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The Martian by Andy Weir #creatorfavorites2024.MOVSlowestuff

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The Martian Paperback – October 28, 2014

by Andy Weir (Author)

4.6 175,847 ratings

Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Brilliant . . . a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years . . . utterly compelling.”—The Wall Street Journal

The inspiration for the major motion picture

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—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE

“A hugely entertaining novel [that] reads like a rocket ship afire . . . Weir has fashioned in Mark Watney one of the most appealing, funny, and resourceful characters in recent fiction.”—Chicago Tribune

“As gripping as they come . . . You’ll be rooting for Watney the whole way, groaning at every setback and laughing at his pitchblack humor. Utterly nail-biting and memorable.”—Financial Times

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Brilliant…a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years…Utterly compelling.”--Wall Street Journal

“Terrific stuff, a crackling good read that devotees of space travel will devour like candy…succeeds on several levels and for a variety of reasons, not least of which is its surprising plausibility.”—USA Today

“An impressively geeky debut…the technical details keep the story relentlessly precise and the suspense ramped up. And really, how can anyone not root for a regular dude to prove the U-S-A still has the Right Stuff?”--Entertainment Weekly

“Gripping…[features] a hero who can solve almost every problem while still being hilarious. It’s hard not to be swept up in [Weir’s] vision and root for every one of these characters. Grade: A.”—AVClub.com

“Andy Weir delivers with The Martian...a story for readers who enjoy thrillers, science fiction, non-fiction, or flat-out adventure [and] an authentic portrayal of the future of space travel.”--Associated Press

"A gripping tale of survival in space [that] harkens back to the early days of science fiction by masters such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke."--San Jose Mercury News

“One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. It feels so real it could almost be nonfiction, and yet it has the narrative drive and power of a rocket launch. This is Apollo 13 times ten.”
--Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Impact and Blasphemy

“A book I just couldn’t put down! It has the very rare combination of a good, original story, interestingly real characters and fascinating technical accuracy…reads like “MacGyver” meets “Mysterious Island.”
--Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Commander of the International Space Station and author of An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

"The best book I've read in ages. Clear your schedule before you crack the seal. This story will take your breath away faster than a hull breech. Smart, funny, and white-knuckle intense, The Martian is everything you want from a novel."
--Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of Wool

“The Martian kicked my ass! Weir has crafted a relentlessly entertaining and inventive survival thriller, a MacGyver-trapped-on-Mars tale that feels just as real and harrowing as the true story of Apollo 13.”
—Ernest Cline, New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

“Gripping…shapes up like Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as written by someone brighter.”
--Larry Niven, multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld series and Lucifer’s Hammer

“Humankind is only as strong as the challenges it faces, and The Martian pits human ingenuity (laced with more humor than you’d expect) against the greatest endeavor of our time — survival on Mars. A great read with an inspiring attention to technical detail and surprising emotional depth. Loved it!"
--Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse

“The tension simply never lets up, from the first page to the last, and at no point does the believability falter for even a second. You can't shake the feeling that this could all really happen.”
—Patrick Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Breach and Ghost Country

"Strong, resilent, and gutsy. It's Robinson Crusoe on Mars, 21st century style. Set aside a chunk of free time when you start this one. You're going to need it because you won't want to put it down."
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The King’s Deception and The Columbus Affair

“An excellent first novel…Weir laces the technical details with enough keen wit to satisfy hard science fiction fan and general reader alike [and] keeps the story escalating to a riveting conclusion.”—Publisher’s Weekly (starred)

"Riveting...a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man's ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds."--Booklist

“Sharp, funny and thrilling, with just the right amount of geekery…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.”—Kirkus

"Weir combines the heart-stopping with the humorous in this brilliant debut novel...by placing a nail-biting life-and-death situation on Mars and adding a snarky and wise-cracking nerdy hero, Weir has created the perfect mix of action and space adventure."--Library Journal (starred)

“A perfect novel in almost every way, The Martian may already have my vote for best book of 2014.”—Crimespree Magazine

“A page-turning thriller…this survival tale with a high-tech twist will pull you right in.”—Suspense Magazine

About the Author

Andy Weir built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

LOG ENTRY: SOL 6

I’m pretty much fucked.

That’s my considered opinion.

Fucked.

Six days into what should be the greatest two months of my life, and it’s turned into a nightmare.

I don’t even know who’ll read this. I guess someone will find it eventually. Maybe a hundred years from now.

