science --- but it is presented in a way that is anything but boring or beyond the reach of a common reader. In fact, a few of the characters, including Watney, are constantly riffing and injecting THE MARTIAN with wit and humor that keep the novel from becoming a dry, plodding yawner.

Besides the Earth/Mars issues and the shifting of the story from one to the other, Weir also weaves in the story of the crew of the Hermes , Watney's crewmates who are presently on their way back to Earth. They're rocked by their experience and devastated at having to leave behind a fallen companion...but NASA has blocked them learning about Watney's survival and the plans for his rescue. Weir's ability to weave these three story elements together is done with a very deft hand, and as a result, THE MARTIAN is not a book easy to put down.

Mars is a brutal world. A cold world. A harsh world. Following the trials of Watney as he fights to survive is a glorious adventure. It is easy to cheer his successes yet heartbreaking when the planet rises up to beat him down. Through it all, it is his intelligence and rapid-fire humor that engages you and ties you to him. Watney will not let you go, but he would understand if you left. As he says, "It's true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl." Screaming aside, Mark Watney is THE MARTIAN you find yourself rooting for.

Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard on February 14, 2014

The Martian by Andy Weir

Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Genres: Fiction , Science Fiction , Suspense , Thriller
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Crown
ISBN-10: 0804139024
ISBN-13: 9780804139021

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The Best Fiction Books » Science Fiction » Science Fiction Recommended by Scientists

The martian, by andy weir, recommendations from our site.

“It’s a fabulous book of something that will likely be in our near future. The book started as chapters that were released for free and everyone was effusive in their praise for the accuracy of the technical details and the acumen of the writer to get everything just right. Even though it’s fiction, everything’s based on technology and methods that exist. It required no new technology that we don’t have right now.” Read more...

Space Travel and Science Fiction Books

Christopher Mason , Scientist

Other books by Andy Weir

Project hail mary by andy weir & ray porter (narrator), our most recommended books, parable of the talents by octavia e. butler, the calculating stars by mary robinette kowal, cibola burn by james s. a. corey, red mars by kim stanley robinson, the metaphysics of morals by immanuel kant, the moon is a harsh mistress by robert a heinlein.

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The latest book reviews and book news, book review: the martian.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Space travel and colonizing Mars and the moon are interesting concepts. We believe they will be colonized one day but until the we can do the next best thing and read novels about it. That is what The Martian by Andy Weir is about.

Mark Watney and his crew members embark on a month-long mission on Mars. However, things go wrong in six Mars days (days on Mars are longer) and Mark is impaled by an antenna and blown away from the crew’s vision. The crew believes Mark is dead and have to head back to earth due to a dust and wind storm.

As luck has it, Mark survives the injury and is left stranded on Mars. Now, Mark has to somehow survive on Mars and radio to Earth that he is alive. It is up to Mark to do all that he possibly can until NASA sends help and retrieve Mark before he dies.

The Martian is a great novel and that is why I was surprised nobody would publish Weir’s novel. Weir has a backround in computer science and did a lot of research on the novel which he started writing in 2009. Since nobody wanted to publish his novel, Weir decided to publish his novel online one chapter at a time.

His fans loved the book and at their request, he made it into a novel available on Amazon Kindle. The novel was sold for 0.99 cent and sold 35,000 copies in the first three months. That is truly amazing and proves a lot of publishers do not know what is a good book or not.

After the success of the novel on Amazon, Weir was approached by Podium Publishing and sold them the audiobook rights in early 2013. He sold the print right to Crown for an astounding $100,000 US dollars.

I really enjoyed reading The Martian and would definitely recommend it. It stands out in the crowded science fiction genre. But more than that, it feels real and authentic which I really appreciated.

The Martian: A book-and-movie review

December 11, 2015 Lark_Bookwyrm Book Reviews , Movie reviews 8 ★★★★

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 and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, 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, 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's not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills — and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength – he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth. As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive – but Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet. Grounded in real, present-day science from the first page to the last, yet propelled by a brilliantly ingenious plot that surprises the reader again and again, The Martian is a truly remarkable thriller: an impossible-to-put-down suspense novel that manages to read like a real-life survival tale.

The Martian is one of those stories you literally can’t put down. The basic “McGyver-marooned-on-Mars” scenario combines with one disaster or setback after another to make for riveting reading. Weir’s main character, Mark Watney, displays an engaging mix of humor, courage, and tenacity. And Weir even manages to make the science not only comprehensible but also interesting — no mean feat when the book covers everything from human waste reclamation to exofarming to space travel to chemistry.

However, the whole novel could do with a little more description and quite a bit more character development. You get some sense of some of the important secondary characters, but only a superficial one. Even Watney, whom we know best since he narrates much of the book through log entries, can be defined by several characteristics: inventive, smart, stubbornly determined, and wise-cracking being the most important. Those characteristics remain unchanged from the beginning to the end of the book. Watney is a likeable and admirable person, but he experiences no real growth despite a situation that, realistically, <i>must</i> have had some impact on him mentally and emotionally, whether for good or ill (or both.)

The focus on plot and problem-solving over character depth and development is deliberate, Weir stated in a talk at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (YouTube), and it hearkens back to the classic science fiction of his childhood. Indeed it does; I was reminded more than once of Heinlein and Asimov as I read. Yet Heinlein did more to develop his characters than Weir does, and his blending of science and human interaction is what made him my favorite of the classic SF authors in my own youth.

Despite my personal preference for deeper characters, I must admit that Weir tells a heck of a good story. I plowed through The Martian in a single evening, in part because I knew I’d be seeing the movie the next day, but mostly because Weir’s pacing is so good. He knows exactly when to throw yet another stumbling block or disaster into Watney’s path — or into NASA’s, since Watney’s narrative is interspersed with third-person chapters showing what NASA and Watney’s crewmates are doing to rescue him. I kept thinking as I read that it would make a terrific movie.

