The Martian

Andy Weir must have been a fan of Michael Crichton. The Martian is such a great story. It really blurs the lines between fact and fiction, more so than any other sci-fi I’ve read. Of course there’s a movie, and naturally it’s not as good as the book.

The movie does a fine job conveying the general plot and characters. However, the devil is in the details. That’s what makes the book so amazing. It’s an ultra-realistic scenario. I’ve even read that the conjecture that happens with NASA is so real, someone thought he must’ve had an inside source. Andy Weir denies it though. He just does a great and thorough job with his research.

This is a pure suspense through and through. We follow Mark Watney through some really tough times. Sure all the science in this book isn’t exact, but who cares. It’s so close you won’t know any different unless you’re a chemist.

Overall, if you’re looking for something to tickle your “I-want-to-feel-smarter-but-not-study” fancy, while really giving you a character to root for, and providing you with great anxiety in the best way, then I highly recommend this book.