For the record . . . I didn’t die on Sol 6. Certainly the rest of the crew thought I did, and I can’t blame them. Maybe there’ll be a day of national mourning for me, and my Wikipedia page will say, “Mark Watney is the only human being to have died on Mars.”

And it’ll be right, probably. ’Cause I’ll surely die here. Just not on Sol 6 when everyone thinks I did.

Let’s see . . . where do I begin?

The Ares Program. Mankind reaching out to Mars to send people to another planet for the very first time and expand the horizons of humanity blah, blah, blah. The Ares 1 crew did their thing and came back heroes. They got the parades and fame and love of the world.

Ares 2 did the same thing, in a different location on Mars. They got a firm handshake and a hot cup of coffee when they got home.

Ares 3. Well, that was my mission. Okay, not mine per se. Commander Lewis was in charge. I was just one of her crew. Actually, I was the very lowest ranked member of the crew. I would only be “in command” of the mission if I were the only remaining person.

What do you know? I’m in command.

I wonder if this log will be recovered before the rest of the crew die of old age. I presume they got back to Earth all right. Guys, if you’re reading this: It wasn’t your fault. You did what you had to do. In your position I would have done the same thing. I don’t blame you, and I’m glad you survived.

I guess I should explain how Mars missions work, for any layman who may be reading this. We got to Earth orbit the normal way, through an ordinary ship to Hermes. All the Ares missions use Hermes to get to and from Mars. It’s really big and cost a lot so NASA built only one.

Once we got to Hermes, four additional unmanned missions brought us fuel and supplies while we prepared for our trip. Once everything was a go, we set out for Mars. But not very fast. Gone are the days of heavy chemical fuel burns and trans-Mars injection orbits.

Hermes is powered by ion engines. They throw argon out the back of the ship really fast to get a tiny amount of acceleration. The thing is, it doesn’t take much reactant mass, so a little argon (and a nuclear reactor to power things) let us accelerate constantly the whole way there. You’d be amazed at how fast you can get going with a tiny acceleration over a long time.

I could regale you with tales of how we had great fun on the trip, but I won’t. I don’t feel like reliving it right now. Suffice it to say we got to Mars 124 days later without strangling each other.

From there, we took the MDV (Mars descent vehicle) to the surface. The MDV is basically a big can with some light thrusters and parachutes attached. Its sole purpose is to get six humans from Mars orbit to the surface without killing any of them.

And now we come to the real trick of Mars exploration: having all of our shit there in advance.

A total of fourteen unmanned missions deposited everything we would need for surface operations. They tried their best to land all the supply vessels in the same general area, and did a reasonably good job. Supplies aren’t nearly so fragile as humans and can hit the ground really hard. But they tend to bounce around a lot.

Naturally, they didn’t send us to Mars until they’d confirmed that all the supplies had made it to the surface and their containers weren’t breached. Start to finish, including supply missions, a Mars mission takes about three years. In fact, there were Ares 3 supplies en route to Mars while the Ares 2 crew were on their way home.

The most important piece of the advance supplies, of course, was the MAV. The Mars ascent vehicle. That was how we would get back to Hermes after surface operations were complete. The MAV was soft-landed (as opposed to the balloon bounce-fest the other supplies had). Of course, it was in constant communication with Houston, and if there had been any problems with it, we would have passed by Mars and gone home without ever landing.

The MAV is pretty cool. Turns out, through a neat set of chemical reactions with the Martian atmosphere, for every kilogram of hydrogen you bring to Mars, you can make thirteen kilograms of fuel. It’s a slow process, though. It takes twenty-four months to fill the tank. That’s why they sent it long before we got here.

You can imagine how disappointed I was when I discovered the MAV was gone.

It was a ridiculous sequence of events that led to me almost dying, and an even more ridiculous sequence that led to me surviving.

The mission is designed to handle sandstorm gusts up to 150 kph. So Houston got understandably nervous when we got whacked with 175 kph winds. We all got in our flight space suits and huddled in the middle of the Hab, just in case it lost pressure. But the Hab wasn’t the problem.

The MAV is a spaceship. It has a lot of delicate parts. It can put up with storms to a certain extent, but it can’t just get sandblasted forever. After an hour and a half of sustained wind, NASA gave the order to abort. Nobody wanted to stop a monthlong mission after only six days, but if the MAV took any more punishment, we’d all have gotten stranded down there.

We had to go out in the storm to get from the Hab to the MAV. That was going to be risky, but what choice did we have?