* * *

And of course, it does. Drew Goddard’s screenplay and some fine acting from the entire cast help to flesh out the characters, making it easier for me to care about the secondary characters. Matt Damon is brilliant as Watney, giving him more depth than Weir’s character through his facial expressions and body language, and letting us see him change in subtle ways as the weeks and months go on.

The film’s technology is incredibly realistic and quite believable. Like Weir, the filmmakers tried hard to get the science right, modeling much of the technology on existing NASA hardware as well as stuff currently in development. (There are a few exceptions to the “get the science right” rule of thumb, as Weir himself admits. The huge storm at the beginning could not be that strong in the real Martian atmosphere, for instance, but he needed it to kick the story off. And he didn’t know when he was writing the book that water would be discovered in the Martian soil.)

The film is also remarkably true to the book. Some sections have been condensed and one, a dust storm that Watney has to drive around for weeks, has been left out entirely, presumably because it would prove boring on film, but on the whole, it’s very faithful to Weir’s text, right down to much of the dialog (or monologue, in Watney’s case) — though scriptwriter Goddard adds a few memorable lines of his own. The script also develops the interspersed scenes on the Hermes spaceship and on Earth, and it alters the climax in a way which makes it both more dramatic and more satisfying without changing the essence of the scene. (I don’t want to give anything away, but it just works better, bringing two characters full circle, in a sense.)

Where the film departs most obviously from the book, though, is in supplying an epilogue. I think the epilogue is crucial to the movie’s overall impact; it grounds the characters and the audience, figuratively if not literally, showing how their stories — and that of space exploration itself — continue. In bringing the astronauts home, it brings the viewer back to earth; in looking forward, it makes us look forward as well.

I’m sure that audiences who haven’t read the book will still enjoy the movie, but I’m really glad that I read it immediately before seeing the film. Since the film had to condense some of the science out of necessity, it was helpful to have the explanations clear in my head, and it made it easier to compare the two. What made it so much fun, of course, is that both book and movie take a terrific story and tell it well.

CHALLENGE: Popsugar #3: A book that became a movie.

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8 Responses to “The Martian: A book-and-movie review”

Laura @Library of Clean Reads

I want to read the book before I see the movie too. Reading your reviews made me even more sure that this is what I should do. I was tempted to see the movie but I’ve read about how good the book is.

Lark_Bookwyrm

I think you could enjoy the movie without reading the book, but I liked knowing the science in more detail, and I always have fun comparing book to movie — except when the movie butchers the book, which is definitely not the case here.

Rita @ View From My Home

I haven’t read the book nor seen the film, but I intend to do at least one of these activities in whatever order. I think my son has this book on his kindle unread, so I’ll have to give it a try, though I do prefer stories with lots of character development and less technical details. Sounds worth the hype!

The interesting thing is that the plot is what’s most important – the repeated “how is he going to McGyver his way out of this one?” really keeps you reading. The technical details are there, and pretty well explained, but they don’t detract from the tension. And the main character/narrator is an interesting guy, so that keeps the book from getting dry, too.

Literary Feline

Well, I had a little extra incentive to read it and see the movie, since Drew Goddard, the screenwriter and executive producer is the son of my parents’ good friends. I’ve never met him, but we hear from them about what he’s doing. And he was really excited about this project. 🙂 Also, it does have a classic SF feel like the books I remember reading when I was in middle and high school. So I was excited about reading it.

Bea @Bea's Book Nook

I have the audio book; I’m hoping that will make all the science explanations easier for me. That was an an interesting comparison with Heinlein, now I’m even more intrigued. I will wait to see the movie until after I read the book; I think that like you, it would make more sense to me.

The science explanations were relatively clear — I mean, they made sense to me although I’m not sure I could repeat them. But the audiobook is probably a good way to go, and I’ve heard good things about the narrator.

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BookBrowse Reviews The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian

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Feb 11, 2014, 384 pages
Nov 2014, 384 pages

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Featuring a fun spin on the classic castaway story and an irreverent protagonist, this debut is sure to be a hit with fans of well-paced adventure narratives.

Andy Weir's first novel, The Martian , can be briefly described as " Robinson Crusoe on Mars." Weir's hero, astronaut Mark Watney, is abandoned on the planet when his teammates leave him behind, believing he has died in the catastrophe that has forced their evacuation. Injured and reliant on marginally functional equipment and meager food supplies, Watney refuses to give up and uses his skill and ingenuity to work out a way to survive. Much of the narrative consists of entries from a log Watney keeps, written to document his endeavors for future explorers. Riddled with profanity and a dry sense of humor, the short, snappy paragraphs allow readers to really get a feel for this funny, irreverent and marvelously inventive protagonist. He's the smart-alecky, slightly bad-boy kind of hero one can't help but root for – a cross between TV's resourceful MacGyver and Chris Pine's Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies. When trying to find something to burn in the fireproof environment in which he finds himself, for example, Watney is forced to make do:

After a search of everyone's personal items (hey, if they wanted privacy, they shouldn't have abandoned me on Mars with their stuff) I found my answer. Martinez is a devout Catholic. I knew that. What I didn't know was he brought along a small wooden cross. I'm sure NASA gave him shit about it, but I also know Martinez is one stubborn son of a bitch. I chipped his sacred religious item into long splinters using a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. I figure if there's a God, He won't mind, considering the situation I'm in. If ruining the only religious icon I have leaves me vulnerable to Martian vampires, I'll have to risk it.

