The Martian – Andy Weir – Book 27 of 2015 No 4 of Science Fiction Reading Challenge
One of my resolutions for 2015 was to read more science fiction. It is a genre that I have read and loved in the past I have read the classics by authors like Frank Herbert, Arthur C Clarke and Robert Heinlein along with authors like David Brin and Orson Scott Card, but through the years that amount of SciFi that I read dwindles down to almost nothing. I say almost because I have read several boos by John Scalzi. Anyway, back at the beginning of the year I went looking for new science fiction to read and one book that kept appearing on several of the list of the Best Science Fiction was The Martian Andy Weir’s. The Martian became the 27th book I’ve read in 2015, and the fourth in the science fiction genre. Now I know what everyone has been raving about! The Martian is a terrific read!. It is by far my favorite SciFi read of the year and up there among my favorite overall reads! My current SciFi read Dark Intelligence by Neal Asher is a close second!
For those of you who like me know little about The Martian, it is a Robinson Crusoe, Tom Hawks Cast Way type tale set on Mars. The Cast Away is Engineer Botanist Mark Watney who is part of the third manned mission to Mars. After touchdown and setting up their base a violent sandstorm hits the base. The mission is canceled and the astronauts are ordered to leave the planet. As they are making their way to the shuttle craft, Mark is swept away by a 170 km/hr gust of wind and lost. The crew is unable to find him and he is assumed to be dead and buried. The crew reluctantly leave Mars. Only Mark IS alive and here’s what he thinks about his chances of surviving. From the opening paragraphs of The Martian.…..
When I started the book I didn’t;t think that Weir could make Watney’s tale of survival on Mars as compelling and interesting as he did. Watney would have to survive almost 4 years until the return of another manned Mars mission! He faced challenges like getting food to grow on a barren planet and making water without blowing himself up! He battled everything the planet could trow at him with humor, ingenuity, duct tape, 70s disco music and TV shows!!
Some of my favorite lines from the book include……
“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”
“Actually, I was the very lowest ranked member of the crew. I would only be “in command” if I were the only remaining person.”
What do you know? I’m in command”
And as a Granddad I love this one…
“I can’t wait till I have grandchildren. When I was younger, I had to walk to the rim of a crater. Uphill! In an EVA suit! On Mars, ya little shit! Ya hear me? Mars!”
Bottom Line Rating ***** The Martian is everything that everyone says that it is, a compelling and suspenseful story of survival against incredible odds! One of the themes of the book is the question of whether it wise to save one person at an astronomical cost or to put more lives at risk for one man!
A movie based on the book is set for release in November with Matt Damon starring as Mark Watney, so hurry and go out and read the book. So that, when you see the movie you can say that the movie was good, but the book was better!! You can check out information about the movie here
Links for Further Exploration of The Martian and Andy Weir
Author”s Website
Goodreads: The Martian
Goodreads: Andy Weir