Everyone made it but me.

Our main communications dish, which relayed signals from the Hab to Hermes, acted like a parachute, getting torn from its foundation and carried with the torrent. Along the way, it crashed through the reception antenna array. Then one of those long thin antennae slammed into me end-first. It tore through my suit like a bullet through butter, and I felt the worst pain of my life as it ripped open my side. I vaguely remember having the wind knocked out of me (pulled out of me, really) and my ears popping painfully as the pressure of my suit escaped.

The last thing I remember was seeing Johanssen hopelessly reaching out toward me.

I awoke to the oxygen alarm in my suit. A steady, obnoxious beeping that eventually roused me from a deep and profound desire to just fucking die.

The storm had abated; I was facedown, almost totally buried in sand. As I groggily came to, I wondered why I wasn’t more dead.

The antenna had enough force to punch through the suit and my side, but it had been stopped by my pelvis. So there was only one hole in the suit (and a hole in me, of course).

I had been knocked back quite a ways and rolled down a steep hill. Somehow I landed facedown, which forced the antenna to a strongly oblique angle that put a lot of torque on the hole in the suit. It made a weak seal.

Then, the copious blood from my wound trickled down toward the hole. As the blood reached the site of the breach, the water in it quickly evaporated from the airflow and low pressure, leaving a gunky residue behind. More blood came in behind it and was also reduced to gunk. Eventually, it sealed the gaps around the hole and reduced the leak to something the suit could counteract.

The suit did its job admirably. Sensing the drop in pressure, it constantly flooded itself with air from my nitrogen tank to equalize. Once the leak became manageable, it only had to trickle new air in slowly to relieve the air lost.

After a while, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) absorbers in the suit were expended. That’s really the limiting factor to life support. Not the amount of oxygen you bring with you, but the amount of CO2 you can remove. In the Hab, I have the oxygenator, a large piece of equipment that breaks apart CO2 to give the oxygen back. But the space suits have to be portable, so they use a simple chemical absorption process with expendable filters. I’d been asleep long enough that my filters were useless.

The suit saw this problem and moved into an emergency mode the engineers call “bloodletting.” Having no way to separate out the CO2, the suit deliberately vented air to the Martian atmosphere, then backfilled with nitrogen. Between the breach and the bloodletting, it quickly ran out of nitrogen. All it had left was my oxygen tank.

So it did the only thing it could to keep me alive. It started backfilling with pure oxygen. I now risked dying from oxygen toxicity, as the excessively high amount of oxygen threatened to burn up my nervous system, lungs, and eyes. An ironic death for someone with a leaky space suit: too much oxygen.

Every step of the way would have had beeping alarms, alerts, and warnings. But it was the high-oxygen warning that woke me.

The sheer volume of training for a space mission is astounding. I’d spent a week back on Earth practicing emergency space suit drills. I knew what to do.

Carefully reaching to the side of my helmet, I got the breach kit. It’s nothing more than a funnel with a valve at the small end and an unbelievably sticky resin on the wide end. The idea is you have the valve open and stick the wide end over a hole. The air can escape through the valve, so it doesn’t interfere with the resin making a good seal. Then you close the valve, and you’ve sealed the breach.

The tricky part was getting the antenna out of the way. I pulled it out as fast as I could, wincing as the sudden pressure drop dizzied me and made the wound in my side scream in agony.

I got the breach kit over the hole and sealed it. It held. The suit backfilled the missing air with yet more oxygen. Checking my arm readouts, I saw the suit was now at 85 percent oxygen. For reference, Earth’s atmosphere is about 21 percent. I’d be okay, so long as I didn’t spend too much time like that.

I stumbled up the hill back toward the Hab. As I crested the rise, I saw something that made me very happy and something that made me very sad: The Hab was intact (yay!) and the MAV was gone (boo!).

Right that moment I knew I was screwed. But I didn’t want to just die out on the surface. I limped back to the Hab and fumbled my way into an airlock. As soon as it equalized, I threw off my helmet.

Once inside the Hab, I doffed the suit and got my first good look at the injury. It would need stitches. Fortunately, all of us had been trained in basic medical procedures, and the Hab had excellent medical supplies. A quick shot of local anesthetic, irrigate the wound, nine stitches, and I was done. I’d be taking antibiotics for a couple of weeks, but other than that I’d be fine.

