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The Martian
In the Classroom Edition of The Martian:
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?
• Classroom-appropriate languageSix days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
• Discussion questions and activities
• Q&A with Andy Weir
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?
400 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2016
534 people are currently reading
1306 people want to read
About the author
Andy Weir
54 books65.4k followersANDY 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. Andy’s next book, ARTEMIS, is available now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 30, 2022
↣El marciano | Andy Weir 2011 | Ciencia ficción | 407 páginas.
↣𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
Mark Watney, el botánico de una expedición por Marte, se ha quedado solo en el planeta rojo. Su tripulación lo abandonó cuando lo dieron por muerto luego de una gran tormenta de arena. Ahora, solo, sin forma de comunicarse y con escasos recursos vitales, tendrá que buscar la forma de sobrevivir por más de 3 años, que es cuando la siguiente misión en Marte debería llevarse a cabo. 🚀🧑🚀
↣𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮:
-Sin spoilers
-Solo mi opinión.
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼 ☻︎
-La historia se nos narra en forma de diario. Capítulos cortos. PERFECTO -Había partes que me dejaban sin aliento ¡Las escenas de acción son muy tensas! ¡CÓMO TAN MALA SUERTE!
-El personaje principal es muy chistoso. Tiene la personalidad perfecta para contrastar lo catastrófico de su situación.
-Se nota que los datos científicos en los que se sustenta la historia están meticulosamente investigados! LA HISTORIA SE SIENTE REAL
-Amo cuando un libro me atrapa y no puedo parar de leer.
-El final es perfecto, bueno toda la historia.
-Este es el primer libro del autor. El año pasado leí Proyecto Hail Mary y diría que prefiero ese. O SEA QUE EL AUTOR HA IDO MEJORANDO LO YA PERFECTO QUE FUE DESDE EL COMIENZO. ✅
𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼 ☹︎
-Forma de relatar muy repetitiva, ¡ya le pillé la técnica a Andy Weir!
Te tira un montón de datos técnicos difíciles de entender y después al final del párrafo pone la explicación para tontos (yo) ❌
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻:
Historia inusual de supervivencia en marte, llena de aventuras, acción, desolación y ciencia, ¡mucha ciencia!
↣𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼:
5 estrellas de 5 ⭐️
Lectura de @club.viajeroseneltiempo 🖤🛸
*𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚊 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚖𝚒 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘́𝚗 𝚗𝚘 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚊. 𝚂𝚒 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚜 𝚍𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚘... 𝙷𝙰𝚉𝙻𝙾.
↣𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
Mark Watney, el botánico de una expedición por Marte, se ha quedado solo en el planeta rojo. Su tripulación lo abandonó cuando lo dieron por muerto luego de una gran tormenta de arena. Ahora, solo, sin forma de comunicarse y con escasos recursos vitales, tendrá que buscar la forma de sobrevivir por más de 3 años, que es cuando la siguiente misión en Marte debería llevarse a cabo. 🚀🧑🚀
↣𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮:
-Sin spoilers
-Solo mi opinión.
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼 ☻︎
-La historia se nos narra en forma de diario. Capítulos cortos. PERFECTO -Había partes que me dejaban sin aliento ¡Las escenas de acción son muy tensas! ¡CÓMO TAN MALA SUERTE!
-El personaje principal es muy chistoso. Tiene la personalidad perfecta para contrastar lo catastrófico de su situación.
-Se nota que los datos científicos en los que se sustenta la historia están meticulosamente investigados! LA HISTORIA SE SIENTE REAL
-Amo cuando un libro me atrapa y no puedo parar de leer.
-El final es perfecto, bueno toda la historia.
-Este es el primer libro del autor. El año pasado leí Proyecto Hail Mary y diría que prefiero ese. O SEA QUE EL AUTOR HA IDO MEJORANDO LO YA PERFECTO QUE FUE DESDE EL COMIENZO. ✅
𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗼 ☹︎
-Forma de relatar muy repetitiva, ¡ya le pillé la técnica a Andy Weir!
Te tira un montón de datos técnicos difíciles de entender y después al final del párrafo pone la explicación para tontos (yo) ❌
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻:
Historia inusual de supervivencia en marte, llena de aventuras, acción, desolación y ciencia, ¡mucha ciencia!
↣𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼:
5 estrellas de 5 ⭐️
Lectura de @club.viajeroseneltiempo 🖤🛸
*𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚊 𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚖𝚒 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘́𝚗 𝚗𝚘 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚊. 𝚂𝚒 𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚜 𝚍𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚘... 𝙷𝙰𝚉𝙻𝙾.
December 28, 2017
Wow. Just wow. That was one of the most stressful books I've read in a long time. The whole time I was reading it, the only thing I could do was sit there, helplessly reading about how Mark Watney, the main character, was trying to survive on Mars. I couldn't help him! Agh! But besides the very tense face I was making while reading the Martian, I LOVED it. The in-depth analysis of the different scientific and technological components of each aspect of the Hab, rovers, MDV, MAV, etc. was unlike anything I had ever read before in a fiction novel. Instead of saying "This machine made it safe for Mark to breathe. Cool," the Andy Weir thoroughly explained how the different machines separated carbon dioxide from the air, added oxygen when necessary, etc. Not only was I enjoying myself with an incredible sci-fi novel, I was learning! It was incredible! And I cannot even put into words how downright funny Mark was! For a man stranded on Mars, he had the best sense of humor. Overall, I absolutely loved the Martian.
