“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 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 fucked.”
Astronaut Mark Watney was part of a mission to Mars that had to be cut short due to an unexpected and strong dust storm. During the crew’s evacuation, Mark is hit by flying debris and separated from his crew. Believing that he is dead, the crew is forced to evacuate without him, which leaves Mark Watney as the sole occupant of Mars and relying on his knowledge and skills to keep himself alive.
The Martian is a fun read. It is always tricky when starting a book that has already received such great reviews and is so highly recommended. Fortunately, in my opinion, The Martian really does live up to the hype. It is part science-fiction and part comedy resulting in a very interesting and funny book. I enjoyed Mark’s personality and sarcasm, which was the main source of humour throughout. The scientific portions are greatly detailed and obviously very well researched. At times it did feel a little too detailed, and the parts with the calculations and science are a bit dry. However, the dialogue, humour and overall intrigue do make up for it. A fun and worthy read.
Favourite quote: “He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”
LOG ENTRY: SOL 61
How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
About a Book 