I knew it was hopeless, but I tried firing up the communications array. No signal, of course. The primary satellite dish had broken off, remember? And it took the reception antennae with it. The Hab had secondary and tertiary communications systems, but they were both just for talking to the MAV, which would use its much more powerful systems to relay to Hermes. Thing is, that only works if the MAV is still around.

I had no way to talk to Hermes. In time, I could locate the dish out on the surface, but it would take weeks for me to rig up any repairs, and that would be too late. In an abort, Hermes would leave orbit within twenty-four hours. The orbital dynamics made the trip safer and shorter the earlier you left, so why wait?

Checking out my suit, I saw the antenna had plowed through my bio-monitor computer. When on an EVA, all the crew’s suits are networked so we can see each other’s status. The rest of the crew would have seen the pressure in my suit drop to nearly zero, followed immediately by my bio-signs going flat. Add to that watching me tumble down a hill with a spear through me in the middle of a sandstorm . . . yeah. They thought I was dead. How could they not?

They may have even had a brief discussion about recovering my body, but regulations are clear. In the event a crewman dies on Mars, he stays on Mars. Leaving his body behind reduces weight for the MAV on the trip back. That means more disposable fuel and a larger margin of error for the return thrust. No point in giving that up for sentimentality.

So that’s the situation. I’m stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Hermes or Earth. Everyone thinks I’m dead. I’m in a Hab designed to last thirty-one days.

If the oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.

So yeah. I’m fucked.

Chapter 2

LOG ENTRY: SOL 7

Okay, I’ve had a good night’s sleep, and things don’t seem as hopeless as they did yesterday.

Today I took stock of supplies and did a quick EVA to check up on the external equipment. Here’s my situation:

The surface mission was supposed to be thirty-one days. For redundancy, the supply probes had enough food to last the whole crew fifty-six days. That way if one or two probes had problems, we’d still have enough food to complete the mission.

We were six days in when all hell broke loose, so that leaves enough food to feed six people for fifty days. I’m just one guy, so it’ll last me three hundred days. And that’s if I don’t ration it. So I’ve got a fair bit of time.

I’m pretty flush on EVA suits, too. Each crew member had two space suits: a flight spacesuit to wear during descent and ascent, and the much bulkier and more robust EVA suit to wear when doing surface operations. My flight spacesuit has a hole in it, and of course the crew was wearing the other five when they returned to Hermes. But all six EVA suits are still here and in perfect condition.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (October 28, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 387 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553418025
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553418026
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15+ years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL680L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.14 x 0.87 x 7.96 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #24 in Hard Science Fiction (Books)
- #60 in Science Fiction Adventures
- #296 in Suspense Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
4.6 175,847 ratings

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Andy Weir

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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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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They appreciate the science content, which is explained for a layperson. The writing style is described as clever and detailed, with attention to detail. Readers enjoy the protagonist's humor and dry sarcasm. The characters are portrayed as relatable and believable.

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Readability Suspenseful story Science content Writing style Humor Character development Pacing Creativity

19,245 customers mention "Readability"18,419 positive826 negative

Customers enjoyed the book. They found the story engaging and well-crafted, with an impressive blend of science and fiction. Many praised the compelling plot and characters. The logbook narrative style provided an immersive reading experience. Overall, readers found the book satisfying and enjoyable.

"...The book mentions things related to chemistry, botany, as well as some programming and technical stuff so it really appeals to a lot of people...." Read more

"...He was emotional, vibrant, and was *never* boring to listen to. He made Watney's jokes come alive. He was simply outstanding...." Read more

"...of work, The Martian, is an exciting tale that will grab almost any audience from the start...." Read more

"...Weir’s writing style is encapsulating, which makes his novel enjoyable for all readers, even those who aren’t normally fans of science fiction...." Read more

8,620 customers mention "Suspenseful story"8,065 positive555 negative

Customers find the story gripping and relatable. They appreciate the simple plot that keeps them hooked until the end. The book is described as a problem-solving science fiction novel that brings up interesting concepts about human life. Overall, readers describe it as an enjoyable science fiction novel that is hard to put down.

"...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

"...It's problem-solving science fiction, and darn it, even with all that, it's one compelling, gripping story...." Read more

"...these elements to make something so impossible actually seem realistic. It makes the reader second guess whether or not the story was true!..." 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

7,169 customers mention "Science content"6,281 positive888 negative

Customers find the book's science content engaging and well-presented. They appreciate how it brings scientific processes to life for students. Readers praise the book as a great blend of science, humor, and human resilience. The science is described as solid and fun to learn about. The book celebrates human ingenuity, knowledge, perseverance, and courage.

