I have just finished reading The Martian, by Andy Weir. I’m not big on reading fiction and I’m even less of fan of science fiction novels. It’s actually a true question whether the book qualifies as sci-fi but in any case: I’ve paged through the book like it rarely happens for me.
The Martian tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut on the third manned mission to Mars who is left stranded and alone after his crew leaves him behind on the sixth day of their month-long mission. To everyone, Watney is dead, impaled by a debris carried by a storm whose strength was beyond the mission’s parameters.
Watney is a resourceful character, both a mechanical engineer and a botanist. These skills turn out to be pretty much the optimal combo if you’re in his situation. The reason The Martian is barely a sci-fi book is because it packs a lot of science. On many occasions throughout the book, Weir dwelves into the chemical structure of the jet fuel, details the protocol Watney follows and the precise calculations he must make to plan for his survival. It makes for a heavy literary style at times.
What I also see as a bit lacking is an idea of Watney’s emotional state of mind. Sure, he might have a really upbeat personality but it’s hard to believe there wouldn’t be times where the harsh reality of his fate would take over. And almost none of that appears in the text – it would probably have been possible to include that without making it the crux of the story. But the faults of the book pale in face of the thrill I had reading and picturing what life is like in complete isolation, fighting against a hostile environment.
Final good news: the book is soon to be adapted into a movie, to be released next year.