Content:
Language: Moderate. Well...hehe. I read the "classroom edition" of the Martian because it had classroom-appropriate language. That said, only the sh- word and the f-bomb were substituted with alternative words. It still had the h-word, the d-word, the a-word, the b-word, b*****d, one use of GD, and many uses of "crap." For the regular edition of the Martian, I think the language would be considered "Heavy."
Romance: Mild/Moderate. Inappropriate jokes and some innuendo.
Violence: Mild. Some explosions and medical stuff. The "grossest" part of the book was at the very beginning, so if you can make it past that, I'd say you're good.
Content:
Language: Moderate. Well...hehe. I read the "classroom edition" of the Martian because it had classroom-appropriate language. That said, only the sh- word and the f-bomb were substituted with alternative words. It still had the h-word, the d-word, the a-word, the b-word, b*****d, one use of GD, and many uses of "crap." For the regular edition of the Martian, I think the language would be considered "Heavy."
Romance: Mild/Moderate. Inappropriate jokes and some innuendo.
Violence: Mild. Some explosions and medical stuff. The "grossest" part of the book was at the very beginning, so if you can make it past that, I'd say you're good.
April 2, 2024
This was a wonderful book. Watney's character is so endearing. The pace is wonderful. Every time you are biting your nails there is a bit of humor so you don't go insane. I want more.
Update 2024 read. This really is just about perfection to me.
Update 2024 read. This really is just about perfection to me.
July 27, 2020
Wow! That was stressful! It took a while for me to decide to read this book, I just wasn’t sure how into it I could get. It’s about one guy, stuck on Mars, there are no aliens, no hyper drives, no politics and intrigue, no evil space lord that must be defeated to save the world lol, just a guy trying not to die on a big red rock. I am so glad I finally decided that was enough. There is so much science and math fun it’s unbelievable! Who would expect math to end up making a book fun? I don’t know, but it worked, so me I guess. Seriously though, I think the level of realism in this book allowed me to really get into this story. At times it felt like I was reading something that actually happened and I have to remind myself that no human has set foot on mars yet (that we know of at least) it feels so real. I now have an awful ingrown finger nail, because I was chewing my nails so bad, I even knew from seeing parts of the movie and it didn’t matter. The Martian manages to be an edge of your seat thrill ride involving Martian potato farming and low speed races across flat rock to the tune of the BeeGee’s. Don’t miss out, seriously!
May 25, 2021
This was entirely unexpected. who would've thought that you could freaking create water????? the way that the main character thought up solutions to all the many challenges of surviving alone on mars was incredible. I also liked the way that the author explained the science. it didn't seem as if he was talking down to someone to explain it, even though he was dealing with freaking combining molecules. overall an awesome read, I would recommend.
July 24, 2021
Esta novela es el debut del escritor e ingeniero informático Andy Weir, cuya ópera prima fue un best seller en el año 2014, y cuya adaptación cinematográfica se produjo un año después, donde Matt Damon interpreta al astronauta Mark Watney. La película no la he visto, por lo que no tengo un comparativo sobre lo que leí y lo que se vio en el cine.
Aquí nos narra la historia de un grupo de astronautas que se encuentran realizando un viaje de reconocimiento e investigación en el planeta Marte. Debido a una tormenta de arena que ocurre en la superficie marciana mientras se encuentran en fase de exploración, uno de los miembros de la tripulación se pierde, por lo que el resto del equipo lo da por muerto. Abandonan el planeta sin asegurarse que Mark Watney está aún con vida. Desde ese momento comienza la hazaña de nuestro protagonista por permanecer vivo en circunstancias muy adversas.
Un punto a favor de la trama es sin lugar a dudas el personaje de Mark Watney. De manera humorística en ocasiones, sarcástica y bastante ingeniosa, logra que como lectores sintamos una empatía genuina por él y lo que le está pasando. Es un personaje que se lleva mayoritariamente el peso de la trama, a pesar de que la narración también nos coloca como lectores en otros momentos y con otros personajes, no podemos dejar de pensar lo que está ocurriendo en Marte.
Una novela bastante entretenida que no decae en el hilo argumental de los acontecimientos, pero que sí pierde fuerza en algunos momentos de su narración. La descripción tan detallada me remonta a las novelas de Julio Verne, considero que es bastante interesante lo que se describe, principalmente con el desarrollo de los acontecimientos que suceden en Marte y cómo Watney trata de salir adelante con cada nueva situación que se le presenta, desde generar oxígeno, crear agua, plantar papas, encontrar un medio de comunicación que le permita contactar a la Tierra, intentar sobrevivir a accidentes y tormentas de arena en el planeta, es sin lugar a dudas toda una cátedra científica que nos presenta el libro, pero en algunos momentos se vuelven tan descriptivo el proceso, que como lectora estuve tentada a brincarme algunas partes.