"...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

"...There's lots of science here...." Read more

"...His ability to balance reality, fiction, humor, and yet still express the exasperated tone of the situation is spectacular...." Read more

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

5,033 customers mention "Writing style"4,329 positive704 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing style. They find it clever and sarcastic, with detailed explanations of everything from making water to scientific accuracy. The book is an easy read with technical jargon that is part of the story, making it easy to understand. Readers say the mix of writing styles works for most parts, building suspense up until the very end.

"...things related to chemistry, botany, as well as some programming and technical stuff so it really appeals to a lot of people...." Read more

"...Yep, that was it alright. R.C. Bray was probably the best narrator I've heard to date in any audio book I've listened to, with the..." Read more

"...Weir is certainly a talented author and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an intriguing piece of fiction." Read more

"...I think that The Martian could be incorporated into lessons through word problems within the context of many levels of high school math, from basic..." Read more

4,428 customers mention "Humor"4,334 positive94 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the protagonist's humor amusing, particularly his dry sarcasm and comedic timing. The book starts with an amusing first line that sets the tone for the book's humor and witty perspective.

"...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

"...He does so with humor and sarcasm; I frequently found myself laughing out loud when Watney went into humor mode - and it was often...." Read more

"...His ability to balance reality, fiction, humor, and yet still express the exasperated tone of the situation is spectacular...." 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

2,883 customers mention "Character development"2,555 positive328 negative

Customers find the characters believable and engaging. The author does a good job of describing their personalities and characteristics. They find the main character, Mark Watney, humorous and likable. There is no overpowering angle between characters and they exhibit talent at times.

"...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

"...laborious to get through at times, are effective and exhibit and extreme amount of talent...." 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

1,725 customers mention "Pacing"1,395 positive330 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it engaging and read through it quickly. The book follows a logical timeline and is meticulous with its calculations. Readers appreciate the transitions between the space station and Earth. They find it easy to immerse themselves in the realistic earthside part of the story, and the author handles the theme well.

"...It was cool when the book did the transitions to see what was happening at the station in Houston because then you could see them piece together the..." Read more

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

"...There’s relatively few time markers that I noticed –one of the crew on the ship that we meet has a collection of 70s music and sitcoms, so it can’t..." Read more

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

1,715 customers mention "Creativity"1,452 positive263 negative

Customers find the main character ingenious and genius-like. They praise the book for its great premise, humor, and suspenseful storytelling. Readers describe it as an impressive debut by first-time author Andy Weir.

"Andy Weir’s fantastic piece of work, The Martian, is an exciting tale that will grab almost any audience from the start...." Read more

"Very good! Very detailed and creative. Amazing all the hero went through...." Read more

"...No good guys in white hats and bad guys in black hats. There's no room for cliches. It's all very business like and scientific...." Read more

"...character, something of a twenty-first century Robinson Crusoe, clever and resourceful enough to find ways to survive...." Read more

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Anja
Great Book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2019
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The Martian by Andy Weir is a book that centers around the journey of Mark Watney. The book is set in the future where humans can travel to Mars via spaceship. In the book, NASA sent 6 astronauts to Mars to learn about the planet and collect data. However, there was a big storm on Mars that resulted in five of the astronauts boarding the MAV and going back into space. Mark Watney got left behind on Mars because his crewmates thought he was dead. He managed to live but was stranded with no way to get back to Earth. Watney didn’t want to die so he does everything he can to survive. The book is a collection of his journal entries throughout his time on Mars, and it later switches to include what is happening in the NASA station in Houston, as well as the spaceship with Watney’s crewmates. 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. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Will he survive far away from Earth? Or will he die on the red planet?
I would rate this book a 9/10. It was fantastic and I loved it so much. The book had lots of action to keep it interesting as well as the science to explain everything that was going on. I loved the explanations and reading about how Watney was going to solve each problem. It was cool when the book did the transitions to see what was happening at the station in Houston because then you could see them piece together the information. It was the same thing for when Nasa was figuring out things before Watney and when they couldn’t communicate it really kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see if they would figure it out. The whole book kept me in a state of suspense and it was so hard to put down. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the ending. The end of the book was very abrupt and I wanted to know more. I wish there was more of an after part to the book that explained what happened after or even gave some sort of details to that part, but there just wasn’t. I also noticed that the ending of the book was slightly different than the ending of the movie. I personally liked the movie part better because I thought it was an interesting concept but the book had a more factual and reasonable ending that I think should be acknowledged and appreciated, even if it wasn't as cool.
Another important part to mention was the characters in the story. They were all really good. For a while, we only really got Watney’s side of the story and his character was amazing in general. 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 well as fun to read. The side characters in the book were also well written. They all had unique personalities that were fun to discover through the very short moments we got to see their side of the story. 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 about specific characters. I just love the little things about each crew member like Lewis’ love of 70s media as well as her devotion to her crew. Or all the times Venkat said ‘Oh Gods’ to show that he believed in more than one god. I also loved the major character development of Mindy. She started off so shy and quiet but after her discovery of Watney being alive she became so sassy and confident and it was unexpected but amazing!
Overall the whole book was amazing from plot and characters to explaining science and making things fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes any sort of science, is interested in space, or just likes a good read. The book mentions things related to chemistry, botany, as well as some programming and technical stuff so it really appeals to a lot of people. Definitely check this book out because I guarantee you’ll enjoy at least some of it.

