Wow. I just finished Andy Weir's science fiction novel The Martian (#381). Although I do admit to having an annual pass to the Kennedy Space Center, and puttering around in the Atlantis Shuttle penultimate mission t-shirt because I was there when it came down, you don't have to be a space geek to appreciate this novel about an American astronaut stranded on Mars when the crew's temporary workstation must be abandoned during a ferocious sandstorm. When the rest of the crew sees Mark Watney injured and his space suit bio signs go dead, they are forced by mission protocol to leave him behind to relieve the weight on their escape capsule. The problem is, Mark wakes up, somewhat to his own surprise, to find that he is now alone on Mars with the next Mars mission scheduled approximately four years in the future. Is there any possible way he can survive that long? His story is gripping and tense, loaded with ingenious and geeky work-arounds, humor, and just plain guts.
Chris Hadfield, a real-life astronaut, in his cover blurb for The Martian praises this debut novel as "MacGyver meets Mysterious Island". I totally agree with the MacGyver comparison, but not with Mysterious Island, or Robinson Crusoe which some of the other reviewers have made. There were other living things in those books. Heck, Robinson Crusoe had Friday, an actual person, to keep him company. I think Mark Watney would have killed for that! I think Castaway, the Tom Hanks movie, would be a more apt comparison.
Even if you're not normally a science fiction fan, give The Martian a chance. It's a great story. Come on, admit it, you loved Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in Gravity, didn't you? That was a walk in the park compared to Mark Watney's struggle to survive. Better cancel that manicure appointment, you won't need it after reading this harrowing tale!
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