Boys Book Club Review: The Martian

One small step for man, one giant leap for science fiction.

In honor of national space day today (yes it’s a thing), we thought that there was no better time than to read Andy Weir’s debut novel, The Martian.

With numerous accolades and an Oscar-nominated film adaptation, surely it has to be out of this world, right?

Find out as we blast off into this month’s review!

Missed our last review? See what we had to say on The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

Details

• Author: Andy Weir

• Page Count: 384 pages

• Year Released: 2011

• Genre: Science Fiction Space Thriller

• Buy The Martian at Indigo, Amazon or Bookshop.org

Plot Summary (No Spoilers… We Promise)

In the space of a week, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars and found himself stranded on the very same planet all alone.

A dust storm forces him and his crew to abandon their mission and evacuate. However, before the evacuation is completed, Watney is struck by debris and presumed dead by the remaining crew members. After surviving this ordeal, the abandoned astronaut finds himself stranded on Mars with no way of signalling his crew or people on Earth. To make matters worse, even if he could make contact with them, his supplies would be long gone by the time they arrive to rescue him. Plus, chances are the unforgiving environment or the failure of essential machinery would kill him before he even has the chance to starve to death.

In the face of this overwhelming adversity, Mark Watney isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Using his ingenuity, engineering skills, and relentless determination, Watney is committed to surviving. But will it be enough to overcome the impossible odds?

The Boys’ Reviews

David’s Review

For me, this book had a lot to live up to because another of Weir’s novels, Project Hail Mary, is one of my all-time favorites. To raise the stakes even more, I had already seen and thoroughly enjoyed the film adaptation of The Martian (directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, no less). So there was some pressure to meet, if not exceed, these expectations.

And I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint.

Weir’s in-depth knowledge of astrophysics, botany, and even engineering are all front and center in this gripping tale of one man’s survival. While the specifics and complex calculations may sometimes go over your head, they effectively serve their purpose in grounding you in a very possible future where humanity is exploring Mars.

To build on that sense of realism, Weir naturally weaves in journal-style “log entries” from the main character, Mark Watney, into the narrative. These make up a large chunk of the story and give you a front-row seat to his thoughts and struggles. In fact, it’s through these entries that Watney’s personality comes to life. He’s resourceful, driven, and incredibly optimistic, given the fact that he’s stranded on a planet with no one to help him. On top of that, his wittiness and humor bring a welcome levity to such a dire situation. As the story progresses and you spend more time with him, you can’t help but root for him to succeed.

While he undoubtedly is the most fleshed-out character in The Martian, there are other players in the story, each of which has a specific role to play. For fear of spoilers, I don’t want to say much else, but just know that some of these characters are compelling in their own right.

“Everything went great right up to the explosion.”

― Mark Watney

While there is a lot of praise to give to The Martian, it is not without its faults. Granted, they’re minor. Some small pacing issues pop up around the halfway point that slow down the momentum of the story, albeit if only for a brief moment. Additionally, the sections where you follow Watney’s traversal of Mars can be somewhat confusing to keep track of. It’s clear this was a problem for most readers, as in my version, there is a map included on one of the pages.

Outside of these minor gripes, the biggest knock against this novel is the fact that Project Hail Mary takes all these concepts and refines them to near perfection. I recognize that it may not be fair to compare it to a novel that came later, but when it comes down to it, if someone were to ask which Andy Weir novel they should read, without hesitation I would recommend Project Hail Mary.

Listen, at the end of the day, The Martian is still absolutely worth your time and attention—even if you’ve already seen the movie. The Martian may not be Weir’s seminal work, but it’s still groundbreaking in its own right and getting to read his first published novel is a treat regardless. Not too shabby for someone who had to put his book online for free after getting repeatedly turned down by literary agents.

Verdict: 👍👍👍👍

Evan’s Review

I’ll start my review off by mentioning two things.