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Joe Karpierz
like my hip replacement surgery back in 2013
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2015
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I'd been hearing quite a bit about The Martian, but for some reason was reluctant to dive into it. I'd never heard of Andy Weir, and while I don't mind
jumping into works by an author I don't know, this time I hesitated. Then, Amazon was offering the e-book for cheap, and as a bonus they were also offering,through Audible, the audiobook with the Whispersync capability. I took that as a sign, made the purchases, and dug in.

And, like my hip replacement surgery back in 2013, wished I'd done so a lot sooner.

Mark Watney is an astronaut on the Ares 3 Mars mission. It is Sol 6 - the sixth day the crew was on the planet's surface, when a fierce sandstorm hit. The crew is given the word to scrub the mission and evacuate the planet. If they stayed through the sandstorm, their ascent vehicle would be wrecked and they would be unable to leave. In the process of getting back to the ascent vehicle, Watney is struck by a flying piece of equipment. His spacesuit is pierced and he can't get to the vehicle. An attempt is made to retrieve his body, but the crew has to leave before they can get to him. They leave his corpse on the Martian surface.

Except, as you might guess, Watney wasn't dead. His suit was breached in such a way that the hole was plugged just right by the equipment that pierced it. He got back to the hab, and the story takes off from there.

Watney is a botanist and an engineer - a convenient combination if you're going to be stranded on the surface of a planet all by yourself and you're trying to figure out how to survive until the next manned mission to Mars more than a year later. As a botanist you have a shot at figuring out how to feed yourself for over a year, and as an engineer you have a shot at figuring out all the rest of the problems that you would encounter along the way. Where is the air going to come from? Where's the water going to come from? How am I going to make do with what I have? How am I going to get to the landing site of the next mission? And just how am I going to survive everything that Mars throws at me?

What follows is the story of one man against a planet. One man trying to survive anyway he can to get to go home - even when no one else knows he's alive. It's a fascinating look at what one ingenious person can do when the odds are against him. But lest you think that the entirety of this story follows Watney around on the surface of Mars trying to survive - well, it doesn't. I will have to admit that I thought that was going to be the case, and that it would be pretty boring. Then, when I was least expecting it, Weir does take us to Earth, to follow the exploits of the people who are involved in trying to get Watney back home - once they find out that he's alive. The third leg of the bar stool is the crew of Ares 3 - those folks who left Watney behind.

This really is the story of how humanity can work together when it is targeted on a common goal. It's a celebration of how we really can accomplish things if we put away our petty differences and get down to the task at hand. Each leg on the aforementioned barstool has a role to play, and each leg plays it well, although as you might guess not without some difficulty.

Watney is the picture of perseverance, tackling anything and everything Mars throws at him. He does so with humor and sarcasm; I frequently found myself laughing out loud when Watney went into humor mode - and it was often. But he was strong, always strong, even when he made a mistake that could have cost him dearly. The ground personnel on Earth worked like the personnel in those Apollo missions - sometimes flying by the seat of their pants, with no clue how things were going to work out. And finally, the Ares 3 crew, voting to spend another year of their lives to go back and get their teammate, fighting their own problems to get there and get the work done. Yes, it does seem like Apollo 13 all over again.

