The Martian

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Published: 2011
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 369


Like The Road, I wanted to read The Martian before seeing the movie. So I reserved it from the library, and then waited for some four months to actually get it! The first 20-30 poop-filled pages didn't... I mean, is this gonna be all about poop? Poop on Mars? Is there poop on Maa-aars? But then I finished The Road and stopped being distracted by other books and the pages just flew! And there was considerably less poop.

On a mission to Mars, the crew of Ares 3 has to evacuate due to a strong storm. Unfortunately, astronaut and botanist Mark Watney is left behind, presumed dead but very much not so. No communication, not enough food to last until the next mission arrives, Mark is in deep shit. Luckily someone brought potatoes and Mark is a botanist, not to mention very resourceful, and very sweary. Soon he's got taters growing for food, and then it's time to start trying to get in touch with Earth.

The Martian was pretty much everything I expected it to be, after hearing about it and the movie. Worth the wait, and very enjoyable!


So that's the situation. I'm stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Hermes or Earth. Everyone thinks I'm dead. I'm in a Hab designed to last thirty-one days.
   If the oxygenator breaks down, I'll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I'll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I'll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I'll eventually run out of food and starve to death. 
   So yeah. I'm fucked.