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Author Topic:   The Martian (novel by Andy Weir)
Gilbert
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Posts: 1511
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 03-01-2014 10:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Has anyone read the fantastic novel The Martian by Andy Weir? It was just published officially but was self-published a while back. Utterly convincing.
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
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posted 03-01-2014 11:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I haven't read it yet, but Space.com has the first chapter online.

cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
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posted 03-01-2014 11:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
Oh. He dies there? That seems the most obvious outcome. The other one being that he meets the Martians (and a Martianette...) and he will return to Earth to save us all (or kick our butts).

Yeehaah. Hollywood here I come!

garymilgrom
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Posts: 2131
From: Atlanta, GA
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posted 03-01-2014 01:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's had some very good reviews, including Col. Chris Hadfield. Here's a link to the Kindle edition.

p51
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From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted 03-01-2014 10:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A pal of mine at JSC said he heard some astronauts talking about the book and how impressed they were with it.

A second pal of mine who used to teach survival classes for the USAF (and a failed applicant for the astronaut program) finished this book recently and said I HAD to read it. Got it on order from Amazon right now.

Lots of good reviews on Amazon, and when you read the bad reviews you'll find they're mostly from readers who expected a different kind of book.

p51
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From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted 04-01-2014 02:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
POTENTIAL LIGHT SPOILER ALERT!

I'm reading it right now. It starts out as a log in real time by the astronaut stranded on Mars. Then, it goes into novel mode with the NASA people once they figure out he didn't die there already. I'm about 1/3 into it now.

Darned good book!

Gilbert
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From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 04-02-2014 12:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's been a month since I finished the book and the images reading it generated are still powerful. I remember the story almost as if I'd seen a movie rather than read a book. It is a very good book.

lspooz
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Posts: 479
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Aug 2012

posted 04-02-2014 06:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lspooz   Click Here to Email lspooz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Once again I've blown more money on space items because of learning about them on collectSPACE (cf. Winco presentations, obscure Alan Bean prints, and of course the 'For Sale' section).

This is a gripping and engaging hard-science story, and quite a debut novel — I've already bought ten copies (mostly gifts, one to keep...).

The author's Facebook page is worth a look too.

freshspot
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posted 04-03-2014 08:00 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I loved "The Martian" -- it combines so many things of interest to me including (obviously) space, but also great writing and a good thriller. Highly recommended.

p51
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From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted 04-04-2014 03:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I finished it today at lunch. Man, what a nail biter once it gets going and it never lets up. It’s the kind of book where you really don’t know what's going to happen until the very end.

garymilgrom
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From: Atlanta, GA
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posted 05-19-2014 08:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Book review - Kindle edition

The Martian is an unusual book about an astronaut who is thought dead by his crewmates and is then left behind when they travel back to Earth. The remaining astronaut faces a grim task to survive or to even contact another member of the human race. The book paints an interesting picture, and is somewhat of a page-turner but is let down by being filled with the science of the astronauts trials and tribulations.

At the start it's interesting to think of X amount of food being equal to Y amount of calories, and Z amount of time in which to consume said calories against A percent of carbon dioxide building up before B percent of oxygen runs out causing C amount of water to .... well you get the picture. These calculations run throughout the book, and get in the way of us coming to know the astronaut or his inner thoughts and feelings.

The book is also filled with cuss words and not suitable for younger readers. I don't think I'm a prude but at one point I started keeping track and found one or more swear words on every page. Every rocket in the book is a big-ass rocket, every song from the 70's (a theme in the book) is a piece of **** , etc. There is just no need for this, no matter how exasperated the character, his opinions or the situation in which he finds himself.

And that's really too bad, because this is an excellent idea for a story. Perhaps we'll see part two, with more fleshed out characters and less cussing. That would be a real treat.

My overall thought - an interesting and unique story that needs some polishing and depth.

p51
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From: Olympia, WA
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posted 05-19-2014 12:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The cursing is a little off, especially from the NASA staff back in Earth. That part seemed a little strained to me that cubicle dwellers at Houston and DC would drop 'F bombs' that often. But the cursing from the surface of Mars made sense to me...

I've suggested this book to several people and the more sensitive of them got a warning on language from me.

Lunar Module 5
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Posts: 370
From: Wales, UK
Registered: Dec 2004

posted 05-29-2014 12:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunar Module 5   Click Here to Email Lunar Module 5     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Having bought "The Martian" (and am thoroughly enjoying it) I was wondering if cS members had other book ideas for reading, specifically books that are close to current or past space technology.

The one I remember from way back in the 80s is "Storming Intrepid" by Payne Harrison. I also remember reading one of Buzz Aldrin's books which described a shuttle abort at the beginning.

Any other recommendations?

p51
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From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted 05-29-2014 01:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This has a good discussion on plausible books of this type.

jiffyq58
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Posts: 221
From: Durham, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 05-29-2014 01:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jiffyq58   Click Here to Email jiffyq58     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Kim Stanley Robinson Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars) is good science fiction that is heavily rooted in real science. He wrote this in the 90s when it looked like we might send humans to Mars sooner than we are likely to do, so his dates are a little (or perhaps more than a little) off.