Consisting largely of dialog, other parts of the story are third-person accounts of action taking place at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and aboard the Hermes , the space ship on which Watney's crew is returning to Earth. The narrative techniques cause the pages to fly by; I found the novel an exceptionally quick read. The Martian is an absolute blast and will doubtless appeal to fans of science fiction. The science and technology on which the plot relies are not only crucial to the story but are plausible (you won't find little green men in this narrative, just the normal two-legged kind). This shouldn't discourage fans of softer sci-fi or even general adventure fiction as this book is relatively accessible; there's certainly plenty of technical information, but not so much that it'll make a casual reader's eyes cross. Besides, grasping all the details isn't necessary to one's enjoyment of the novel. I would be remiss, though, if I didn't point out that The Martian is far from flawless. The downside of the epistolary format in the context of an adventure story is that much of the action happens "off-camera," so to speak; the reader is told about an event well after its occurrence, lessening the tension that might have been created with a third-person blow-by-blow account. The narration is also too consistent; Watney's log is unrelentingly upbeat, even in failure. One would expect more depth and variety in a castaway's emotions, but there's no indication of sorrow, depression, sense of loss, or the type of contemplation you'd expect from someone journaling about their almost certain death. I also felt that everything was too easy; there was never the sense that the hero's survival was on the line, only that each problem would have a resolution. And finally, the author takes great pains in demonstrating that the solutions to the problems encountered by his protagonist can actually be used. But many readers will find the facts and figures too detailed; the level of information gets a little tedious when one is eager for the plot to proceed. Although these concerns make it sound like the book has some pretty significant problems, The Martian really is a great deal of fun. (I personally thought it was such a hoot that I ended up buying three copies to give to friends – something I seldom do.) Readers looking for a fast, entertaining novel that will nourish their inner space geek will definitely want to pick up a copy.

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Book review: ‘the martian’ by andy weir.

Anastasia Klimchynskaya August 9, 2015 6 Comments 1,106 Views

Life, as the esteemed Dr. Ian Malcolm (of Jurassic Park fame) told us, can only exist on the edge of chaos. Our existence as human beings is only possible due to the delicate balancing act between change and stability, between adaptation and death.

That’s equally true of life on Mars, where survival lies in the delicate balance of the ratio between oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in one’s spacesuit. It’s the balance between the weight of a spaceship and the weight of the fuel it requires to fire that mass into orbit. It’s the balancing act between something risky but rewarding and something just plain stupid.

It’s the balance, in other words, between science and imagination – between knowing (and utilizing) scientific laws and using that human spark of creativity to turn them to one’s advantage.

That balance of science and imagination is also at the heart of Andy Weir’s The Martian. A runaway bestseller, the book boasts a simple but intriguing premise: with a mission gone wrong, NASA astronaut Mark Watney is accidentally stranded on Mars and needs to find a way to survive and get back to Earth. All he has is his wits, his humor, and some stuff the hastily-departed mission left behind.

And that’s where the balancing act comes in. The Martian is technically a “hard science fiction” book – a subgenre of science fiction so firmly rooted in science that the story wouldn’t work without it. And certainly, Weir’s first work is science-heavy; he even mentioned in an interview that the book was an exercise in whether he could make a fictional narrative out of the scientific premise of the novel. The answer, obviously, is “yes,” and The Martian is an intriguing exercise in the way that science itself can create plot.

The counterbalance to this, however, is the book’s deeply human element. Despite containing enough physical and chemical laws to fill an elementary science curriculum for about a year, The Martian is nonetheless a book about the human spirit, individual and communal, more than it’s about anything else. In a book so deeply based in physical and chemical laws, engineering, and planetary science, the only thing that prevents it from becoming an actual textbook is precisely that human element, which is able to find humor and hope on a deadly planet where each physical law could kill you or help you survive, depending how you bend it to your will.

It’s precisely this balance between human inventiveness and scientific rigor that makes this book work. Tip too much in one direction, and you get a science textbook. Stray too much in the other, and you get a book that doesn’t have enough science to justify its story. It’s a testament to Weir’s skill as a writer, then, that he’s able to create that fine balance, giving science geeks plenty to think about as they consider living on another planet, while the less scientifically-inclined readers enjoy the book for the way the character deals with his situation. Written in the first person as the personal log of Mark Watney, an engineer, botanist, and all-out geeky dork, the novel possesses a distinct, wry, sarcastic voice and an attitude towards hardship that testifies to why humanity’s survived, managed to go to space, and sent a space probe all the way to Pluto.

In short, the book is a testament to human inventiveness in every way. It’s a book about a scientist who gets to be a superhero and survive on an alien planet due to the power of his brain. It’s a celebration of, to borrow an eloquent phrase from the upcoming film adaptation of the novel, the human capacity for “science-ing the shit out of this,” and it’s incredibly awesome and inspiring.

The book is not without its flaws, however, and I’d be remiss not to note them. As Weir’s first book, it’s evident that he’s still working out some of the mechanics of telling a tale, resulting in blunt predictability in places. For example, if a character who lives alone on a planet that could kill you says “Yes! Tomorrow I’ll have accomplished this and this!” you just know disaster is coming. If he dedicates several paragraphs describing exactly how the canvas out of which astronauts make dwellings on Mars is made, you just know that in the next chapter it’s going to rip, tear, explode, or break.

The only real complaint I have, though, is that for a book that manages so much realism in its science, it’s a bit lacking in the realism department when it comes to the social, political, and economic stuff that’s happening on Earth. The book is set up as a dual narrative, that side-by-side tells of Watney’s adventures on Mars and NASA’s attempts to rescue him back on Earth (with a lot more emphasis on the former, of course).

Ironically, the stuff about one human being surviving on Mars is a lot more realistic than the stuff happening on Earth. Here, the depiction leaves much to be desired: NASA and China are apparently the only ones with rockets and the technology to send anything to space. Never mind that the Soviet Union was the first to send people into space, the fact that this book is set in the near future (where we’ve managed to get to Mars), meaning that a few other countries could plausibly have space-faring technology , or the existence of the dozens of private space agencies that can actually put stuff in space. As much as I love NASA (and with the recent Pluto flyby, it’s hard not to love NASA), this overt glorification of one space agency above all others rubs the wrong way.

Plus, the book gives the impression that pretty much everyone on planet Earth bands together to spend billions of dollars to help rescue one human from Mars, and as much as I like to believe in humanity, I’d perhaps have enjoyed a slightly grittier portrayal of the battle for the time, money, and resources needed to save one human from millions of miles away.

