Originally published on 3/3/2014
Mark Watney thinks Mars is trying to kill him. And he's probably right.
First, there is his injury. The lack of supplies. The inability to communicate
with Earth, to tell them that he is, in fact, alive. Andy Weir's debut novel The Martian is the story of an astronaut left behind.
During a terrible dust storm Mark is hit with debris and presumed dead; the
rest of the Ares crew forced to leave while they still can. He wakes up and
finds himself "in command" and the "King of Mars". He can
do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to do it. Day by day (sol by sol) Mark
does his best MacGyver impression and while it is a technical story, his sarcastic sense
of humor carries the reader through life threatening situations with style. Sure, he could OD on
morphine right away, but he could also grow food, drive rovers around, and name mountains. Offhand comments on government overspending, the many uses of duct tape, and
his downtime entertainment options contribute to a great scifi thriller. From
the very first sentence, you will be rooting for Mark.
-Elizabeth
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