Oakland Library Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

 By Rosa Schmidt, Oakland Public Library Director 

 The Martian by Andy Weir grabs the reader the instant you begin. The story is told from the perspective of Mark Watney, an astronaut for NASA. He and a crew are collecting samples on MARS when a dust storm causes them to do an emergency evacuation. During the process, Watney is injured and presumed dead. His captain, in an effort to save the rest of the crew leaves his body on MARS. Only Watney is not dead and the tale that unfolds is incredible.

As the story progresses we get narratives from key NASA members, media and Watney’s crew, further drawing us into the suspense. Will Watney be saved or will he die alone on MARS?

Weir is a masterful writer, from his descriptions of MARS, the equipment involved, to the character depth. Despite all of the technical jargon the story flows enough that even non-science fiction readers will enjoy “The Martian”.

The son of a physicist, and with a background in computer science, Weir researched to make the story realistic; studying orbital mechanics, astronomy, and the history of manned spaceflight.      

Director Ridley Scott brings “The Martian” to theaters this October, starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristin Wiig and Kate Mara. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this amazing story by reading the book first. You know the book is always better!

Rosa Schmidt, Oakland Public Library Director. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.