Nonetheless, after this book, I am definitely going to be spending all of my time science-ing the shit out of everyday life.

Tags andy weir Book Review hard science fiction Mars nasa Science science fiction the martian

About Anastasia Klimchynskaya

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The reason that only Nasa and China had booster rockets powerful enough to get supplies to mars was because Mars at the time was positioned across the sun from earth therefore requiring an unusually large booster. Yes other countries have space programs that rival nasa and China, The EU, Japan, India, Russia. But they don’t build rockets that are bigger than they need to be.

they might not now, but this book is set at least 20 years from now (if we’re generous), so why would NASA and China still be the only ones with that technology 20 years from now? Why hasn’t the landscape changed in this future scenario?

It hasn’t changed that much in the last 20 years in terms of booster capabilites, or really the last 50

The book is certainly not without faults, but your critique on the space agencies at play is mistaken. Sending a rocket to MARS is very different than sending a rocket into orbit around Earth. Mankind has plenty of rockets that can get people up into space, sure. If that’s all they needed to do, then there should be plenty of space agencies or private companies to help out. But that’s not what happened in the book. We don’t just have rockets sitting around that are capable of getting supplies to Mars. And that is the sort of rocket you’d need to get supplies to Watney or Ares. In the not-so-distant future setting of the book, there’s no reason to think this will have changed.

This is, as you mentioned, the near future, and I”m pretty sure no space agency has anything sitting around these days that could send something to Mars. But my critique is that I”m surprised that in the near future, NASA and China are the only two countries with the technology to send something to Mars. If technological progress continues in those countries with space capability, why wouldn’t Russia and space agencies, which can put stuff in space today, progress in *their* technological capability as well?

You don’t understand…

Just because you have the technology to send something to Mars DOES NOT mean that you you have a rocket sitting around that’s ready to go to Mars.

We have the technology to go to the Moon, right? But if you knocked on NASA’s door and said, “I need supplies sent to the Moon next month,” they wouldn’t be able to help you out. There are no Moon-capable of rockets sitting in a warehouse somewhere, ready for use.

For Mars this is even MORE true. Heck, we do have the technology to send payloads to Mars. Right now. But that doesn’t mean we have a rocket ready for the job right now. Rockets are built as they are needed.

In the book, America is gearing up for a new mission. So they have a rocket queued up. China is gearing up to send a satellite. So they have one. It’s not surprising that nobody else happened to have a mission planned (a) soon enough that the rocket was under construction and capable of being ready on time yet (b) far enough away that it could be refitted for a new purpose. Those are some tight constraints for rockets that are built VERY rarely.

Review: The Martian

When a novel is hyped beyond all reasonableness, I immediately dislike it on principle. Most of the time, this near-irrational dislike ends up justified when I finally get around to reading the story. But every now and then the hype is warranted.

Enter, THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir ( Amazon ).

Perhaps the most hyped novel in the last year or two—apart from READY PLAYER ONE—THE MARTIAN has a very simple premise. Mark Watney is stranded on Mars, and he needs to figure out a way to survive on that wasteland for years—that’s right, years—to even have a chance to be rescued. The hype for this novel was unreal. It has a movie adaptation with Matt Damon for crying out loud. Everyone I talk to says the novel is the best thing since sliced bread…in fact, sliced bread is at a disadvantage when compared to THE MARTIAN. I’ve even heard people comment, “This book will put us on Mars!” As a person who rolls his eyes at things over-hyped, can you see why I put off reading this book?

I finally decided to read it. Well, listen to it. Yay audiobooks!

Holy cow. Hype = Deserved.

Again, the book begins with a simple premise. A stranded astronaut on Mars. Mark Watney is a Botanist and an Engineer, tasked with using his knowledge to learn as much about Mars as he can during a month-long stay on Mars. The mission is scrubbed after a short amount of time due to a storm, and our protagonist suffers an accident, is presumed dead, and subsequently abandoned on Mars.

Then he wakes up.

What follows after is one of the most compelling Man vs. Nature stories I have ever read. Mars becomes a character unto itself, the antagonist of the tale much in the way Arrakis/Dune is in the novel DUNE ( Amazon ), minus the sandworms. Mark Watney has to figure out how to make enough water, food and air so he can survive until a potential rescue several years later when the next Mars mission is scheduled to arrive.

The story is told primarily through the eyes of Watney via First Person log entries. As the main character of the story, this could have easily ruined the story, but instead made it awesome. Weir writes Watney (man…say that ten times fast…) incredibly well, and is immediately likable and easy to root for. His mix of humor, harsh realism, and sciency talk is done perfectly.

Due to hype, I went into this book disliking it on principle, but found that the hype was completely warranted. Such a great science fiction book.

Interspersed with the Watney log entries are portions of the story told in 3rd Person Limited from the PoVs of various scientists back on Earth who are trying to figure out how to get Mark Watney home, and Watney’s fellow astronauts. Additionally, there are some section told in a near-omniscient 3rd Person PoV…usually meaning something horrible is about to happen. The instant these omniscient sections pop up, the reader is filled with dread about what is coming. The mix of narration styles is natural, and lends to an amazing sense of pacing.

With THE MARTIAN, Andy Weir has written one of my favorite Science Fiction novels ever. There are no aliens, no FTL, and no colonized worlds. This is near-future science fiction at its absolute best. From start to finish, I had no idea how/if Mark Watney would survive. I certainly hoped he would. Though, the Horror author in me kind of wanted him to fail dramatically. So, does he survive?

Read the novel and find out.

If someone tells you THE MARTIAN is over-hyped, they are lying. It has earned every bit of good-press it has received, and then some. It is the perfect blend of science and character development.