Me parece una novela bastante buena, me quedo con una de las últimas frases del libro, y que como humanidad sería muy bueno continuar replicando, no solamente cuando se necesite, sino siempre: “Todo ser humano tiene un instinto básico para ayudarse unos a otros”.
Aquí nos narra la historia de un grupo de astronautas que se encuentran realizando un viaje de reconocimiento e investigación en el planeta Marte. Debido a una tormenta de arena que ocurre en la superficie marciana mientras se encuentran en fase de exploración, uno de los miembros de la tripulación se pierde, por lo que el resto del equipo lo da por muerto. Abandonan el planeta sin asegurarse que Mark Watney está aún con vida. Desde ese momento comienza la hazaña de nuestro protagonista por permanecer vivo en circunstancias muy adversas.
Un punto a favor de la trama es sin lugar a dudas el personaje de Mark Watney. De manera humorística en ocasiones, sarcástica y bastante ingeniosa, logra que como lectores sintamos una empatía genuina por él y lo que le está pasando. Es un personaje que se lleva mayoritariamente el peso de la trama, a pesar de que la narración también nos coloca como lectores en otros momentos y con otros personajes, no podemos dejar de pensar lo que está ocurriendo en Marte.
Una novela bastante entretenida que no decae en el hilo argumental de los acontecimientos, pero que sí pierde fuerza en algunos momentos de su narración. La descripción tan detallada me remonta a las novelas de Julio Verne, considero que es bastante interesante lo que se describe, principalmente con el desarrollo de los acontecimientos que suceden en Marte y cómo Watney trata de salir adelante con cada nueva situación que se le presenta, desde generar oxígeno, crear agua, plantar papas, encontrar un medio de comunicación que le permita contactar a la Tierra, intentar sobrevivir a accidentes y tormentas de arena en el planeta, es sin lugar a dudas toda una cátedra científica que nos presenta el libro, pero en algunos momentos se vuelven tan descriptivo el proceso, que como lectora estuve tentada a brincarme algunas partes.
Me parece una novela bastante buena, me quedo con una de las últimas frases del libro, y que como humanidad sería muy bueno continuar replicando, no solamente cuando se necesite, sino siempre: “Todo ser humano tiene un instinto básico para ayudarse unos a otros”.
May 31, 2021
After hearing high praise about this book from a lot of people I picked it for book club. I went with this version so the language would be toned down (it still has swearing but apparently the regular version has quite a few f bombs and this doesn’t have any-I’m not sure if there are other differences).
Overall I really enjoyed the story. I did get lost in the scientific explanations at times, but found it to be fascinating. You always wonder when you’d ever use certain types of math in real life and this lets you know (for those wanting to design rockets and things 😉).
I saw the movie several years ago and this makes me want to watch it again.
I’m really interested to see how my book club feels about it. I can’t see us really doing much with the discussion questions as that seemed more like a test/quiz on the book (i.e. explain the law of physics involved in Watney’s final launch).
Overall I really enjoyed the story. I did get lost in the scientific explanations at times, but found it to be fascinating. You always wonder when you’d ever use certain types of math in real life and this lets you know (for those wanting to design rockets and things 😉).
I saw the movie several years ago and this makes me want to watch it again.
I’m really interested to see how my book club feels about it. I can’t see us really doing much with the discussion questions as that seemed more like a test/quiz on the book (i.e. explain the law of physics involved in Watney’s final launch).
August 24, 2019
This is definitely one of the funniest science-fiction novels I have ever read. I have a strong math and science background and loved the astronomy, calculations, biology, engineering, and orbital mechanics in the book. To those of you who hate science and math and thumb your nose at this book, well... you're jerks.
Whereas I thought this book was amazing, I'm not giving-it a five-star rating because I thought the ending was overly dramatic. I realize much can and will go wrong but I think I suffered from situational-disaster fatigue. It was otherwise a wonderful book and one I'm recommending to my son to read.
Whereas I thought this book was amazing, I'm not giving-it a five-star rating because I thought the ending was overly dramatic. I realize much can and will go wrong but I think I suffered from situational-disaster fatigue. It was otherwise a wonderful book and one I'm recommending to my son to read.
January 26, 2025
The Martian being one of my favorite movies, I knew the book had to be incredible as the original story. Andy Weir had so much dedication in researching the science and physics of it all to make it feel believable without overly unrealistic. Also very cool to read afterwards that this was a self published side project that he put out for free but so many people wanted a kindle version he set it to the minimum price until Fox picked it up for a movie. It did help picturing Matt Damon as the lead. 10/10.
March 30, 2017
4.5 stars
That was really good. Science is my least favorite subject at school, but I found myself enjoying the paragraph-long equations. I really want to see the movie now, and I think I'll read the normal version soon.
Reasoning for 4.5 stars (marked as 4 stars): This book could be very funny, but sometimes it fell short. I'm sure that I'll rate the normal version a 5 star. The only reason, really, that I read the classroom edition is because it is what the GMS library had.
That was really good. Science is my least favorite subject at school, but I found myself enjoying the paragraph-long equations. I really want to see the movie now, and I think I'll read the normal version soon.
Reasoning for 4.5 stars (marked as 4 stars): This book could be very funny, but sometimes it fell short. I'm sure that I'll rate the normal version a 5 star. The only reason, really, that I read the classroom edition is because it is what the GMS library had.
