Andy Weir

The bestseller behind the major film from Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain. I'm stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Earth. I'm in a Habitat designed to last 31 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 screwed.

The Martian

Stranded on Mars by a dust storm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and harsh environmental challenges that test his ingenuity in unique ways. A first novel.

A Novel

Ruthie C

If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception. Yes, there are assholes who just dont care, but they' re massively outnumbered by the people who do. And because of that, I had billions of people on my side. 

Danny White

I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the best botanist on the planet.

"Originally self-published as an ebook in 2011 and subsequently published in hardcover in slightly different form in the United States by Crown Publishers ... and as a trade paperback by Broadway Books ... in 2014"--Title page verso.

Simon Sylvest

Jaden Nelson

I started this book on audio book when I was about 12, I think, and I got really bored, so I gave up. A few months ago though, I decided to give it a try again, so I started listening to it when I was cooking or sitting in the car. I was a lot more interested in it this time. I loved the humor, and the way R. C. Bray narrates Mark’s personality so well added to the book a ton. It isn’t a fast paced book most of the time, but that was ok because of how occasionally I listened to it, making sure I never got too bored. I was emotionally involved in the story and found myself sad when I realized I finished it. Great book.

Kelsey Munson

Der Astronaut Mark Watney war auf dem besten Weg, eine lebende Legende zu werden: Als einer der ersten Menschen in der Geschichte der Raumfahrt betritt er den Mars. Nun, sechs Tage später, ist Mark auf dem besten Weg, der erste Mensch zu werden, der auf dem Mars sterben wird: Bei einer Expedition auf dem Roten Planeten gerät er in einen Sandsturm, und als er aus seiner Bewusstlosigkeit erwacht, ist er allein. Auf dem Mars. Ohne Ausrüstung. Ohne Nahrung. Und ohne Crew, denn die ist bereits auf dem Weg zurück zur Erde. Es ist der Beginn eines spektakulären Überlebenskampfes ...

Source: https://www.randomhouse.de/Paperback/Der-Marsianer/Andy-Weir/Heyne/e445571.rhd#info

Der Marsianer

Klaus Eck

"Der Marsianer" ist Hardcore SF vom feinsten, den man allerdings mögen muss. Grundsätzlich habe ich nichts dagegen, wenn die Technologie im Vordergrund steht. Dazu habe ich früher lange genug Perry Rhodan-Romane gelesen. Allerdings benötigte ich einige Ausdauer die vielen Details beim marsianischen Kartoffelanbau und ähnlichen Szenarien zu verkraften. 

So gut die Idee des Romans auch ist, so flach ist die Figurenzeichnung. Allzu viel erfahre ich nicht über den marsianischen Robinson und seinen einsamen Kampf ums Überlesen. Das kennen ich ganz anders von unterhaltenden Romanen wie "Life of Pi: Schiffbruch mit Tiger", den ich innerhalb von anderthalb Tagen durchlesen musste.

Ich bevorzuge Charaktere, deren Innenleben ich kennen- und schätzen lerne. Beim Marsianer fehlt mir das doch sehr. Was im Film vermutlich sehr gut funktioniert, wirkt im manchmal blogähnlichen Roman nicht selten eher langatmig. Andererseits ist der Roman ein gutes Plädoyer für Ausdauer, Disziplin und Hartnäckigkeit. Selbiges benötigen allerdings auch die Leser.

I had to read the first chapter of this book for a university course and an introduction to Science Fiction genre. I was hooked from the first couple pages and had to keep reading. 

There were times I often rolled my eyes at the protagonist's comments to himself (it is a lot of straight white male internal dialogue) but for the most part I enjoyed the diary format of the book. I wish there was more female characters who were more intelligent (there were a few strong notable female roles but all 'unintelligent' and 'uninformed' characters were women).

I never saw the film, so it was a real page turner. Things kept going wrong and dangerous mishaps occurred and yet I didn't feel that the scientific explanations of things got in the way of the momentum of the story either. It was an interesting read, and I am already planning on reading the author's other works. 

Juliet Tuppurainen

I had to read the first chapter of this book for a university course and an introduction to Science Fiction genre. I was hooked from the first couple pages and had to keep reading. 

