Book Impressions - The Martian by Andy Weir

This is a fantastic read, in fact I'd go so far as to say it's some of the best sci-fi I've read recently. Normally I like my science-fiction to be about big ideas, here we have a more personal drama with a lone astronaut stranded on Mars after he is presumed dead in an accident. He then has to try and survive as best he can.

It's an enthralling tale, I particularly enjoyed how he solves the problems he comes up against. It does get a little technical at times, although it is written in a way that makes the more technical aspects comprehensible. There's clearly been a lot of research into the book and that shows, it has an authentic feel to it.

More importantly the story is well written and there's some excellent humour. The main character is a joy to follow and I connected with his story. The only off moment I had with the book was a slightly preachy section right at the end. In fairness that's probably just me :-) If you like science fiction, or a good survival story then this is definitely worth a read.

Click image to purchase from Amazon

Apollo 13 meets Cast Away in this grippingly detailed, brilliantly ingenious man-vs-nature survival thriller, set on the surface of Mars.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission 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 get 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. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Click here to purchase The Martian from Amazon (and its a fantastic read)