April 13, 2021
Man on Mars
I must admit that I loved StarTrek when it first appeared on TV. Sputnik was launched in 1959. I was in Kindergarten. The first manned space flights occurred when I was in Elementary School.,Our teachers would have a black and white TV brought in,so that we could watch the
This book was truly fascinating to me. I absolutely loved Mark Watney’s humor and his ability to figure out how to survive. I am also an avid gardener and loved his botanical expertise!
I must admit that I loved StarTrek when it first appeared on TV. Sputnik was launched in 1959. I was in Kindergarten. The first manned space flights occurred when I was in Elementary School.,Our teachers would have a black and white TV brought in,so that we could watch the
This book was truly fascinating to me. I absolutely loved Mark Watney’s humor and his ability to figure out how to survive. I am also an avid gardener and loved his botanical expertise!
January 20, 2024
Science (non)fiction!!
I almost skipped right over this one cuz I didnt get into the movie very much. I'm glad I decided to give it a try. As with nearly every book made into a movie, the book WAS EONS BETTER & I absolutely LOVED this book. What I loved most was the science (broken down to the basics) that he used to save himself until he could be rescued.
The book kept me interested better than the movie did!! I would definitely recommend this book.
I almost skipped right over this one cuz I didnt get into the movie very much. I'm glad I decided to give it a try. As with nearly every book made into a movie, the book WAS EONS BETTER & I absolutely LOVED this book. What I loved most was the science (broken down to the basics) that he used to save himself until he could be rescued.
The book kept me interested better than the movie did!! I would definitely recommend this book.
May 15, 2019
This is a great book! I've only seen different parts of the movie so I can't really say much about that. But I liked how it all goes down. Then he runs into problem after problem and he has to find a way to solve each of them. The writing is phenomenal. I highly recommend this book for sci-fi fans out there.
October 19, 2021
اندى عبقرى بدون شك!
وكتابه المريخى رائع وممتع رغم انه predictable
بس مش هى دي الحدوتة
اهتمامه الشديد بالتفاصيل والبحث بجعل القصة واقعية باكثر الحدود ويجعلك تتفاعل مع الاحداث بشكل غير مسبوق
اندى يقدم نوع جديد من ال science fiction
القابل للتصديق بدرجة كبيرة
كتابه الجديد
The hail mary project
ايضا رائع ويؤكد فيه اندى انه بلا منازع فى كتابة ال
Science Fiction الواقعى
وكتابه المريخى رائع وممتع رغم انه predictable
بس مش هى دي الحدوتة
اهتمامه الشديد بالتفاصيل والبحث بجعل القصة واقعية باكثر الحدود ويجعلك تتفاعل مع الاحداث بشكل غير مسبوق
اندى يقدم نوع جديد من ال science fiction
القابل للتصديق بدرجة كبيرة
كتابه الجديد
The hail mary project
ايضا رائع ويؤكد فيه اندى انه بلا منازع فى كتابة ال
Science Fiction الواقعى
January 1, 2025
This is the second book I've read by this author (I read Project Hail Mary earlier this year) and I have thoroughly enjoyed both novels! The twists were riveting and he has a knack for making the scientific elements realistic and palatable within the story. I'm really looking forward to reading more from him!
May 1, 2025
Very good! One star deducted for the overwhelming science and engineering dialogue…I found my eyes glazing over at some of it. But the plot was quite exciting, even until the very end.
This is the classroom edition, so quite a bit of profanity was removed from the original version. However, there is still SOME so buyer beware.
This is the classroom edition, so quite a bit of profanity was removed from the original version. However, there is still SOME so buyer beware.
September 1, 2018
this book was amazing! It made me laugh, and I could never put it down. I think the book was very intense like anything could happen at any moment. I recommend this to science fiction readers, or people who liked the book What If.
August 7, 2023
At the end he’s like “everyone in the whole world worked together to save me cuz humans just have the basic instinct to care for one another” but if this was real life they would’ve prob let him die on the planet without ever saying they left an astronaut on Mars. Great book though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2017
One of the most thrilling books that I've read in a long time. Very impressive.
October 11, 2018
I watched the movie before reading the book. The book is just as good as the movie, and it was neat to read the stuff they cut out.
December 25, 2025
I had to read this for school. It started out pretty boring but got more exciting.
January 12, 2026
i liked the last two chapter significantly better because i am, embarrassingly, a sucker for team spirits. overall immersive book with great prose
December 16, 2025
The Martian is a book written by Andy Weir is a book about an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars after a catastrophic dust storm. Over the course of the book, he has to adapt to challenges created by the environment on Mars while people on Earth try to get him back home safely. This is a stand-alone novel. I loved the characters in this book, especially the main character: Mark Watney. He is a funny guy who is cool in the face of danger. He is very innovative and adaptive. He really impresses me with his actions throughout the book. This book kept me turning the pages especially near the ending where everything starts to ramp up towards the climax. One thing that I disliked about the book was how at some points in the story, the plot moved a little slowly, where nothing very eventful happened. Overall, I would give this book a 10/10 stars; it is one of the best books that I have ever read. This book is especially good for people interested in astronomy, physics, math, chemistry, and puzzles.