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
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posted 08-30-2014 06:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just finished reading "The Martian." It is excellent, one of the best fictional tales of space exploration I have ever read.

I picked up a copy of the book Thursday night. I cracked it open on Friday (staying up late reading) and I couldn't put it down today until I finished.

The book comes to a satisfying stopping point, but I could have easily continued reading.

The story Weir tells is intense, with the right blend of humor, thrill and drama. What really made it for me though, was Weir's research into the engineering and science challenges presented by the plot. This book delivered something I've always wanted: a near future tale that relies on the real challenges that Mars presents, rather than fantasy or far future concepts, to create drama.

One thing I'll add, without spoiling: there is a small detail added as part of the story that is near to the theme of this site. It brought such a smile to my face reading that one part that I knew instantly I would enjoy the remainder (and I was right).

Kite
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From: Northampton UK
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posted 10-01-2014 02:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kite     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What an excellent novel, thoroughly enjoyed it. I agree with you Robert that I could have read more but very satisfied with whole of story. Andy Weir obviously did his research very thoroughly as everything seems quite feasible. I enjoyed it even more than Ben Bova's 'Mars' and 'Return To Mars' which were also good.

Gilbert
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From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-02-2014 03:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A friend of mine just finished the novel yesterday. Today he could not stop talking about how much he enjoyed it.

fredtrav
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From: Birmingham AL
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posted 10-02-2014 04:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fredtrav   Click Here to Email fredtrav     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If anyone wants a signed copy, here is a post from Andy Weir about how to get one.

It is a little expensive having to use UPS, but it is what it is.

crash
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From: West Sussex, England
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 10-20-2014 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for crash   Click Here to Email crash     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Excellent book from start to finish. Very funny in parts but with heaps of technical stuff to keep us interested.

Don't delay, grab a copy and read it. You will not be disappointed.

Davestory
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From: United Kingdom
Registered: May 2013

posted 11-15-2014 06:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Davestory   Click Here to Email Davestory     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great book, loved it.

Ronpur
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From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012

posted 11-18-2014 09:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ronpur   Click Here to Email Ronpur     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I picked it up on Sunday and read the first half Sunday night, then finished it Monday night. I don't think I have read a book that excited me so much since I read Stephen Baxter's Voyage.

JPSastro
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Posts: 170
From: Tucson, Arizona
Registered: Jan 2009

posted 11-18-2014 09:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for JPSastro   Click Here to Email JPSastro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The book, as others have already stated, was terrific.

I also have it on Audible and that is even a better experience. Made my chemo sessions a bit more tolerable.

SpaceCadet1983
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From: Pacific NW, United States
Registered: May 2012

posted 07-01-2015 12:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceCadet1983   Click Here to Email SpaceCadet1983     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I recently picked up the book and like other members I couldn't put it down. A classic for all times!

Aztecdoug
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From: Huntington Beach
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posted 07-30-2015 03:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Aztecdoug   Click Here to Email Aztecdoug     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I picked this up and read it on vacation. Great read for me. I was really tempted to have my 11 year old daughter read it too. She wanted to read it, but I just couldn't put it in her hands considering the language. The overall content was fine, but the over use of coarse language is something that perhaps only a father would notice.

JPSastro
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From: Tucson, Arizona
Registered: Jan 2009

posted 08-03-2015 06:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for JPSastro   Click Here to Email JPSastro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Found this very interesting interview Adam Savage did in his podcast, "The Talking Room," with Andy Weir about a month ago. It's close to one hour in length. I found it very interesting at how Mr. Weir wrote this book and its back story.

Read the book and have listened to it twice on Audible, which is a great way to experience the book.

Gilbert
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Posts: 1511
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 08-09-2015 07:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for sharing the Adam Savage interview. He does a good job of getting Weir to talk about the book and he's obviously a fan. Very interesting.

WAWalsh
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Posts: 809
From: Cortlandt Manor, NY
Registered: May 2000

posted 08-26-2015 09:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for WAWalsh   Click Here to Email WAWalsh     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Picked up the book a while back, read the first few pages and decided not to buy it. The language and writing of the protagonist simply was not astronaut enough.

Ended up buying it last week and read through it very rapidly. A very good beach read.

Gilbert
Member

Posts: 1511
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-28-2015 06:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Subterranean Press just released their signed limited edition of The Martian. The 750 copy edition is over-sized and features wrap-around dust jacket artwork with high quality paper and binding. It is a very nice and beautiful book.

Gilbert
Member

Posts: 1511
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-29-2016 03:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Easton Press just announced they are publishing a signed, leather-bound edition of The Martian.

DSeuss5490
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Posts: 300
From: Columbus, Ohio USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-29-2016 04:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DSeuss5490   Click Here to Email DSeuss5490     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Easton Press edition is on their website for sale.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 51930
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-11-2024 03:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From Andy Weir (via X):
Ten years ago today that The Martian hit shelves. I owe everything that happened since then to my readers. I can't thank you enough. So, for the hell of it, I wrote some additional content for The Martian.

The Martian: Lost Sols (PDF)

Gilbert
Member

Posts: 1511
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 02-23-2024 04:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Awesome!

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