There were times I often rolled my eyes at the protagonist's comments to himself (it is a lot of straight white male internal dialogue) but for the most part I enjoyed the diary format of the book. I wish there was more female characters who were more intelligent (there were a few strong notable female roles but all 'unintelligent' and 'uninformed' characters were women).

I never saw the film, so it was a real page turner. Things kept going wrong and dangerous mishaps occurred and yet I didn't feel that the scientific explanations of things got in the way of the momentum of the story either. It was an interesting read, and I am already planning on reading the author's other works. 

Lara Engle

The Martian is nerdy, smart, fun, funny, nerve-wracking, and suspenseful. You should read it. It's just really good.

Patricia Nelson

I liked this book! It is like reading a MacGyver in space story. The main character finds himself stranded on Mars, and encounters challenge after challenge after hurdle after disaster. He sometimes gives in to being upset, and his humor and sarcasm carries him far, but his will to survive and his basic knowledge about how things work help him address what he faces.

Love his sarcastic wit dealing with NASA and his situation; situation demands risk; Could we do what he did? Are we too risk averse? How much is one life worth?

In the Classroom Edition of The Martian: Classroom-appropriate language Discussion questions and activities Q&A with Andy Weir Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. 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?

Denys D

I have not felt this engaged with a book for quite some time. Narration in an Audible edition is pretty good as well.

Yash

4.5 ⭐️

"Every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it's true."

"This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception." 

The final pages 300-400 ish were gripping with tension and anxiety. Fun read! As always the author makes sci-fi uncomplicated with enough explanations for readers to catch on with what's happening in space.

Reyna Mendoza

This book brought me so much joy, I have never loved a character as much as I love Mark Watney! Even stranded on Mars, Mark managed to remain positive and hilarious. This book is the first book to make me laugh out loud the whole time. My new favorite book for sure!

Peggy Walker

Awesome!

I saw the movie first, and they are both wonderful. Loved the ingenuity of the hero. There is a lot of science, but it's worth it.

Briar's Reviews

I picked up the Martian based off a recommendation of my significant other. He raved on and on about this book and would have probably rated it 6 out of 5 stars if he was on Goodreads. It was 100% his kind of book and he's the perfect audience for this book. I figured I would give it a try to see if I would enjoy it too, even though we clearly have different tastes.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It was well written and incredible, but sci-fi has never been a genre that I can get 100% into. I enjoyed the read, but ended up getting bored about three-quarters into the book. Space science has never interested me, which is definitely a hit on me and not the book. I love how Andy Weir wrote this book! It's smart, it's amusing and the form of a journal was super intriguing. I like seeing more books written in a different form of narrative instead of just good ol' third person. 

The thing with this book... it felt like nothing was really happening. I would continue reading and be waiting for a big, fun reveal but there wasn't anything that sparked my interest. I felt super bored and then got to the point where I felt the book was dragging on and on and on and on and on. I started rushing my reading and had to put it down numerous times because I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. With everyone else loving it, I was sure there was something in it for me. But unfortunately not.

But honestly, the corny puns were awesome. I enjoyed those!

Like I've said a million times before, not every book is for every reader. I am honestly blown away by Andy's talent, but it's not a book for me and that's okay! I can still say it's 100% an amazing book that sci-fi and space lovers need to read. It's almost a "classic" in my head for science fiction books. It's that good!

For me though? Definitely not a book I'd read again or pick up. My significant other will rave about it to the moon (or Mars...) and back, and I will definitely be looking for more books like this for him. I'm more of a romance and thriller kind of girl, hence why I'm not into this book as much. But, I do like expanding outside of my genres and taking a peek into books like these because they are so popular.

Two out of five stars.

Martha McLendon

I didn't think I would actually like this book but I loved Mark Watney, sarcastic attitude on his Mars "adventure" the scientific explanation of a lot of the book was great.

a thoroughly enjoyable novel. tension and humour were perfectly balanced throughout, turning the harrowing premise into an upbeat yet grounded story. mark is such a likeable main character that you're never once bogged down in the science of it (although, my god, that boy ate at least one raw potato despite being a literal botanist!) and it never quite feels totally bleak, no matter what disaster unfolds. the prose was plain and functional, which suited the novel perfectly. just overall a Good Book. 

