The Martian
by Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction, Humor
Date Read: 15 February 2014
Narrator: RC Bray
Reading with my ears
Unabridged audio - Length:
10 hours 28 minutes
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission 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 get 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. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?(Goodreads)
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission 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 get 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. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?(Goodreads)
My thoughts:
I am not exactly sure how I got interested in reading The Martian. I admit I am a cover lover. Pretty covers always catch my eye.
This cover would not have caught my attention and I would have assumed that it is directed at a male audience (well, look at it. don't you agree?).
This is exactly the reason why I am so glad that that it was discussed in one of the audiobook discussions on Goodreads. I would have missed an amazing journey - both mine and Mark's.
The online book club discussions intrigued me. It brought forth such a wide range of feelings from the participants. But everyone agreed, you have to read this . . . now!
So I went in search and when I heard the first few sentences . . .
I am pretty much f*cked . . . that is my considered opinion. F*cked.
I was hooked. (how can you not love that!)
This is a story of one man left behind after a failed Mars mission. But Mark is not ready to give up even if all rational thought leads to the conclusion that there is just no way that he will be able to survive until a rescue mission can be launched. But Mark has not lost his sense of humor and it carries him through some difficult situations.
“Actually, I was the very lowest ranked member of the crew. I would only be “in command” if I were the only remaining person.” What do you know? I’m in command ”
Luckily Mark is the perfect MacGyver type guy and before long he is making water (yeah, that is right - he MADE water). With that somewhat important problem solved, he goes ahead and starts growing potatoes. It looks like there might be some hope but before long slight oversights causes big problems. Luckily Mark has duct tape.
“Also, I have duct tape. Ordinary duct tape, like you buy at a hardware store. Turns out even NASA can’t improve on duct tape. ”
You will not be disappointed by his story. I am not sure if all the science is accurate but that is really not important. This science fiction story is about a man and his fight for survival.
I devoured Mark's story in two days and I am sure you will not be able to put it down either. Grab a copy today!
Also look out for the movie! Andy Weir has become one of those one in a million success stories. From selling the ebook for 99c to having the movie rights bought by a huge movie company. Congratulations, Andy and here is to many more.
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