The Martian makes the world believable by actually using real theories and concepts of what life on Mars could look like and what challenges might occur in a real situation of a crew member being left behind. Also, throughout the book, there are very simple explanations for complex concepts in space travel that anyone can understand. I like how this provides context for the reader so that they are not totally confused about what is happening. There are also a lot of interesting facts presented about a variety of subjects that were very interesting to me.
The Martian makes the world believable by actually using real theories and concepts of what life on Mars could look like and what challenges might occur in a real situation of a crew member being left behind. Also, throughout the book, there are very simple explanations for complex concepts in space travel that anyone can understand. I like how this provides context for the reader so that they are not totally confused about what is happening. There are also a lot of interesting facts presented about a variety of subjects that were very interesting to me.
May 8, 2017
*I'm serious here, there are spoilers in this review*
So ... Don't kill me but I honestly didn't really love this book.
I'm pretty sure the strangely large amount of people who love it either like it because (a) the humor or (b) The sciency stuff as I neither (a) actually thought any of the humor in this book was all that funny and (b) am not into all that sciency stuff this book kind of fell flat for me?
For one I didn't really like the narration style of Watney's journals. Like, at all. And frankly, I'm not even sure why. They just really didn't click for me. I ended up not really caring all that much about Watney, feeling like ... no tension and it was just basically all like ... bleh.
I am not joking when I say I kind of wished he would die at some point. Not because he was incredibly annoying or I disliked him or anything (I don't think I disliked him, I just didn't ... like ... him ... I guess ...) but because that would have actually added something to the story. As it was, there wasn't that much there.
Sure, there were plenty of plot twists and problems to solve but they didn't actually do anything. They arose, and were quickly solved in a series of paragraphs describing sciency solutions that I admired Weir for being able to come up with but neither actually understood or cared that much about. Yup, there were problems but basically there was never really any question if they'd be solved or not. Which ... rendered the tension useless and nonexistent.
And any actual psychological problems shown in Watney for being stuck on Mars for years? How about ... nah. Sure, you could argue that he did plenty of stuff to not become incredibly depressed and insane like he very well could have, but the book doesn't actually talk about any of this. Am I odd for wanting to see pain and actual emotions? Probably. But it kind of would have been nice to actually become emotionally invested in the book which usually only happens if I can relate to the characters and see their deep broken, human emotions. Like any negative emotions. At all.
But nope, the entire time Watney was just there spouting his debatable humor and fixing problems easily.
Can you see now why I kind of wish he died? Like seriously. This entire book turned out way too predictable.
Ah, and before I forget, yeah, I read the classroom edition of this. I had it on hand for a book club type thing so this is the version that I read. This was actually really nice, as though I don't mind
bad language all that much I try to avoid it as much as possible. Anyway, this was nice as it either removed the swearing or just changed it into a much milder version that my eyes just kind of skimmed over. So that was great.
And all that ... negativity being said though but ... I didn't hate it or anything. Although I disliked the main narration (Watney's journal) I actually enjoyed when it switched to other narrations. I didn't actually find any of the humor funny, and the tension was zilch for me but it was ... an enjoyable passing of time I guess. Honestly, this book was a basically 400 pages of why I read the comics in the newspaper. I don't actually find them funny but ... I continue to read them anyway because I don't automatically dislike them.I'm not even sure, guys ...
So ... Don't kill me but I honestly didn't really love this book.
I'm pretty sure the strangely large amount of people who love it either like it because (a) the humor or (b) The sciency stuff as I neither (a) actually thought any of the humor in this book was all that funny and (b) am not into all that sciency stuff this book kind of fell flat for me?
For one I didn't really like the narration style of Watney's journals. Like, at all. And frankly, I'm not even sure why. They just really didn't click for me. I ended up not really caring all that much about Watney, feeling like ... no tension and it was just basically all like ... bleh.
I am not joking when I say I kind of wished he would die at some point. Not because he was incredibly annoying or I disliked him or anything (I don't think I disliked him, I just didn't ... like ... him ... I guess ...) but because that would have actually added something to the story. As it was, there wasn't that much there.
Sure, there were plenty of plot twists and problems to solve but they didn't actually do anything. They arose, and were quickly solved in a series of paragraphs describing sciency solutions that I admired Weir for being able to come up with but neither actually understood or cared that much about. Yup, there were problems but basically there was never really any question if they'd be solved or not. Which ... rendered the tension useless and nonexistent.
And any actual psychological problems shown in Watney for being stuck on Mars for years? How about ... nah. Sure, you could argue that he did plenty of stuff to not become incredibly depressed and insane like he very well could have, but the book doesn't actually talk about any of this. Am I odd for wanting to see pain and actual emotions? Probably. But it kind of would have been nice to actually become emotionally invested in the book which usually only happens if I can relate to the characters and see their deep broken, human emotions. Like any negative emotions. At all.
But nope, the entire time Watney was just there spouting his debatable humor and fixing problems easily.
Can you see now why I kind of wish he died? Like seriously. This entire book turned out way too predictable.