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: There will be stretches where there is none, followed by moments of very strong language. What do you expect? The dude is STRANDED ON MARS!
Violence: Not really
Sex: Some very brief discussions about it. Nothing explicit.
The Martian — Amazon — Audible

Author Links:

Andy Weir — Website — EBR Reviews

If you aren’t reading this book, you’re doing it wrong.

Great review. I had your experience. A friend of mine started talking about this book and just wouldn’t shut up. Finally I read it and now I’m sending a copy to my dad and bugging him for not starting it.

One quibble. There is a colonized world in this book, remember, if you grow crops somewhere, you have officially colonized it (in your face, Neil Armstrong).

I was lucky in that I was offered an early review copy when it was first picked up by a major publisher, but before the hype really began. I’m honestly not sure how I would have taken it otherwise – like yourself, the higher the hype, the less I’m generally interested – but it was a fantastic read that delivered on all levels.

I share a disdain for all things over-hyped. It looks like I’ll have to read this one after all.

I agree on the love, I read the book after hearing Adam Savage talking about it, but before the movie was lit and people went batshit and I loved it. I read the book and listened to the Audiobook on Savages advice, the guy who does the Audible reading is amazing. Beautiful book especially for hard Science Fiction. This was in my top two best lines in the book, “Message reads: ‘Houston, be advised: Rich Purnell is a steely-eyed missile man.”

So, this is a little weird so far. I JUST got to the first story beat on Earth so there’s a ton of book to go, but that’s sort of the problem. At no point did I think Mark was in any real danger, at least not until the last chapter, and since the logs are ‘written’ after events that removes even more tension. I am enjoying it, though, and the part back at NASA is really fun so far. Hoping it keep that fresher feeling for the rest of the book.

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The Secret of “The Martian” Success? Scientific Peer Review

Andy Weir’s tale of a stranded astronaut got its start as a blog, complete with reader comments that helped shape the plot

Victoria Jaggard

When Matt Damon signed on to play astronaut Mark Watney in the upcoming film The Martian , he probably didn't know he would be portraying the planetary science version of Schrödinger's cat .

That fictitious feline, the poster child for quantum mechanics, was born as a thought experiment—a way for physicist Erwin Schrödinger to help people visualize the strange quantum property of superpositions. Similarly, Watney is a thought experiment dreamed up by author Andy Weir , who wanted to explore the possibilities of sending humans to a punishing planet.

"I was sitting around thinking about how to do a human mission to Mars, not for a story but just for the heck of it," says Weir. "I started thinking about how I would do it and all the things that could go wrong, and I realized it would make a great story. So I made up a protagonist and subjected him to all of it."

The novel The Martian became a New York Times bestseller, and Twentieth Century Fox quickly optioned the movie rights, pulling together a cast list that reads like a call sheet for Hollywood’s “A List”. In the run-up to the film's October 2 release, NASA has been shamelessly plugging the movie as a tie-in with its efforts to mount a real crewed Mars mission.

So how did a software engineer's thought experiment, originally posted for free online, explode into a literary and cinematic blockbuster? One possible answer may be just as geeky as the novel itself: open-access peer review.

Stranded alone on Mars with limited supplies, Watney has to "science the sh-t" out of everything around him to survive, and for many readers, the most notable thing about the plot is its attention to the technical details . The book and the movie dive deep into the minutiae of the chemical reactions that turn rocket fuel into water, the caloric value of Mars-farmed potatoes and the engineering challenges of hijacking an abandoned lander to create an interplanetary Instagram feed.

Weir spent three years crafting the tale, researching the science behind his vision and working out his own calculations and mapping. That's not so unusual for science fiction writers, many of whom are working scientists or avid enthusiasts. What sets Weir's story apart is its origin as a self-published blog.

"I had tried before to write novels and submitted them to agents, but no one was interested," Weir says. By the time he had dreamed up Watney, Weir was writing just for kicks. "If it weren't for the Internet, the story wouldn't have been possible at all, because I wouldn't have had any medium to tell stories. I wasn't even trying to break into the industry any more, I was doing it as a labor of love."

Writing The Martian as a web-based serial, Weir would post a new chapter roughly every six to eight weeks, and the developing story attracted a core of about 3,000 devoted readers. As with all things posted to the Internet, each chapter sparked a variety of comments, and some readers took to emailing Weir with their thoughts and opinions.

"Getting feedback from them motivated me to keep working on it," Weir says. "There was fan mail stuff, but also my readers are nerds just like me, because they would tell me anywhere I got the science wrong. It was like having thousands of fact-checkers, and I fixed things as they sent it in."

Fred J. Calef , a geologist and geospatial information scientist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had just finished his Ph.D. work on Mars impact craters when he became part of Weir's fact-checker army. He found one of Weir's earlier self-published novels via Reddit, and that led him to The Martian while it was still a web serial.

"I read the story, and it was really compelling," Calef says. "He had all these technical details, and I thought I should write to him and share." In an email exchange, he offered Weir some notes on Martian geochemistry—there is some water trapped in Mars soil, accessible if it's brought inside and baked—and on survival tactics, such as salvaging old rovers for spare parts. In his reply, Weir told Calef: "Your points are not only useful, they are precognitive."

This type of open and immediate editorial tinkering might not appeal to every author, but it helped Weir achieve exactly the effect he wanted.

"If you say a story is going to be about the details of science, then you have to get the science right," Weir says. "I really get taken out of a science fiction story when it has a blatant violation of the laws of physics. Or even worse, when the plot sets up its own physics and then isn't consistent."

Weir's preferred style of plausible, detail-driven science fiction echoes the work of one of the genre's pioneers: Jules Verne. As with Weir's Martian success, much of Verne's popularity can be attributed to his diligent research, says Rosalind Williams , the Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology at MIT.

In place of the not-yet-existent Internet, Verne read magazines and journals voraciously, attended scientific demonstrations and lectures and crowd-sourced ideas from other science enthusiasts at the social clubs of Paris.

