“I’m pretty much f***ed.” This is how Mark Watney feels about his situation in Andy Weir’s The Martian. Mark is a pessimistic botanist just trying to grow his plants in space. Watney’s crew has presumed him dead after he is skewered by a satellite pole when things go awry. Because of this, nobody is looking for him. He is alone on Mars with a limited food and water supply and no way to contact NASA or anyone who could help. The communications systems are broken. The next trip to Mars is not for about another one thousand five hundred days, and his food supply won’t last that long. Mark has to find a way to communicate with NASA or grow food with Mars soil. He doesn’t know how to fix these issues, that’s what the other people on the crew were for. Watney is struggling to stay alive and remain hopeful. Without any of these things, Watney dies. His rations will only last for one year unless he figures out a new food source, and the likelihood of that happening on a planet with hostile soil is limited(let alone the fact that he has nothing left to plant).

What makes this book unique is Andy Weir’s voice. He inserts pessimistic, sarcastic humor that almost makes you forget the situation Mark Watney is in. This book is perfect for readers looking for a refreshingly honest book that examines the priorities society sets and challenges the normal survival book tropes. Andy not only addresses the obvious issue of trying not to die with no way to find help, but also the enormous guilt that Watney feels about his crew and how they must be torn about his death. This sees the grief, anxiety, happiness, and pain that Watney goes through to stay alive. The writing is impeccable and Weir’s comedic timing is amazing. Andy Weir manages to carry a plot on the back of one character with no support while still having no dull moments within the book. This is an easy to read book where Weir makes the scientific language simple and understandable but doesn’t leave it out entirely. Weir was a scientist for years, so keeping it simple is an accomplishment. The Martian is a thought provoking book that shows Andy Weir’s skills as a writer.

This is the kind of book that very few people could write- it’s got a creative plot, one character, and a whole lot of pessimistic humor and a focus on detail without overdoing it.