Return of the Rogue Readers discussion

I enjoyed The Martian. I think the action was paced well. I also thought it had a nice balance between the technical jargon and exposition in a way that made it easily accessible to laymen like me.

I agree with Jordan about the jargon and exposition. I feel that it was a good mix between anticipation, suspense and humor. The shorter length made it a great start for the club, in my opinion.

I may have asked this in the previous group, but I will ask again. Some people have criticized the authors dialog, they say Mark Watney sounds like a teenager at times. Did you think that was so?

Personally, no. Perhaps it was his sense of humor? That's the great thing about books! You can interpret it however you want. I'd love to hear what led them to that conclusion though.

It was Watney's sense of humor, definitely. I see where they are coming from when he says things about the incoming robot being gay and when he yells. The yelling was disturbed my peaceful listening experience. It didn't take away from the book, however.

I can understand that.

Though I didn't get very far, even the 29 pages I read I was actually agitated by the narrator's dialogue. I kept thinking that either the author was, or was writing the narrator as, an immature and inconsistent mess of a person. I rolled my eyes several times by his choice of words and phrases because they seemed so inappropriate and just plain silly and way too young for the character's position as a scientist (who also seemed to know his stuff to a very large and potent degree) and astronaut. I understand titles and positions do not have to reflect the rigid post in the scope of stereotypes, but I also felt he would have failed any testings to allow him to even board a ship. Taking it in light of being his sense of humor, I can let some leeway as well as the fact of his very serious and insane situation.

I can understand the yelling being a big drawback from the experience. As far as his breadth of knowledge. He was a mechanical engineer and a botanist. Which is responsible for his ability to operate/repair most mechanical devices. Especially if said devices are career related, i.e. other space craft. Don't get me wrong. There were a few times that he just got lucky.

I don't think Garret means to say his ability was unreasonably high, just that he thinks a person *with* that high level of skill and ability would not behave that way.

And I disagree.

The psychological evaluations for going into space are likely very, very rigorous, but "type of sense of humor" is almost certainly not part of it. They would test for the likelyhood of you going crazy and killing your crewmates, or having a panic attack in an enclosed space. They would look for how rebellious you are or how well you handle isolation.

I know for a fact that NASA isn't a stiff, white shirt and black tie sort of place. They probably don't put whoopie cushions under the Director's seat, but who knows. Exhibit A is Bobak Ferdowsi who has a red and black mohawk with stars shaved into the side of his head.

He is is a systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was a member of the crew behind the 9-year mission that put the Curiosity rover on Mars. He was 24 years old when he earned his masters in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and got a job at NASA. 24.

If that guy is just a couple years older than us then it's a safe assumption that he is a fan of South Park, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Archer, etc, etc.

So, taking that all into consideration I don't think it alters the believably of the book at all. It didn't even tap gently on the fourth wall (or whatever we call that concept in books).

That doesn't mean I enjoyed it. I didn't like his Jim Carreyian sense of humor, but taste is so very subjective. I think this book was aimed at the general reading public, not at a niche crowd. The general public likes Family Guy. They like Jim Carrey.

Do you get me? Do you? It's absolutely imperative that you get me.

I get you. Avatar I the best. I get you.

Avatar 2 will be even better.

The best movie ever, man. If you haven't seem them you're $#%. I'm sorry, man, but it's true.
- Taaj (paraphrase)

In all seriousness, your comment makes a ton of sense when put into perspective. I actually think your point of humor being subjective hit the point on the head for me....subjectively.

Seriously, I have very little room to critique this novel without finishing, but at least I can pretend. :-)

Hop to, son. The book is good and while it was spoiled for you by some goddamned sasquatch keep in mind that books are about the journey, not the destination. That's what I said to King when I scolded him over his ending of DT7.

King....who still claims that the Dark Tower is yet an unfinished journey that may have more books. Just like Valve titles with a 3, and childhood memory that Michael Bay will not destroy, or sasquatches that don't throw their poo at unfinished products.

One day I'll read this novel. And on that day I'll have dementia and throw my own poo so won't remember sasquatch statements; on that day you will give me that novel so I can read it. Whatever I say about it, please post it here.

The author is doing an AMA on Reddit. For those unfamiliar, an AMA is an interview conducted by the users of the forum.

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comment...

Awesome. Thank you for the info.

Here is a clip from the upcoming movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CumZP...