This is very much a "hard" science fiction story. There's lots of science here. Weir did his research, and uses it to explain, through the logs entries that Watney makes, just how Watney gets through every situation he finds himself in. Yep, the grand tradition of the info dump is in full swing here, and that may turn some people off. But this is "science" fiction in the original sense of the term. It's problem-solving science fiction, and darn it, even with all that, it's one compelling, gripping story. I found myself caring very deeply about what was happening to Watney, and I looked forward to how he was going to get out of each and every problem he found himself in. I read one quote that used the term "MacGuyver on Mars". Yep, that was it alright.

R.C. Bray was probably the best narrator I've heard to date in any audio book I've listened to, with the possible exception of Wil Wheaton narrating a John Scalzi novel. He was emotional, vibrant, and was *never* boring to listen to. He made Watney's jokes come alive. He was simply outstanding. I'm sure some of that was the source material, but the narrator still has to put his/her stamp on the book. Bray did an outstanding job.

Whether you listen to or read this book in the traditional manner, I think you'll enjoy it. I know I did. And I think I may just pick up the next Weir novel when it comes out.

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Paola Lee
Es una edición para mi incómoda de leer
Reviewed in Mexico on November 11, 2024
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Es muy larga y poco ancha esta edición de pasta blanda, además de que por lo mismo es pequeña así que tuve que regresarlo, pero el libro es buenísimo.

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Nmsa
Sehr gutes und unterhaltsames Buch
Reviewed in Germany on October 20, 2024
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Vor kurzem habe ich ein fesselndes Buch beendet, das mich wirklich beeindruckt hat. Die Geschichte war fesselnd, die Charaktere waren vielfältig und die Handlung ließ mich die Seiten umblättern. Die Autorin hat eine wunderbare Art, einen in ihre Welt hineinzuziehen, sodass man sich mit den Reisen der Figuren verbunden fühlt. Ich empfehle dieses Buch jedem, der auf der Suche nach einer tollen Lektüre ist - es ist eine Reise, die sich lohnt! Tauchen Sie ein und genießen Sie das Erlebnis!

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Lady Gigi
Better than the movie!
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on July 17, 2024
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I read this before the movie came out and as you hear a lot, it is mush better than the (Also great) movie with Matt Damon. I love Andy Weir's books and I would rank this just below his latest book, Project Hail Mary. I don't want to reveal any plot points, so I'll just say this. Due to time restrictions in movies, it seemed like a pretty straight forward path for Mark Watney, but in the book, this is MUCH more difficult, dangerous and takes much longer. It's so satisfying to see the solutions our protagonist comes up with using science to get through his ordeal. It gets very emotional at times and has a real feel of danger about it at all times. The author manages to immerse you in the environment and you will definitely be rooting for Mark throughout. Amazing book, well worth it whether you like science fiction or not (This is based more on fact than fiction, so no aliens or the force!). Highly recommended!

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Kindle Customer
Better than the movie
Reviewed in the Netherlands on May 21, 2023
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Better than the movie for sure, and the movie is damm good . Full of science facts on an ultimate, epic science fiction drama

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Gustav
Best book I have ever read in my life, hands down. PLEASAE BUY, Feel free to ask questions!
Reviewed in Sweden on March 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
FEEL FREE TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK!

I would like to start this review with a note that is both a positive and a negative. I do not read any book, this is because I am never captivated and cant really empathize with the character and I never feel like I am there. But on to the review.

"About this version of the product*

The book came to me in pristine condition it was truly breath-taking how beautiful the cover is. The book is well sized and honestly this is one of if not the most beautiful and durable books I've bought. There is also a map in the beginning which is awesome since I was cross referencing it so much which made me feel very immersed.

*About the book SPOILER FREE PART*

The Martian is the most well written, funny, serious, and emotional book I have ever read. This is in part because of the amazing writing. Mark Watney is a charismatic, smart, and resourceful man. In the face of adversity he always manages to crack a witty joke that always made me chuckle or just burst out laughing (No im not psychotic, i don't think). The writing makes you really feel like you know mark which is one reason why you empathize and really feel for him.

The Atmosphere is great really selling the barren expanse and devastating loneliness of the Martian lands.
*Note: I found that using some noise cancelling headphones and playing some white noise, like the wind, really helped to sell the effect of being on mars*. After only a few pages I had a very clear picture of how it looked at the HAB and I only wish I could take a picture of my thoughts.

The story jumps between the perspectives of Mark Watney on mars, Nasa and JPL on earth, and the crew on Hermes the space station the went to and from mars on.

*General Consensus*

I should have added some photos, including my favourite quotes.