"Verne gave his work a kind of technical realism that seems to be a big draw among certain types of readers," says Williams. "He had a good sense of his audience … I think that's why his work was so interesting. He gets the mentality, the mindset, the obsession.

Williams notes, for instance, that Verne would seek out scientists working on early versions of submarines in the Seine so he could witness their experiments, a personal fascination that left an indelible mark on world literature: the 1870 serial-turned-novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea . Elements of Verne's descriptions of the underwater vessel Nautilus still ring true today, from its cigar shape and steel double hull to its on-board electricity. And his portrayal of the mysterious and haunted Captain Nemo adds intrigue to the innovation.

"The great invention of Jules Verne was to take the science of the day and add to it a literary plot," adds Williams. Verne plucked a piece of enticing science from the zeitgeist and pushed it to its speculative edges, crafting some of the earliest works of science fiction as we recognize it today.

Just don't tell that to Verne.

"The term 'science fiction' was … not a term he would have used or appreciated," Williams says. "He was much more likely to say he wrote geographic romance." A reluctant law student, Verne was most interested in adventure and exploration, and he got his start writing for the theater. Williams notes that reading Verne's work can feel akin to reading a movie script or a stage play.

By contrast, Weir freely admits that he didn't set out to pen a literary masterpiece with rich character development. "I don't think there's ever going to be a book club that talks about the finer nuances of Watney's personality," he quips. Still, even Weir makes some concessions to drama: At least one major plot point in The Martian hinges on a scientific impossibility.

"The big windstorm on Mars—that's just not going to happen," says Calef, referring to the initial catastrophe that prompts Watney's crew to abort the mission and leave him for dead on Mars. In real life, the red planet's atmosphere is much thinner than Earth's, so winds there can't build up enough inertia to tip over a small rover, much less a massive launch vehicle loaded with humans.

"Even hurricane-force wind on Mars is going to feel like having paper balls thrown at you," Calef says.

Weir readily acknowledges the windstorm issue: "I had an alternate beginning with an engine failure ... but in a man versus nature story, I wanted nature to get in the first shot." He notes that he also "hand waved" the rather serious issue of cosmic radiation presenting a serious health risk to Mars travelers, and he adds that NASA has evolved its portable life-support systems in plot-critical ways since publication.

That's all fodder for pedantic debates in technical circles. But in addition to its scientific street cred, Calef thinks The Martian attracted such a loyal following because it appeals to something basic in human nature: "He's approached it as a problem to solve and shows how he solves it. It's like a crime procedural, where the story is about how they find out a person is guilty. That's just interesting to people."

Williams also sees a draw beyond the pure scientific stakes, such as the parallel between sardonic, tenacious Watney and the protagonists in many Verne classics.

"There's a deep romance, in 19th-century sense of the word, in the lone individual confronting the forces of the cosmos," she says. "There's the taciturn, unflappable hero who has the technical skills to navigate and fix things, but circumstances land this individual in very frightening settings—an earthly desert, or the moon, or the Arctic waste.

"It's fascinating that this storyline is so persistent. It tells us something about us, not just these writers."

The film The Martian can be seen afternoons and evenings throughout October at the Smithsonian's Airbus IMAX® theater located at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. View showtimes and purchase tickets at the online sales venue .

Get the latest Science stories in your inbox.

Victoria Jaggard | | READ MORE

Victoria Jaggard is the science editor for Smithsonian.com. Her writing has appeared in Chemical & Engineering News , National Geographic , New Scientist and elsewhere.

Words And Peace

Book reviews and good books for you to read.

Book review : The Martian

the martian.

in exchange
for a fair and honest review.

Andy Weir

:
: February 2014

978-0-553-41802-6 384

Science Fiction/Action & Adventure

Received
from through

This book counts for the following Reading Challenges:

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

I had not read a science fiction novel for a while, and what a pleasure to get back to it with that gem! The Martian is unique: it is at the edge of the possible actually, and full of fascinating details on what a human mission on Mars could look like, and what can happen when all hell breaks loose…

It will put things in perspective if I tell you first that the author was hired as a computer programmer for a national lab when he was 15. His novel is full of scientific facts , related to astronomy, physics, biology, maths, chemistry, computer sciences, etc., and they seem to be all pretty much accurate. In fact, he even wrote his own software to track constant-thrust trajectories to insert accurate data in the story!

So Andy Weir came up with the plot as he was trying to imagine all the details to prepare a human mission on Mars . A team of six arrives there for the first time, under the commands of a woman by the way. Because of a big storm (they are quite nasty up there), they decide to get back in their ship and leave. But Mark Watney does not make it. Unable to find him, the rest of the crew decides to leave anyway, thinking he was killed. But he was just wounded and ends up the only creature there, like a 21st century Robinson Crusoe . He does not have enough food to survive until the next scheduled mission, and the living conditions are closer to hell than Eden. Remember, there’s no water on Mars, nothing grows, and it does not have our Earth air. Even though this guy is super creative and knows how to put to good use all his knowledge in botany and physics, will it be enough for him to survive? You won’t know one way or the other until you read the book to the very end.

They did it because every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it’s true. Yes, there are assholes who just don’t care, but they’re massively outnumbered by the people who do. p. 288

Anything can turn against him to the very last minute. That made the suspense quite unbearable! It was even increased for me when his daily log (addressed to its potential readers) in the first person smartly switched from time to time to third person narrator. Each time I told myself, this is it, he’s done. The pressure is relieved by super funny dialogs , or monologs, as well as hilarious details on our culture as he tries to relax with a few books, music and TV shows saved on flash-drives.

There are A LOT of technical details , absolutely fascinating stuff. Wow, the author did think this whole thing through for sure! The setting varies between Mars and NASA, as well as another country, I won’t say more. This interaction, as well as the pressure from the medias , also made for extra layers of interest.