Avarni B

In the Young Readers Edition of The Martian:

Classroom-appropriate language
Discussion questions and activities
Q&A with Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

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. Damaged machinery, the 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?


Source: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1112847/the-martian/#wtK9Qj5D63UfIWKs.99

ازبین سه تا کتاب اندی وایبر این کتاب برای من در مرتبه سوم هستش.همچنان پروژه هیل مری بهترینها

Shidehdeishidi

ازبین سه تا کتاب اندی وایبر این کتاب برای من در مرتبه سوم هستش.همچنان پروژه هیل مری بهترینها



This book was so cool and I genuinely enjoyed reading it. It had me wondering what I would do and how royally screwed I would be if it was me. Fav line in book: Chemistry, the sloppy b*tch it is. 

Tiana holt

Joy Bush

This is the 1st adult sci-fi book I have read. I don't know if any others can live up to this one. 

This is in my top 5 favorite books now. Its that great. You would think that a book about a lonely man on mars for 1 1/2 yrs would not be a great read, but it was. the main character is funny. he needs that sense of humor to get through and the book needed it too. I regularly laughed out loud. 

Mark Watney is one of my favorite characters of all time! I'm very impressed with the author even tho this is his first book. 

I highly recommend all my friends read this book!

Katherine Bates 

I think this is one of my new all time favorites. The humor and science aspects were just perfect.

Quydasha Allen 

Wynter

This book... 

At first I really couldn't stand the style of narration. It really ground on my nerves. But after the first 50 pages I got to like Mark Watney and his strange sarcastic outlook on danger. There is a lot of science in this novel, and by science I mean actual calculations, that might turn people off. Thankfully there are no formulas, and it's nice to see solid, real life facts supporting the outlandish happenings throughout. The action is nonstop, and I was on the edge of my seat more than a couple of times.

This book... I liked it.

Cheri Fuller

This is one of the best books I've read. The subject is fascinating, the characters are engaging - particularly Mark Watney. I had to regularly remind myself that this was not a retelling of actual events and that these people are fictional. 
 
I won't lie, I did tend to zone out a touch during some of the longer scientific passages but they only made the story feel more real. I can only imagine the insane amount of research that went into this book.
 
In addition to the fantastic writing, the extremely engaging story, and the great character portrayals, the narrator did a stellar job of bringing it all together.

Colleen

Oh man, I loved this book! I haven't been this excited about a book in a while. I completely understand why there is so much hype surrounding The Martian, and for once it is actually deserved. I could hardly put this book down. I was riveted from cover to cover. I stayed up until the wee hours reading and then got up early to finish it. 

The premise is straightforward. Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind on Mars. What follows is a thrilling tale of his battle to survive. I don't want to give anything away, but this book certainly kept me guessing. It was definitely more exhilarating than other popular "thrillers" (cough, cough Gone Girl).

I have always loved survival stories. Granted most of them were about surviving various things on Earth, but I've been gobbling up everything from Robinson Crusoe to Hatchet since childhood. Survival on Mars was a new one for me, but I loved it! I was always fascinated by true survival stories too such as the Apollo 13 mission. Weir did an amazing job of capturing the high stakes thrill and battle of wits that it undoubtedly takes to not fall apart in such a dire situation.

Much of what made me enjoy The Martian was that it is Real Science Fiction. A lot of stuff labeled as Science Fiction truly belongs in the Fantasy genre. And the bulk of what is left over throws in a few scientific-sounding terms and hopes you don't know what they are talking about. Let's face it, most bestsellers are dumbed down and pedestrian with almost no opportunities to challenge your mind. Weir put an amazing amount of research into the science behind this book. I was practically skipping with nerdy joy! A book that utilized accurate science across multiple topics including space travel, astronomy, chemistry, biology, mechanics, and physics?! Be still my heart! I won't pretend to understand all of it, but I read an interview with some top scientists who said it was all very accurate. No pulling the wool over anyone's eyes; this is the real deal. If more Science Fiction books reached anywhere near this level, then I would read a hell of a lot more Science Fiction.