Ah, and before I forget, yeah, I read the classroom edition of this. I had it on hand for a book club type thing so this is the version that I read. This was actually really nice, as though I don't mind
bad language all that much I try to avoid it as much as possible. Anyway, this was nice as it either removed the swearing or just changed it into a much milder version that my eyes just kind of skimmed over. So that was great.
And all that ... negativity being said though but ... I didn't hate it or anything. Although I disliked the main narration (Watney's journal) I actually enjoyed when it switched to other narrations. I didn't actually find any of the humor funny, and the tension was zilch for me but it was ... an enjoyable passing of time I guess. Honestly, this book was a basically 400 pages of why I read the comics in the newspaper. I don't actually find them funny but ... I continue to read them anyway because I don't automatically dislike them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2023
“If I survive this, I’ll tell people I was pissing rocket fuel”
“The worst moments in life are heralded by small observations. The tiny lump on your side that wasn’t there before. Coming home to your wife and seeing two wineglasses in the sink. Anytime you hear “We interrupt this program….”
“My asshole is doing as much to keep me alive as my brain.”
Drifting off as the various types of clouds were labeled, imagining playing football while the types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous and metaphoric) were recited, thinking of pizza as the lifecycle of water was preached, I have never had much of a scientific mind. On the way to the planetarium in 4th grade I was much more excited about eating at the 2nd story McDonalds than the various constellations showcased. Needless to say, I am not the target audience for much of the science fiction that has been written. Thankfully, my base ignorance and indifference towards much of the scientific field was not an impediment to enjoying this delightful and hilarious tale of a man’s will to survive (cue “Eye of the Tiger” interlude).
The author, Andy Weir has created a work that is suffused with humor and goodwill. While, there is plenty of science and I presume sensible jargon it never feels forced. The protagonist, Mark Watney is equal parts intrepid genius and bumbling everyday man. He is able to toe this line, while maintaining credibility. Gifted in many fields, namely botany, his greatest attribute is keeping his head calm under pressure. Watching this story unfold, I was in awe of his intense intelligence but transfixed by his good humor. To be dealt with his situation: stuck by yourself on an uninhabited planet with no communication and a dwindling supply of provisions, would have been a clear death sentence for the vast majority of the world’s population. Despite, nearly insurmountable odds that change drastically on seemingly minor happenstances, Watney are able to keep his good humor. Whether he has to create his own ecosystem or transverse an unfamiliar terrain, Mark meets every challenge with vigor and optimism. That is not to say that he is robotic or completely steadfast, as he still has moments of frustration and doubt. The difference between him and most people is that he is able to regain focus and not linger on the mistake. While, the journey of Mark Watney is the primary concern, Andy Weir is even able to make bureaucracy breathtaking. Whether the foul-talking press secretary or the various scientists and administrators of Mission Control, we are given a first class seat into the inner workings of the space program. There are even philosophical questions in the approach to “saving” Mark and a political subplot that is done sensibly. Overall, based on all of the five star reviews I have seen on my feed for this book, I am not surprised that it was such a well told story. In saying that, I was thrilled by the complexity and jocularity of this work and if an ignoramus as myself found such joy in it, I can only imagine how someone with a scientific mind would feel.
“The worst moments in life are heralded by small observations. The tiny lump on your side that wasn’t there before. Coming home to your wife and seeing two wineglasses in the sink. Anytime you hear “We interrupt this program….”
“My asshole is doing as much to keep me alive as my brain.”
Drifting off as the various types of clouds were labeled, imagining playing football while the types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous and metaphoric) were recited, thinking of pizza as the lifecycle of water was preached, I have never had much of a scientific mind. On the way to the planetarium in 4th grade I was much more excited about eating at the 2nd story McDonalds than the various constellations showcased. Needless to say, I am not the target audience for much of the science fiction that has been written. Thankfully, my base ignorance and indifference towards much of the scientific field was not an impediment to enjoying this delightful and hilarious tale of a man’s will to survive (cue “Eye of the Tiger” interlude).
The author, Andy Weir has created a work that is suffused with humor and goodwill. While, there is plenty of science and I presume sensible jargon it never feels forced. The protagonist, Mark Watney is equal parts intrepid genius and bumbling everyday man. He is able to toe this line, while maintaining credibility. Gifted in many fields, namely botany, his greatest attribute is keeping his head calm under pressure. Watching this story unfold, I was in awe of his intense intelligence but transfixed by his good humor. To be dealt with his situation: stuck by yourself on an uninhabited planet with no communication and a dwindling supply of provisions, would have been a clear death sentence for the vast majority of the world’s population. Despite, nearly insurmountable odds that change drastically on seemingly minor happenstances, Watney are able to keep his good humor. Whether he has to create his own ecosystem or transverse an unfamiliar terrain, Mark meets every challenge with vigor and optimism. That is not to say that he is robotic or completely steadfast, as he still has moments of frustration and doubt. The difference between him and most people is that he is able to regain focus and not linger on the mistake. While, the journey of Mark Watney is the primary concern, Andy Weir is even able to make bureaucracy breathtaking. Whether the foul-talking press secretary or the various scientists and administrators of Mission Control, we are given a first class seat into the inner workings of the space program. There are even philosophical questions in the approach to “saving” Mark and a political subplot that is done sensibly. Overall, based on all of the five star reviews I have seen on my feed for this book, I am not surprised that it was such a well told story. In saying that, I was thrilled by the complexity and jocularity of this work and if an ignoramus as myself found such joy in it, I can only imagine how someone with a scientific mind would feel.
