The Martian

Andy Weir has. In my opinion, come to define hopepunk: pushing towards a goal through difficulties, even if the goal doesn’t personally benefit the character.

His depiction of the plight of Mark Watney, the impacts Watney’s plight have on a global scale, and the hard science behind it all combine to create a compelling story. The sacrifices his crewmates and NASA officials make to push his rescue forward exemplify the “community over self” attitude common in hopepunk.

I like math and science. Too much though, and I start to skim. I didn’t skip anything in this book, and I found it a page turner from the start.

The math and science involved in the character’s survival is explained well enough for it to make sense to the average person. After reading it, I think I would probably feel comfortable growing potatoes in [spoiler alert] human feces. Maybe not as comfortable having to eat them, but if I was [spoiler alert] stranded on Mars…

This is Robinson Crusoe crossed with Apollo 13 on Mars. An unexpectedly powerful storm forces the early termination of a Mars mission.

One astronaut, who was presumed dead, was left behind. Using his training and knowledge, he not only survives but figures out how to contact Earth. Together with the NASA team, the Chinese, and his former crewmates, plans are formulated for his rescue.

There are several failures and twists and turns along the way, as well as a few heroic sacrifices. As a nerd (I’m an engineer by education), I identified with the heroes (scientists and engineers) and appreciated… show more.

This book shattered my view of what science fiction could be. 

A botanist gets left for dead by the rest of his departing crew during a storm on Mars, and must battle for life, alone, millions of miles from home. The way Weir crafted the story, using historic missions to the Red Planet, as well as creating his own orbital calculations to judge if what he wrote was possible, left me shaking my head in awe.

Who’d have thought you could grow crops on Mars? I would have lasted a day there before I broke something and accidentally killed myself.

If you’ve seen the movie it’s time to read the book.

The Martian gets a lot of the science right as an astronaut stuck on Mars tries to get home using whatever technology he has on hand to survive. The descriptions of the planet are really good, giving you a feel for what it would be like to live on the Red Planet.

Weir does take a science shortcut or two to advance the plot, but the overall story is so gripping I’m OK with it. 

It is from the power of human passions that we often find ourselves in conflict, yet it is because of passion we can ultimately find the wherewithal to escape that struggle. In The Martian, Andy Weir remarkably detailed the scientific fantasies that took his characters to Mars; but also beautifully narrated the spirited passion that invigorated the protagonist’s will to survive. It is because of the quality of his scientific descriptions and the emotions of his protagonist that I heartily enjoyed this book. 

It’s hard to pull off comedy in a sci-fi story, but The Martian does it in spades. On the surface, this book might turn some readers away because of its abundance of NASA technobabble, but the comedic commentary from the protagonist is what helps gloss over that. The Martian’s protagonist is extremely likable, innovative, witty, and an underdog in a survival situation. I ended up listening to the audiobook while working from home, and the narration is incredible.

I’m a sucker for survival stories because they’re deeply rooted in the human condition—and this is one of the best. I find joy in books in the “can’t put it down” category. You feel transformed, as though you are experiencing the story yourself. Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on Mars, hurt and without enough food to survive. From then on, we agonize with Watney on problem after problem, rejoice with each ingenious solution, and sorrow with his lowest of lows. My wife calls me “method man,” so it’s no surprise I love the way Watney thinks through… show more.

This book intrigued me as both a reader and a writer. As a reader, I devoured it in a few days—it’s fast-paced and extremely entertaining, with a humorous tone that does not let down—but as a writer, I lingered on Weir’s level of skill. How does Weir maintain tension and character development when Watney is all alone? How does Weir write compellingly about a piece of aluminum foil? He does it all with remarkable poignancy!

Again, personal. I was one of the very early people to review this when Andy was independent. Andy made spectacular use of the "Journal Entry" form, which usually does not work, he had a good understanding of science and of Mars, and how life could work. The storm that stranded him was wrong, but needed to get the story going, and the chemistry behind making water was poor, but overall an extremely clever story about how to use science to get out of very poor circumstances. I applaud his descriptions of the Martian terrain, geography, and how he used them… show more.