This is the best book I've read. I'm so sad its over yet so happy I've experienced it. Andy Weir is my new favourite author and i will be purchasing more of his novels no doubt. Please do yourself a favour and read this book. I cannot recommend it enough. 1000000 / 10

*LIGHT SPOILERS, what happens at the beginning*

The book is about the main character Mark Watney's journey surviving mars after being abandoned there by his crew. What happened Watney and his crew consisting of, Lewis the commander, Vogel, Beck, Martinez, and Johanssen were six days into a 52 day mission on mars where they would gather science and conduct experiments when suddenly a large storm hit. The storm was so bad they had to evacuate but on their way to the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) mark is struck by debris and is lost. The crew cannot find him and assuming he is dead abort without him. Mark wakes up and makes it back to the HAB, where he will live for the next (wont spoil how long) number of sols. He has a lot of problems along the way but manages to fix them in amazingly creative ways, I mean I cannot stress enough how glued my eyes were to the pages intrigued and worried about what would happen next.

I wont spoil any more of the end because it would ruin how heart-breaking and heart-making (if that's a saying) a lot of the moments were.

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Gustav

Best book I have ever read in my life, hands down. PLEASAE BUY, Feel free to ask questions!

Reviewed in Sweden on March 18, 2022
FEEL FREE TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK!

I would like to start this review with a note that is both a positive and a negative. I do not read any book, this is because I am never captivated and cant really empathize with the character and I never feel like I am there. But on to the review.

"About this version of the product*

The book came to me in pristine condition it was truly breath-taking how beautiful the cover is. The book is well sized and honestly this is one of if not the most beautiful and durable books I've bought. There is also a map in the beginning which is awesome since I was cross referencing it so much which made me feel very immersed.

*About the book SPOILER FREE PART*

The Martian is the most well written, funny, serious, and emotional book I have ever read. This is in part because of the amazing writing. Mark Watney is a charismatic, smart, and resourceful man. In the face of adversity he always manages to crack a witty joke that always made me chuckle or just burst out laughing (No im not psychotic, i don't think). The writing makes you really feel like you know mark which is one reason why you empathize and really feel for him.

The Atmosphere is great really selling the barren expanse and devastating loneliness of the Martian lands.
*Note: I found that using some noise cancelling headphones and playing some white noise, like the wind, really helped to sell the effect of being on mars*. After only a few pages I had a very clear picture of how it looked at the HAB and I only wish I could take a picture of my thoughts.

The story jumps between the perspectives of Mark Watney on mars, Nasa and JPL on earth, and the crew on Hermes the space station the went to and from mars on.

*General Consensus*

I should have added some photos, including my favourite quotes.

This is the best book I've read. I'm so sad its over yet so happy I've experienced it. Andy Weir is my new favourite author and i will be purchasing more of his novels no doubt. Please do yourself a favour and read this book. I cannot recommend it enough. 1000000 / 10

*LIGHT SPOILERS, what happens at the beginning*

The book is about the main character Mark Watney's journey surviving mars after being abandoned there by his crew. What happened Watney and his crew consisting of, Lewis the commander, Vogel, Beck, Martinez, and Johanssen were six days into a 52 day mission on mars where they would gather science and conduct experiments when suddenly a large storm hit. The storm was so bad they had to evacuate but on their way to the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) mark is struck by debris and is lost. The crew cannot find him and assuming he is dead abort without him. Mark wakes up and makes it back to the HAB, where he will live for the next (wont spoil how long) number of sols. He has a lot of problems along the way but manages to fix them in amazingly creative ways, I mean I cannot stress enough how glued my eyes were to the pages intrigued and worried about what would happen next.

I wont spoil any more of the end because it would ruin how heart-breaking and heart-making (if that's a saying) a lot of the moments were.

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!

5.0 out of 5 stars like my hip replacement surgery back in 2013

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Es una edición para mi incómoda de leer

5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gutes und unterhaltsames Buch

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the movie!

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the movie

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I have ever read in my life, hands down. PLEASAE BUY, Feel free to ask questions!

Best book I have ever read in my life, hands down. PLEASAE BUY, Feel free to ask questions!

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Great Book!

like my hip replacement surgery back in 2013

Es una edición para mi incómoda de leer

Sehr gutes und unterhaltsames Buch

Better than the movie!

Better than the movie

Best book I have ever read in my life, hands down. PLEASAE BUY, Feel free to ask questions!