Thursday, August 14, 2014

The Martian

Author: Andy Weir
Stars: 5
Review by: ToneLoc

A thoroughly entertaining book that is more technology thriller than pure science fiction given its near future time frame and use of the science and engineering being developed by NASA for the proposed Mars missions.
 
The protagonist of this novel is NASA astronaut Mark Watney, a botanist and mechanical engineer, who is left stranded on Mars when the crew of the Ares 3 mission is forced to evacuate due to a dust storm with high winds. Watney is impaled by an antenna during the evacuation, destroying his EVA suit's bio-monitor computer, and his five crewmates believe him to be dead. His injury proves relatively minor, but with no way to contact Earth, Watney must rely on his scientific and technical skills to survive. He begins a log of his experiences for some future archeologist who might discover it long after his death. NASA discovers that Watney is alive when satellite images of the landing site show evidence of his activities; they begin working on ways to rescue him.
 
Watney's inner dialogue is witty and realistic, and moves the story along. The conflicts within the NASA team on Earth rings true to crisis management in a large technical organization.
  
The Martian will satisfy both the Sci-Fi geek and the general reader alike.
 
 

1 comment:

Saraswati said...

It was an awesome book, wasn't it!