Review: The Martian
Yeah, I finally read The Martian.
I realized a few pages into it that I was going to enjoy it, but I wasn’t sure if it was just one of those books that was written especially for me or if it was really good. The early chapters had the tone of the things I do at work absent the threat of death if I get it wrong. A book about stressful problem solving seems to have a limited audience.
Weir is a writer with more range than stranding me in space, though. He does a really good job dropping the reader into a relatable character’s head in the middle of a terrifying situation and then expanding out to the larger worlds around him. No one’s found themselves struggling to stay alive on Mars, but many people have found themselves in a tough spot and gone into problem solving mode. I think it sucks people into the story. Once you’re in, when the main character gets a chance to breathe, bits of the worlds creep in, and the reader is oriented. And the rest of the worlds are believable and engaging, so you look up and find you’re caring about more characters than the stranded fellow.
Weir puts individual scenes into that structure that keep the reader in the story. Some of that is just writing exciting set-pieces. Some of that is dribbling out bits of context that form a universe. Some is pacing the whole story. He’s good all around.
It’s an adventure story, and super pro-space exploration. I like adventure and space exploration, so I’m an easy sell. But I recognize the bias. If any bit of adventure or space attracts you, this is top quality stuff.
Strongly recommended.