March 1, 2018
Review to come later, when I've collected my thoughts and at least tried to do any studying over this long weekend.
Update: 01/03/2018
Honestly, it was great. Mark is an (almost unbelievably) optimistic and humorous narrator, and the science in this book is L E G I T. My only gripe would be the lack of character development throughout - we see how great a problem-solver Mark is and how the people on Earth rally to rescue him, but was there never any existential crisis? No despair? And one other uncomfortable thought - why spend so much resources and time (reading it, it's really a ridiculous amount of money and sleepless nights for so many of the people at NASA and elsewhere) trying to rescue this one guy, when there are so many others dying of hunger, living below the poverty line in many other parts of the world? I found the ending a little ironic; it seemed like a nice sort of moral tie-in to conclude the mostly action- and adventure-driven story, but why is it that humans only rally together towards humanitarian efforts when a catastrophe that is big and unusual makes the headlines? What about the events that have become so commonplace that news channels have stopped reporting about them? Terror and war in the Middle East, earthquakes in Japan, starvation in Africa... I'm not the best at general knowledge and probably nowhere near the best person to represent these lesser-heard groups, but why do we not pour equal time and money into helping all these other people who are so much more within our reach than, say, one guy stranded on a nearby planet?
But that bit of ranting aside, the story is truly a gripping one. We stay rooting for Mark through the faintest of odds as he encounters setback after setback and bounces off them with more and more science (so legit it had me figuratively tearing up :') ) that has magically been made super accessible and entertaining to read about by the author. The book had such an interesting format of alternating Mark's log entries and perspectives of people working back here on Earth, and occasionally these were well used to great comic effect (everyone's quoted the Aquaman excerpt already, so I won't include it here). One of the most easy and enjoyable reads I've had in a while.
"Telemetry," Lewis's voice said over the speakers.
"Go," Johanssen responded.
"Recovery," she continued.
"Go," said Beck from the airlock.
"Secondary Recovery."
"Go," said Vogel from beside Beck.
"Mission Control, this is Hermes Actual," Lewis reported. "We are go for launch and will proceed on schedule. We are T minus four minutes, ten seconds to launch... mark."
Update: 01/03/2018
Honestly, it was great. Mark is an (almost unbelievably) optimistic and humorous narrator, and the science in this book is L E G I T. My only gripe would be the lack of character development throughout - we see how great a problem-solver Mark is and how the people on Earth rally to rescue him, but was there never any existential crisis? No despair? And one other uncomfortable thought - why spend so much resources and time (reading it, it's really a ridiculous amount of money and sleepless nights for so many of the people at NASA and elsewhere) trying to rescue this one guy, when there are so many others dying of hunger, living below the poverty line in many other parts of the world? I found the ending a little ironic; it seemed like a nice sort of moral tie-in to conclude the mostly action- and adventure-driven story, but why is it that humans only rally together towards humanitarian efforts when a catastrophe that is big and unusual makes the headlines? What about the events that have become so commonplace that news channels have stopped reporting about them? Terror and war in the Middle East, earthquakes in Japan, starvation in Africa... I'm not the best at general knowledge and probably nowhere near the best person to represent these lesser-heard groups, but why do we not pour equal time and money into helping all these other people who are so much more within our reach than, say, one guy stranded on a nearby planet?
But that bit of ranting aside, the story is truly a gripping one. We stay rooting for Mark through the faintest of odds as he encounters setback after setback and bounces off them with more and more science (so legit it had me figuratively tearing up :') ) that has magically been made super accessible and entertaining to read about by the author. The book had such an interesting format of alternating Mark's log entries and perspectives of people working back here on Earth, and occasionally these were well used to great comic effect (everyone's quoted the Aquaman excerpt already, so I won't include it here). One of the most easy and enjoyable reads I've had in a while.
November 15, 2020
So, I got about half way through this book before I became so put-off by the way the main character speaks/writes that I decided to Google it and see if anyone else had the same complaint. He sounded, to me, exactly like a late 2000's "epic bacon" blogger and it really began to grate on me, given that he's constantly being put in and overcoming impossible, life-or-death situations. It actually began to remind me of another book that I absolutely hate: Ready Player One. Not a good comparison!
Anyway, it turns out that I had accidentally purchased the "Classroom Edition," which has... all of the bad words censored! No wonder he sounded like a 12-year old. (Constantly saying, "butt," "pee," "poop," "jerk," etc...) So - a word of warning: don't buy the Classroom Edition!
With that aside, I found the book to be enjoyable. I know this is kind of a well-worn tradition in sci-fi, but I did find it a bit disappointing that
Anyway, fun book that I read pretty quickly. Looking forward to watching the movie now and seeing 1) the main character use swear words, 2) how they adapted some of the less-adaptable content, and 3) if they addressed my complaints in the spoiler.