At a deeper human level, the book also offers an interesting reflection on the themes of death and solitude : will the inability of communicating with Earth simply drive him insane and kill him? How would you deal with the possibility of dying alone on a far away planet with no humans around you? VERDICT: Combine a nerdy geeky story with our human survival instinct, so deep in our universal subconscious: that’s The Martian , a super smart science fiction novel with intolerable suspense. The best of its kind.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

About the author.

ANDY WEIR was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel.

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET? What’s your favorite science fiction novel? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN A COMMENT PLEASE

Share this:, 21 thoughts on “ book review : the martian ”.

I’m looking forward to reading this soon!

Let me know what you think!

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I really enjoyed this audiobook. I listened to it during the Charlie Hebdo week and in a way it restored my faith in humanity.

I have heard indeed that the audio version was excellent. May try it! Yes, there’s still some positive in human hearts, but of course the medias won’t tell you about it

I read The Martian this past fall. I really liked it! My husband read it too and thought the technical details got old, but I liked having them there to “justify” the science behind everything. Fascinating that Weir really does work in that field!

Interesting point of view, I thought it added a lot to the wealth of the book

I just bought this in audiobook format. Its the next on my reading list. Judging from your review I think I’ll like this book very much.

good for you! And I have heard that the audiobook is awesome

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The Martian Book Review

Kyle Hanlon

Senior Composition Book Reviews

The Martian is a science fiction novel, published in 2011 by author Andy Weir, and contains 435 pages. Andy Weir’s first published novel, The Martian , has taken the world by storm since its release. Now a major motion picture starring Matt Damon is killing the box offices(4), it’s abundantly clear that The Martian is one of the biggest books of the last couple of years and deservingly so. Although Maclean’s writer Kate Luau observes, “Watney lacks depth as a character and has no apparent life outside his work.”, Tom Shippey of the Wall Street Journal stated the book was, “techno sci-fi at a level Arthur Clarke never achieved. It also a celebration of human ingenuity.”, showing the overall, mostly positive reception of the book.

The story starts with an epilogue from the main character, astronaut Mark Watney, setting the generally dire yet light-hearted tone of the book by describing how he became stranded on Mars. Weir shows this immediately as the book begins with Mark saying, “I’m pretty much f****d. That’s my considered opinion. F****d.”(1). The story, mostly told through Watney’s journal logs, follows him as he tries to avoid starvation, explosion, suffocation, and general death as he tries to formulate a plan to return to Earth, that is alive of course. This scientifically exuberant story won’t let you rest easy for more than a minute with seemingly endless dilemmas between Mark, NASA, and the rest of the Ares 3 crew both on an academic and emotional level. Your nerves are only spared by Andy Weir’s inexplicable ability to create appropriately used comic relief whenever provided an opportunity, like in this example the NASA staff just discovered they’ve left Watney on Mars alone, almost certain to die, “‘He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.” … LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”(76). This quote shows Weir take a completely serious toned scene and flip it into comedic relief for the reader.

This book is simply revolutionary to the science fiction genre in my opinion. In your average best-selling sci-fi the fiction always seems to outweigh the science, hence its ability to sell to the masses. Creating a deep story built around a wacky fictional world claimed to have theoretical possibilities seems to be the most popular approach to the sci-fi genre. For instance Ready Player One is a fairly good sci-fi set in a dystopian future where the humans live their life in virtual simulation to escape realities. Although it provides examples of flaws in our society I never felt it was something that would ever happen. That’s where The Martian provides a welcomed change. Every problem Mark faces in the story, whether big or small, is solved in a scientific way that can be supported by scientific studies and knowledge of today. Weir, an avid student of relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and spaceflight history, makes sure to convey that knowledge through Mark’s voice. This gives the reader a realistic sense of the magnitude of the problems faced, and how an astronaut with a background in botany and mechanics would approach them. It’s exhilarating to hear the same science we talk about in school to be used in life or death situations. In one scene Mark needs to create water to grow potatoes and says, “I’ll release hydrazine, very slowly, over the iridium catalyst, to turn it into N2 and H2. I’ll direct the hydrogen to a small area and burn it. … This plan provides many opportunities for me to die in a fiery explosion” (Weir, 36). Mark makes an accurate scientific notation and compelling story simultaneously. I find that for most readers, like me, prefer to read a sci-fi where actual science has been entangled in the plot creating an even more engaging book.

The most important aspect of the whole novel is Weir’s main character Mark Watney. As the nonstop survival and solitude grow more and more prevalent, it becomes evident who Mark Watney is and how he ticks. Who is he? When you combine the genius of an astronaut, sarcastic humor of your favorite TV characters, and the maturity of a 10 year old, you end up with Mars bound astronaut Mark Watney. You’ll see anywhere from his conversations with NASA, “Me: “This is obviously a clog. How about I take it apart and check the internal tubing?” NASA: (after five hours of deliberation) “No. You’ll f*** it up and die.” So I took it apart.”, (Weir, 179) where he constantly undermines their authority for the sake of his own intuition, to his arbitrary comments to humor himself as shown here, “I started the day with some nothin’ tea. Nothin’ tea is easy to make. First, get some hot water, then add nothing’.”(Weir, 375) that Mark Watney loves nothing more than to entertain himself, which is exactly what he’ll need to do to think of a way to leave Mars in one piece. Weir creates the perfect character to entertain his readers with antics, while still making it believable that he’s capable of out thinking the countless obstacles Mars throws his way.

In the end The Martian is a must read for anyone who loves to becoming obsessed with a plot and to feeling gut-wrenched with laughter(1). I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t believe science can be fun, and is looking to be proven wrong. The book also produced a movie that won two golden globes, one for best picture of the year, and, should be watched by any fan of the books. Although I only praised its genre domination, and character development, there’s so much more that makes this one of my all time favorite books that you should experience yourself. Do yourself a favor, and get a copy today. You can thank me later.

