Customer Reviews

The Martian (Unabridged)

NASA has set up a chain of expeditions to Mars but very soon after landing the third one is aborted and the scientists have to leave. Unknown to them their dead companion, who is not actually dead, finds himself stranded on Mars with little hope of surviving until the next scheduled mission. Air and water are not the problem but he does not have enough food despite being left with the resources to accommodate six explorers.

Right from the start this is a gripping page-turner and no matter how hard Mark Watney strives to survive Mars works just as hard to kill him. All the time I was willing him to succeed only to have yet another believable crisis threatening his continued existence. In my opinion you will not find a better thriller set on Mars or elsewhere. I had not previously heard of the author and cannot remember how I ended up buying his book to read on my Ipad, but it was a good day. Highly recommended, excellent value for money, and I look forward to reading other work from Weir.

Andy started this as an online serialised story years ago, and I have been following it on his website avidly. It's a very witty, well written novel about a man stranded on Mars after an accident causes his crew mates to leave him for dead on the planet. Mark Watney is fighting to survive from the very opening sentence and his successes and failures are thoroughly endearing.

I loved every minute of reading it and I look forward to reading it over and over again. :)

This novel has a great premise, which is in many ways it greatest strength. Weir is great at delivering technical information in his writing style, and a great part of the text is quite technical. But it's succinct, and is never bogged down with advanced vocabulary. However, if you are not looking for a story that talks a lot about the technicalities and issues of space travel and inter-planetary exploration, this book is not for you.
The story itself is good, switching between the main characters life on mars, and the events of those back on earth adds a refreshing change of pace at key points which keeps the reader engaged. Do not expect a deeply philosophical approach to difficulties faced by a lone human on a barren world, you wont be getting it. Life alone on Mars is described by Mark Watney, a likable and quick witted botanist, who likes to keep things simple, and humorous.
All in all, this book will interest the sci-fi fan, and will appeal to the casual reader, such as myself, looking for a new and refreshing story.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the copy via netgalley

Apollo 13 meets Castaway in this grippingly detailed, brilliantly ingenious man-vs-nature survival thriller-set on the surface of Mars.
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.

Grippingly detailed? Yep. Brilliantly ingenious? Yep. This was me while reading this book.

HA! This guy’s hilarious. Wait WHAT HAPPENED? No. Oh its ok. Phew. Giggle, this guy really IS funny. LOOK OUT! Jeez. Sigh. Really? Nooo you can’t do that where’s my chocolate? Oh no worries its ok. Isnt it? Laugh. AARGH that can’t be good. And so on…

The further I got into it the more gripping it got. Literally gripping…often highly funny, always keeping you on your toes – and in Mark Watney the author has created one of the most humerous, brave, versatile characters I have seen in years. You WILL root for him with every fibre of your being. You will laugh with him, cry with him, feel the highs and the lows as he desperately struggles to survive in a highly dangerous and alien environment and yet you really have no idea whether or not he will live. There are no guarantees here and I for one was desperate DESPERATE for him to find some way home.

When one character dominates the majority of a novel (or a film, think “Castaway”, or the amazingly brilliant and tense “Buried” with Ryan Reynolds) then they have to be good, worth the effort, make the reader or the observer NEED to take that journey with them…or it won’t work. In that sense Andy Weir really is a genius writer – there was not one second, not one single second, even during the quieter moments when Mark is pondering his next challenge, that I was not 100% with him. All the way to the heart stopping conclusion.

This is a book with true highs and lows in the emotional response department. You will either be fist pumping the air or hyperventilating through a dangerous moment and inbetween all that you get some witty, ironic and truly wonderful life observations.

Absolutely and totally fantastic. Now I’m off to dance to some 70′s disco….

Happy Reading Folks!

Don't ever review anything but felt compelled to with this. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Fantastic, full of heart stopping and heart warming moments.

The Martian tells the story of a modern day Robinson Crusoe, an astronaut stranded on Mars after an accident leads to his crew hastily bailing on their mission and leaving him for dead.

The tale of his ingenuity and endeavour as he attempts to survive and find a way, anyway to survive and try to get home is a brilliant read. The pacing is great, I couldn't put it down, the characters engrossing and well written and the science all seems very believable to a layman like me.

I'd recommend this to anyone, not just Sci-Fi fans, it's as much a thriller as anything else and a brilliant read.

A hugely enjoyable book, with no green men or 'beam me up Scotty' elements, yet totally engaging and eventually unputdownable (after a slightly slow start). Very refreshing sci fi and highly recommended. More please!

Really good. Bit necessarily technical, but thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended. Go on.... give it a go, why don't you? Please.

Loved this book. Didn't understand a lot of the techy stuff, but loved the main character, his attitude and fight to survive. Will be looking for more from this author.

Intelligent, engaging, amusing; a great page turner and easy to read. I'd highly recommend it, genuinely gripping and despite the technical information and dizzying mathematics it was very accessible