The Martian: A Novel

Andy Weir

Feb 2014 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man’s struggle to survive. From the author of Project Hail Mary comes “a hugely entertaining novel that reads like a rocket ship afire” (Chicago Tribune).

“Brilliant . . . a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years . . . utterly compelling.”—The Wall Street Journal

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.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE

“As gripping as they come . . . You’ll be rooting for Watney the whole way, groaning at every setback and laughing at his pitchblack humor. Utterly nail-biting and memorable.”—Financial Times

Ratings and reviews

Such a great read! Science fiction at its finest, exploring both the mechanical and social aspects of a major scientific catastrophe. The main character is a sarcastic delight, both an optimist and a realist, and listening to him solve problems as they arise was a great choice for perspective. I laughed so much in this book. I've read the other 2 novels from Andy Weir (I know, right? Out of order.) and this was really great. Hard to say whether this or Project Hail Mary is my favorite.

I don't read books often but this one is different. I first heard about it when my dad said "hey have you heard about this book called the Martian? it's a great book and I think you would like it." gotta say... I wasn't dissatisfied. great plot and great book the only takeaway is that it starts on sol 6 rather than the day he gets hit (mentioned later in the book). Otherwise no complaints. I've read it three times and haven't decided to stop a must read.

Mark Watney’s Martian chronicles are a high stakes masterclass in using science to find your way out of a dead end. Andy Weir perfectly balances dense technical ingenuity with a dry, resilient wit that makes you cheer for every potato grown and every rover mile gained. It’s a survival story that’s as hilarious as it is harrowing. Disco sucks.

About the author

ANDY WEIR was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel.