Title: The Martian

Title: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir

Status: Keep

So listen. There are going to be some spoilers here. I don’t think they’re going to matter because this book is good even if you know what’s going to happen. I know some of you are thinking “Why should I read this book when I’ve seen the movie? Why should I read it if you’re going to spoil it?” Well, I’m not your boss or your mom, but this book is REALLY FUCKING GOOD. Like, I’m not a sci-fi fan AT ALL, but I had fun with this. This book is absolutely action-packed! There was NO time that I was bored reading this, even when Mark was explaining math or engineering. Every time we seemed to settle into a routine after a near-death experience, ANOTHER GODDAMN DEADLY EXPERIENCE HAPPENED!!!! Which makes sense when you’re accidentally abandoned on Mars with equipment that was only supposed to last (roughly) a month and you have to make it last over a year. Sitting with the knowledge of having finished the book, I actually like to think that the movie is what in-book Hollywood came up with. (Commander Lewis is still agog that the movie sent her out into space in the movie.)

Also the more I think about it, the more we need to get young men to read this. So many times it feels like a book about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and doing for yourself. But every time when you start to internalize that, Mark is there to sucker-punch you with, “No. I couldn’t do this without help.” He isn’t an island. He is LONELY. He misses people. There’s a scene where he says “I thought I would have reacted this other way after making contact with people. Instead I came inside and I bawled like a baby.” and that scene is SO IMPORTANT TO ME. Humans are, for the most part, social creatures, and from the get-go Mark is in survival mode. He doesn’t have time to really internalize how lonely and sad he is, until that moment he makes contact, and he realizes how lonely and sad he’s been. And men need to see to internalize this. It’s so heavily suggested throughout the book, but it’s really nailed home in the last chapter. WE NEED EACH OTHER. I NEEDED OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY HELPED ME WITHOUT HESITATION AND THAT’S WHAT BEING HUMAN IS ABOUT.

This book constantly hammers home that to really succeed, people need other people. NASA was working around the clock to figure out a way to extend Mark’s life expectancy so that the next Mars expedition could rescue him. People gave up things they’d been working on for other projects to make sure they had everything they needed for Mark. China saved the fucking day when they didn’t have to and even after all the enmity between countries. Mark’s team committed mutiny to come get him. Millions, BILLIONS of dollars spent to bring one man home. This book is about the indomitable human spirit, yes, but not just Mark’s. Every. Single. Person in this book would not accept defeat. And that means something. I finished this book, closed it, and wept. Despite all odds, Mark survived. And he couldn’t have done it alone. And he makes sure to tell us that before he even leaves to finally take a shower after over fifty days without one.