My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, my goodness! I can’t believe I didn’t write a review for this a couple days ago when I finished it. I’ve done nothing but talk about it and relive it over and over.
THIS is science fiction at it best. You can keep Star Wars and all those warring space epics. I like, I dwell in the books that are about invention, exploration, and survival. And this book took me there. Since Podkayne of Mars by Heinlein, that I read in junior high, I have been crazy about Mars. Great to finally get another Mars fix. I haven’t had one since I finished the Saving Mars series: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show….
One might think that I would be disappointed that this book is written by a male author and stars the same. But I never felt the author being chauvinistic in any way. The stranded astronaut could have easily been a female. In fact, Mr. Weir had one of the leading officers on the mission a female who attempted the impossible to find her missing shipmate. And women play important parts in trying to get the astronaut back home. It is coincidence that the left behind is a brilliant male scientist rather than a brilliant female scientist. So I was right in there relating to the main character and rooting for him the whole way.
As much as I loved the story, I loved the author’s notes at the end of the book. I felt the research that must have gone into this story. Could I prove or disprove any of it? Of course not. It all sounded reasonable. It flowed properly for a science fiction. Sci-fi authors don’t need to have their science perfectly proven. Just get the reader to believe it is possible. That is how many of the inventions we use today got here: sci-fi writers.
I think the hardest part for me to believe is how well the main character held up to being stranded alone for so long. The humor that Andy Weir played out could possibly get a person through it, but how would he be able to keep his spirits up all the time like that? But I suppose Disco and 70s sit-coms could help. At any rate, the main character, Mark Watney, remains the hero of his own life. And became a part of my heart.
I CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!!
Oh, shoot! I nearly forgot to include my thoughts of the magnificent narrator, R. C. Bray. Fantastic job!!!!
Darswords 