Firstly, I was deeply offended by David’s criticism that I’ve been handing out five-star reviews like participation medals at an elementary school track meet (although he sort of has a point). Call it what you want… a slap on the wrist, a wake up call, a disturbing betrayal even. In the end, the message is loud and clear. I will rise to his challenge.

Adding to this troubling development is the fact that I like this particular book and its equally excellent movie adaptation quite a bit. So, I will be digging real deep to find the kind of Gordon Ramsey on Hell’s Kitchen level of criticism I (apparently) need. God forbid a guy enjoys the books he reads.

In any case, The Martian by Andy Weir is an excellent read for a few reasons. Perhaps at first glance you might not think that a book about an astronaut getting stuck all by himself on Mars is all that interesting. But this is where you’d be wrong.

To start, Weir knows his stuff. All of the aerospace maneuvering, mathematical calculating, and general space jargoning seem very impressive and realistic, even if some of it never quite sunk into my lesser-developed neanderthal brain. The author’s deep understanding of Mars, space travel, the required equipment for a mission of this magnitude, and the inner workings of space organizations like NASA all add a level of realism that allow readers to truly immerse themselves in the story.

However, the shining star of this book is undoubtedly its main character, Mark Watney. The astronaut is so well written that you truly feel invested in his excruciating journey to survive such an unimaginable ordeal. Watney must maintain his life support machines, supplement his dwindling food supply, endure test missions and experiments of increasing difficulty, and so much more. All of this in a situation where most human beings would likely panic and/or submit to their inevitable demise. Thankfully for the reader, Watney tackles all of these challenges with the perseverance, resourcefulness, and sense of humour that make it hard to root against him. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments for me as I read through his struggles and that’s a testament to the engaging, witty character that Weir has crafted.

“As I groggily came to, I wondered why I wasn’t more dead.”

― Mark Watney

As for negatives, there are a few aspects to nitpick. Some of the sections that include characters not named Mark Watney can feel a little more dull than the rest of the book. In most cases these parts are necessary for story building, but I did find myself hurrying through some of the less interesting sections. Also, towards the end of the book Watney travels a fair distance in his rover in what feels like a part of the tale that was drawn out for no good reason. If it’s any indication, this portion of the story is heavily cut in the movie. Neither of these are particularly detrimental to the overall experience in my opinion.

I guess my one and only true knock on this book isn’t even its fault. While this story is as good as it is for all the reasons I listed above, one of Weir’s more recent books—Project Hail Mary—does everything this one does in a bigger, better, and more satisfying way. While the first of Weir’s novels will always hold a special place in my book collection, it isn’t where I’d suggest people introduce themselves to his work.

Would I suggest you read this one? Yes. If space is your thing, this story is one of the tastiest of space nerd treats you can dive into. Don’t hesitate to take the plunge.

Verdict: 👍👍👍👍

Final Thoughts

David Closing Remarks

If it weren’t for me giving Evan a hard time about his reviews, you’d be hard-pressed to believe we’re two different people, given how much our opinions overlap. While he’s not wrong about Mark Watney being the most interesting character, I still maintain that the surrounding cast is great and adds an extra layer to the story. Perhaps it’s because I kept picturing their movie counterparts as I was reading (shoutout to Sean Bean). Chances are, if you’re reading this review, you have an interest in Andy Weir, hard sci-fi, or both—and you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for here, delivered with just the right mix of brains and humor.

Evan’s Closing Remarks

Weird flex by David shouting out the director of the film like some sort of movie snob who’s trying to show us just how much smarter he is. Speaking on behalf of our fellow book club members, we all see what you’re doing and we don’t appreciate it. All in all, there isn’t much to knock when it comes to The Martian. It’s a quick, entertaining read that scratches the reader’s space adventure itch. Even if you’ve already seen the movie, the book will actually add some extra detail that you may not have realized was missing. Grab your space suit, a snack, and enjoy.

What did you think of The Martian?

We’d love for you to jump into the conversation.

Thanks again for hanging out with the boys 🤙

- David & Evan

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Join us for next month’s read: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang