This is one that I've been putting off for a while. It's not my first Andy Weir book. I read Project Hail Mary as part of
Opus Sodalicum, a book club that I'm a part of. Project Hail Mary was a far-fetched scientific thriller with a big infusion of the classic alien encounter. I ate it up. I love that stuff. I could just never bring myself to pick up The Martian. Perhaps because it never had the futuristic sci-fi flare that franchises like Dune have. I also saw the movie before I read the book.. rookie mistake. Perhaps because I thought there wouldn't be any surprises (...there are).
I finished this book in less than a week. It's not short. It's just addicting. The science. The people. The hope. The despair. There's both scientific action sequences and quiet moments in which Weir deep dives into the emotions of someone who is alone on an entire planet. There's also the humor. I found myself laughing out loud several times. There's just something hilarious about Mark Watney's dry, crude humor in the face of crazy circumstances. The movie definitely ripped some jokes word-for-word, but there's a lot they left out.
The bits and drops of scientific lore and discovery are like a dopamine hit. Weir makes the story accessible. Not everyone can be a rocket scientist and a botanist like Mark Watney, but there aren't a lot of prerequisites needed to enjoy the book. Even if you don't understand all the science (I didn't), you still understand the consequences and risk of every action. That fact makes this a good jumping off point into the sci-fi genre as a whole.
The book is also an examination of loneliness through unprecedented circumstances. I know it's a just fictional story, but there's a lot to take away when it comes to mental health. And it's these moments that really make the book shine. The odds are never in Watney's favor, but he forges ahead with hard work. I read this book in parallel with
'Be So Good They Can't Ignore You' by Cal Newport. The 2 books are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. But they do share 1 message: resilience and resourcefulness is essential in the face of challenging circumstances.
Overall this book was great. Space exploration, science, hard work, hope, humor. Weir blends them all into a story that's engaging from the first to the last chapter.
Bonus pic 📷
This visual descriptions in this book reminded me a lot of my trip to Iceland. In particular, it's reminiscent the day that we spent at Landmannalaugar hiking rusty colored slopes and lava fields.
My friends Logan Wells (left), Dylan Crow (right), and me (middle) at Landmannalauger
