Review: The Martian by Andy Weir (Spoiler-Free)

Proof that I should always listen to my friends on what to read 🙄 thanks @julia I guess.

I feel like I might be the only person on the planet (ha) who read this book AFTER Project Hail Mary. If I'd read this first, I think I literally would have been quaking when I got to the halfway twist in that one. But I read them in this order, alas, so I'll never know that experience. Not like it matters anyway when I gave them both 5 stars. I think my Project Hail Mary review actually says "100000 stars out of 5," so maybe it was better for my health that I read that one first.

I can't wait till I have grandchildren. When I was younger, I had to walk to the rim of a crater. Uphill! In an EVA suit! On Mars, ya little shit! Ya hear me? Mars!

What is there to say about this book that hasn't already been said? It combines the survival and sci-fi genres flawlessly and Andy Weir's knowledge on the technical subjects enhances the experience to a point that can't be achieved by authors without experience in the field. At the same time though, he manages to keep everything so innately human. His humor always lands and is so essential to keeping the character of Mark Watney likable and hopeful. It really propels the narrative in a way that is much less exhausting than many other survival stories.

I already know I'll shed a tear when I watch the movie, so I need to mentally prepare. But I WILL be watching the movie soon. Because I need more Andy Weir content in my life. You already know I'll be preordering whatever he writes next.