Anyway, it turns out that I had accidentally purchased the "Classroom Edition," which has... all of the bad words censored! No wonder he sounded like a 12-year old. (Constantly saying, "butt," "pee," "poop," "jerk," etc...) So - a word of warning: don't buy the Classroom Edition!
With that aside, I found the book to be enjoyable. I know this is kind of a well-worn tradition in sci-fi, but I did find it a bit disappointing that
Anyway, fun book that I read pretty quickly. Looking forward to watching the movie now and seeing 1) the main character use swear words, 2) how they adapted some of the less-adaptable content, and 3) if they addressed my complaints in the spoiler.
December 13, 2025
Classic.
April 22, 2023
3.7
Second try on this book and i’m glad i did. I didn’t dnf the first time because there was anything i didn’t like. Just got busy or something and had to return it to the library. Pretty good from the beginning but it really gains pace toward the middle and becomes a book you don’t want to put down. I had planned to pace myself but ended up gunning it in a night.
For whatever reason, i was under the impression that he doesn’t survive the end, so i was a little surprised at the ending. I’m both glad and sad about that. Glad because i really wanted him to survive. Weir does a good job shaping the audience to cheer him on. But i can also see the appeal of a tragic ending. Who doesn’t love a well-deserved, intense, emotional ride? I was prepared to be sad and bawl my eyes out, so it was a little discombobulating when he just popped inside so matter-of-factly!
And that’s one thing i really appreciate about his writing. He is very down-to-earth (haha!) in his style and there’s an emotional subtlety, even if in some ways his statements seem very overt. Humor that might be passed off as dad jokes or other lame attempts at garnering laughs seems to fly better in zero g, i guess.
The very end was a bit eyeroll-inducing, but i’ve come to expect conclusions to be like careless farts. (I get it. Authors probably just want the book to be over by then and they don’t really care what comes out, just as long as you know they’re throwing deuces.) But it wasn’t that bad here because at least he kept it concise. Like one-paragraph concise. I like the no-nonsense-ness. Much preferred to when authors spew meaningless shit for pages—or chapters (God forbid!) Story-wise, it would’ve been interesting if he ended with a brief spiel about each of their perspectives/lives after coming back to earth. But nothing lost.
Overall, good read!
Second try on this book and i’m glad i did. I didn’t dnf the first time because there was anything i didn’t like. Just got busy or something and had to return it to the library. Pretty good from the beginning but it really gains pace toward the middle and becomes a book you don’t want to put down. I had planned to pace myself but ended up gunning it in a night.
For whatever reason, i was under the impression that he doesn’t survive the end, so i was a little surprised at the ending. I’m both glad and sad about that. Glad because i really wanted him to survive. Weir does a good job shaping the audience to cheer him on. But i can also see the appeal of a tragic ending. Who doesn’t love a well-deserved, intense, emotional ride? I was prepared to be sad and bawl my eyes out, so it was a little discombobulating when he just popped inside so matter-of-factly!
And that’s one thing i really appreciate about his writing. He is very down-to-earth (haha!) in his style and there’s an emotional subtlety, even if in some ways his statements seem very overt. Humor that might be passed off as dad jokes or other lame attempts at garnering laughs seems to fly better in zero g, i guess.
The very end was a bit eyeroll-inducing, but i’ve come to expect conclusions to be like careless farts. (I get it. Authors probably just want the book to be over by then and they don’t really care what comes out, just as long as you know they’re throwing deuces.) But it wasn’t that bad here because at least he kept it concise. Like one-paragraph concise. I like the no-nonsense-ness. Much preferred to when authors spew meaningless shit for pages—or chapters (God forbid!) Story-wise, it would’ve been interesting if he ended with a brief spiel about each of their perspectives/lives after coming back to earth. But nothing lost.
Overall, good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 21, 2019 When stranded on an unknown place, Mark Watney a Botanist has to try and survive for over two years by himself. After a big sand storm, him and his team are told to leave Mars but he gets hit by a satellite dish and is left behind. He only has three months worth of food and not enough water. He finds a way to mix hydrogen and oxygen together to make water which he then uses to plant potatoes. With the number of potatoes, he was able to grow would last him for about four years but when he is doing a decompression experiment in the Hab, where he is living, everything gets sucked out including him and the first airlock. He is stuck in the little closet-like room for over a day but eventually makes back to the Hab. Over half of the potatoes were destroyed so he only has enough to last till sol, which is what the days are called, 549. By this point, he realizes he needs a way to talk to NASA so he goes on an adventure in his rover to a probe which he can use to talk to Earth. When he makes it back he tells them everything that has happened. They need a way to rescue him by sol 549 which is too early for the next round of astronauts to come and help him. NASA then contacts his team to turn around and go save him by receiving a probe that they receive while they are above Earth. That was successful but for the team to pick of Mark, he needs to get to the Ares 4 site which is over 2000 km away. He does make it and is able to be rescued by the team and when he gets back to Earth he is famous.
I would recommend this book for sure because it had good a really good storyline and was really entertaining to read. Even though you know Mark will survive there are so many challenges that take place throught the book it is amazing he lived.
I would recommend this book for sure because it had good a really good storyline and was really entertaining to read. Even though you know Mark will survive there are so many challenges that take place throught the book it is amazing he lived.
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