Written by Kyle Hanlon

Text to speech

IMAGES

Review: 'The Martian' Makes Science Look Cool Again
A martian’s review of The Martian (book)
Book Review: The Martian
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian- Book Review

COMMENTS

The Martian: a book review
Review: The Martian. The Martian tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut on the Ares 3 mission to Mars. After a terrible storm almost destroys the ship and the base, the crew of his ship believe he is dead. 1) _____. Alone on the red planet, he has to survive until the next mission to Mars arrives. While this novel is fiction, in some ways ...
The Martian by Andy Weir
Andy Weir. 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 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 he's alive ...
The Martian Review: Andy Weir's Science Fiction Classic
3.2. The Martian Review. ' The Martian' by Andy Weir is an incredibly creative and well-researched novel that has been described as one of the most important science fiction novels of the 21st century. It follows the plight of Mark Watney, an astronaut left behind on Mars and initially presumed dead. Pros.
THE MARTIAN
This is the first novel from software engineer Weir. One minute, astronaut Mark Watney was with his crew, struggling to make it out of a deadly Martian dust storm and back to the ship, currently in orbit over Mars. The next minute, he was gone, blown away, with an antenna sticking out of his side. The crew knew he'd lost pressure in his suit ...
The Martian Book Review
Mark Watney, the protagonist of The Martian, is an. Violence & Scariness Not present. Sex, Romance & Nudity. Adult characters make passing reference to their s. Language. The first line of the book is "I'm pretty much f--. Products & Purchases Not present. Drinking, Drugs & Smoking Not present. Parents Need to Know.
The Martian by Andy Weir: Summary and reviews
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! A castaway story for the new millennium, The Martian presents a fresh take on the classic man-vs-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 ...
Amazon.com: The Martian: A Novel: 9780593357132: Weir, Andy: Books
ANDY WEIR built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight.
The Martian
ISBN-13: 9780804139021. 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 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 he ...
The Martian by Andy Weir
The book started as chapters that were released for free and everyone was effusive in their praise for the accuracy of the technical details and the acumen of the writer to get everything just right. Even though it's fiction, everything's based on technology and methods that exist. It required no new technology that we don't have right ...
REVIEW: The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian by Andy Weird was a surprisingly compelling novel that earns the critical acclaim it has garnered since publishing in 2011. With its witty writing, engaging characters and gripping plot I couldn't put it down as I sped read this novel this weekend. The Martian is fantastic piece of science fiction literature that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to read a little more in the genre.
Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir
It's a genuinely good feeling to read a book that lives up to all the praises; it seems like it doesn't happen too often to me anymore lately. The Martian is easily one of the most wonderful sci-fi I've ever read; intense, funny, believable, and relentlessly captivating. Whether you've watched the movie adaptation or not, and regardless ...
Book Review: The Martian
The Martian is a great novel and that is why I was surprised nobody would publish Weir's novel. Weir has a backround in computer science and did a lot of research on the novel which he started writing in 2009. Since nobody wanted to publish his novel, Weir decided to publish his novel online one chapter at a time.
The Martian: A book-and-movie review
The Martian: A book-and-movie review. December 11, 2015 Lark_Bookwyrm Book Reviews, Movie reviews 8 ★★★★ The Martian by Andy Weir Published by Crown on Feb. 11, 2014 (hardcover) Genres: Science Fiction Pages: 387 Format: Paperback Source: the library Add to Goodreads Also by this author: Project Hail Mary Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Review of The Martian by Andy Weir
Featuring a fun spin on the classic castaway story and an irreverent protagonist, this debut is sure to be a hit with fans of well-paced adventure narratives. Andy Weir's first novel, The Martian, can be briefly described as " Robinson Crusoe on Mars." Weir's hero, astronaut Mark Watney, is abandoned on the planet when his teammates leave him ...
Book Review: 'The Martian' by Andy Weir
The Martian is technically a "hard science fiction" book - a subgenre of science fiction so firmly rooted in science that the story wouldn't work without it. And certainly, Weir's first work is science-heavy; he even mentioned in an interview that the book was an exercise in whether he could make a fictional narrative out of the ...
"The Martian" by Andy Weir: A Stellar Odyssey of Survival ...
Andy Weir's debut novel, "The Martian," has become a sensation in the world of science fiction, captivating readers and cinemagoers alike. It's a thrilling narrative of survival, problem ...
Review: The Martian by Andy Weir
Enter, THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir . Perhaps the most hyped novel in the last year or two—apart from READY PLAYER ONE—THE MARTIAN has a very simple premise. Mark Watney is stranded on Mars, and he needs to figure out a way to survive on that wasteland for years—that's right, years—to even have a chance to be rescued.
Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir
You can be sure that it's going to be a fun ride when you pick up a book with an astronaut on the cover that begins with the words: "I'm pretty much f--ked. That's my considered opinion. F--ked." After blazing through software engineer Andy Weir's breakout novel The Martian, released in print in 2014, I wasn't in the least surprised that it was already in production for a major ...
Book Review
Book Review | The Martian. On April 27, 2019 July 26, 2020 By Jenny A. I read this a while back, but wanted to revisit it and finally write a review for it! Some vaguely alien-looking rocks to go with the book. The Martian by Andy Weir is one of the most impressive debut novels out there. It's also one of the best modern sci-fi books I've read.
The Secret of "The Martian" Success? Scientific Peer Review
Writing The Martian as a web-based serial, Weir would post a new chapter roughly every six to eight weeks, and the developing story attracted a core of about 3,000 devoted readers. As with all ...
PDF The Martian: a book review
The Martian: a book review Read a review of the book . The Martian. to practise and improve your reading skills. Before reading . Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises. Preparation task . Put the words in the correct groups. author . botanist . scientist . scientific : story . astronaut : calculations . base ...
Book review : The Martian
The Martian In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own. The Martian by Andy Weir Publisher: Random House/Crown Release Date: February…
The Martian Book Review
The Martian is a science fiction novel, published in 2011 by author Andy Weir, and contains 435 pages. Andy Weir's first published novel, The Martian, has taken the world by storm since its release.

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The Martian: A book-and-movie review

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