That being said, this book is not for everyone. If your eyes glaze over at the slightest sight of technical language then you will probably be bored by this book. Personally, I though Weir did a wonderful job of integrating technical talk with a thrilling and emotional story. I loved his writing style. The main character, Mark Watney, had a wonderfully wry sense of humor. I was literally laughing out loud at parts. But there were emotionally poignant moments when I got tears in my eyes. And trust me, I do NOT cry at books very often. This book was exciting, original, mentally stimulating, and emotional. Overall, one of the best books I have read in recent years!

I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Andy Weir!


This review fulfills the "Book Set in the Future" category of the Popsugar reading challenge. http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...

Victoria

4.75 stars

First off, don’t touch the audiobook of this. I like Will Wheaton. I’m not like a huge fan but from what I’ve seen of him on TBBT, I do like him. However, he sucked as an audiobook narrator and I had to stop listening after a few “Sols”. 

Now, this book isn’t as great as Project Hail Mary. There was too much Science in this that my Science-hating self couldn’t wrap her head around. But overall, it was a really enjoyable read. Mark Watney, although admittedly overly characterized, has a great personality. I like how funny he is and all the jokes made me laugh out loud. It’s a great way to break up all the Science stuff that I was not at all interested in lol. 

I can’t wait to watch the movie to see how that would compare to this. Also, all the goddamn potatoes. I felt that in every fiber of my being (see what I did there?) and now I feel like I’m as sick of potatoes as Mark Watney is.

Genial. Mark ist ein sehr sympathischer Protagonist. Der Schreibstil war sehr angenehm und die ganzen wissenschaftlichen Nebeninfos leicht verständlich. Ich würde mehr Sterne geben, aber so genial kann es ja doch nicht gewesen sein, wenn ich 5 Monate gebraucht habe um es fertig zu lesen. 

Tabea

The Martian by Andy Weir is a gripping tale of survival and perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. The story follows astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a devastating storm separates him from his crew. Despite the seemingly impossible circumstances, Mark refuses to give up and does everything in his power to stay alive until a rescue mission can be mounted.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Martian is Mark's unrelenting determination to survive. He faces numerous challenges, from food and water shortages to communication breakdowns, but he never gives up hope. This resilience is truly inspiring and makes Mark a character that readers can't help but root for.

However, the book does have some shortcomings. The decision by Mitch Henderson to disobey mission control and inform the Ares 3 crew that Mark is still alive is a little hard to believe, and it puts the lives of the entire crew at risk. Understandably, Mitch wanted to help Mark, but it's not entirely clear why he would take such a huge risk to do so.

Additionally, while the scientific explanations in the book are impressive, they can also be overwhelming. At times, it feels like the story is bogged down by lengthy descriptions of complex scientific processes. While this attention to detail may be appreciated by some readers, it can make the book feel like a bit of a slog at times.

Overall, The Martian is a compelling and engaging read that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. While it may not be perfect, the story of Mark Watney's survival is a testament to the human spirit and a tribute to the power of determination in the face of adversity. I would give it a solid four out of five stars.

The Martian by Andy Weir is a gripping tale of survival and perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds. The story follows astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a devastating storm separates him from his crew. Despite the seemingly impossible circumstances, Mark refuses to give up and does everything in his power to stay alive until a rescue mission can be mounted.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Martian is Mark's unrelenting determination to survive. He faces numerous challenges, from food and water shortages to communication breakdowns, but he never gives up hope. This resilience is truly inspiring and makes Mark a character that readers can't help but root for.

However, the book does have some shortcomings. The decision by Mitch Henderson to disobey mission control and inform the Ares 3 crew that Mark is still alive is a little hard to believe, and it puts the lives of the entire crew at risk. Understandably, Mitch wanted to help Mark, but it's not entirely clear why he would take such a huge risk to do so.

Additionally, while the scientific explanations in the book are impressive, they can also be overwhelming. At times, it feels like the story is bogged down by lengthy descriptions of complex scientific processes. While this attention to detail may be appreciated by some readers, it can make the book feel like a bit of a slog at times.

Overall, The Martian is a compelling and engaging read that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. While it may not be perfect, the story of Mark Watney's survival is a testament to the human spirit and a tribute to the power of determination in the face of adversity. I would give it a solid four out of five stars.

The Martian

Reviews

Highlights