Maybe it was when you saw the story of the guy who sawed off his own arm to escape an inevitable death, or maybe it was the tiny green seedlings sprouting through the cracks in the pavement. Either way, it's likely that you have been amazed by the sheer resilience which life seems to have.
It’s true. In short, we are stubborn bastards, and we just don’t like to die.
The Martian is an epic tale of one man stranded on Mars, and his battle to survive the odds thrown at him. Not into Sci-fi? Doesn’t sound interesting? That’s what I thought too, until I opened the book and started reading. One line in, and I was already hooked.
By the first few chapters, I knew there was no turning back. The very pinnacle of writing, Andy Weir has masterfully woven together science, humour and thrilling suspense to produce an intense story that will have you on the edge of your seat in breathless anticipation. I have seen many books where I have been rooting for the main character, but none so much as this one.
The fact is, everyone's rooting for Mark Watney. Filled with bags of sass, a tendency to blow stuff up (ish) and an extraordinarily resourceful mind, the spirit of the man is admirable. His unquenchable thirst to explore the vast unknown, and indomitable need to survive every obstacle in his path is what sets Mark apart from the crowd.
In his wise words: “If the oxygenator breaks down, I'll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks down, I'll die of thirst. If the Hab beaches, I'll just kind of implode. If none of those things happen. I'll eventually run out of food and starve to death. So yeah. I'm f*cked. I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.”
And boy does he science it. The amount of research poured into the book has somehow made it believable, and by the end of it you’ll be wondering why no one has ever landed on the red planet yet.
Come on NASA, get with the program. I mean really, it’s all there in the book.
Most importantly, apart from being a scientific masterpiece filled with real and relatable characters, the book touches upon the very soul of what it means to be human. The relentless persistence, the sacrifice, and the basic human to help each other out when it truly matters shines through. When the entire world works together, pouring time, money and resources to save the life of one man, it's something that sends shivers down your spine, and THAT is what makes this gripping tale a must-read for everyone. . .
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