The Martian by Andy Weir

[nhnifong]

I've just started reading this awesome book. It's about a guy who get's stranded on mars and has to deal with it. It's hard sci-fi.

I was wondering if any other kerbonauts are reading it or have read it, or would like to read it and we could discuss it here.

[RogueMason]

"I'm pretty much f*cked.

That's my considered opinion.

F*cked."

Of all the ways I've seen to open up a story, this is probably one of the best. I've just reached chapter 2, and it looks like it's going to be a good read

[Simon Ross]

Just finished the book, a very good read :-)

If you have never read it, another book in a similar vein http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shipwreck-Gollancz-SF-Charles-Logan/dp/0575019832

[ThesaurusRex]

I also just finished the book, amazing.

A movie version is in the works...and they're casting Matt Damon as Mark Watney.

I honestly think Tom Hanks is a much better fit for Mark, though. I mean come on. It's Castaway meets Apollo 13. Plenty of scenes in the book were MADE for Tom Hanks.

[lajoswinkler]

I also just finished the book, amazing.

A movie version is in the works...and they're casting Matt Damon as Mark Watney.

I honestly think Tom Hanks is a much better fit for Mark, though. I mean come on. It's Castaway meets Apollo 13. Plenty of scenes in the book were MADE for Tom Hanks.

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy??????????

[astropapi1]

I read the "demo" on the android store and absolutely loved it. Obviously Andy Weir did a lot of research on the topic, and it feels like you're actually reading the astronaut's diary. Can't wait to get the paper version though.

Me loves paper books.

[Simon Ross]

Maybe it's just me, but I simply don't see Matt Damon working as Mark Watney. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine actor, but he just doesn't work for me in the part. Personally I would go with someone like Nathan Fillion or Mark Wahlberg as they seem to have the sense of humour needed for the role

[ThesaurusRex]

Maybe it's just me, but I simply don't see Matt Damon working as Mark Watney. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine actor, but he just doesn't work for me in the part. Personally I would go with someone like Nathan Fillion or Mark Wahlberg as they seem to have the sense of humour needed for the role

Or...

TOM HANKS

[xcorps]

Thanks for the tip on the book, downloading now.

[SelectHalfling0]

I read it a few months ago. I thought it was a great read, and now all my Duna Missions are modeled after the one in the book (I even built a nuclear tug named Hermes).

[xcorps]

OK, fantastic book. Quite a whirlwind. My only gripe is thatt isn't long enough.

Damn fine story, great writing, great protagonist.

[Kerbart]

I honestly think Tom Hanks is a much better fit for Mark, though. I mean come on. It's Castaway meets Apollo 13. Plenty of scenes in the book were MADE for Tom Hanks.

But then you'd have to explain the ball. WILSON!!

Unless there's a Fedex rocket that crashed onto Duna Mars as well.

[Kerbart]

Any thoughts on the "Rich Purnell Maneuver"? I have a hard time envisioning how, after a Hohmann transfer from Mars to Earth, you could "slingshot" around Earth and go back to Mars quickly. Shouldn't they practically be on opposite sides of the Sun by then? (totally based on gut feeling, not on actual math). Or is it just me?

[ThesaurusRex]

But then you'd have to explain the ball. WILSON!!

Unless there's a Fedex rocket that crashed onto Duna Mars as well.

Mark: PathFINDER???

Pathfinder: *not responding.exe*

Mark: I'M SORRY PATHFINDER

Mark: PATHFINDER I'M SORRY

Mark: PATHFINDEEEEEER!

[xcorps]

Any thoughts on the "Rich Purnell Maneuver"? I have a hard time envisioning how, after a Hohmann transfer from Mars to Earth, you could "slingshot" around Earth and go back to Mars quickly. Shouldn't they practically be on opposite sides of the Sun by then? (totally based on gut feeling, not on actual math). Or is it just me?

They are steady accelerating with the ion drives, remember. Constantly building V.

It doesn't have to accurate, just believable.

[Radcliffe136a]

I just finished the book (tonight!) and really liked it. Funny, accurate for the most part, done with energy and style. My wife's turn next. She's the one who works with astrophysicists, we'll see that they say.

But...

It does seem odd that the rovers don't have independent communication capability. Remember the big dishes on the lunar rover? The horizon on Mars is a lot closer than it is on Earth, Mars has no distinct ionosphere, and unless they're erecting a kilometer-tall antenna at base camp, you'd be better off bouncing signals from orbiting satellites -- something that we could just about do right now.

And...

Mars' regolith is nasty stuff. Fine magnetic dust, sharp-edged fines (not quite as jagged on the microscale as the Moon, but still pretty bad) and perchlorate -- i.e. bleach -- as well as sulfur compounds just waiting to react violently with an oxygen atmosphere or with the dampness of your lungs. Going in and out will be not just wear and tear, but actually serve to introduce toxic dust. Not sure what months of exposure to that will do.

Other things too, but those are the ones which really bug me.

I also just finished the book, amazing.

A movie version is in the works...and they're casting Matt Damon as Mark Watney.

I honestly think Tom Hanks is a much better fit for Mark, though. I mean come on. It's Castaway meets Apollo 13. Plenty of scenes in the book were MADE for Tom Hanks.

First off, Hanks is a little old. Watney's clearly a young smart-alec. And Matt Damon... sigh. I mean, Aren't there lots of extremely talented actors out there?

One of the things that I really liked about the experience of reading the book is that there is, essentially, no physical description of Mark at all. What you know of him is from his journals. When they get a picture of him on the surface, he's got his mirrored visor down. He's "from Chicago" and that's about it.

As a Black/White mix myself, I kept hoping that at the end of the book he would turn out to be a black kid who made it all the way up from the south side of Chicago. You know, pull off his helmet and a massive afro pops out.

Chris Rock, anybody? He could handle the f-bombs.

[KerbMav]

So, there WAS already an old thread about it ...

[Yukon0009]

Don't necro old-ish threads.

[sal_vager]

Necro posting is not a big issue when a member adds sufficiently to a thread, which Radcliffe136a did.

Necro-moaning is an issue however, please use the "Report Post" button if you feel a thread requires moderator attention instead of derailing in future with an off-topic, contentless post, thank you

[Yukon0009]

Necro posting is not a big issue when a member adds sufficiently to a thread, which Radcliffe136a did.

Necro-moaning is an issue however, please use the "Report Post" button if you feel a thread requires moderator attention instead of derailing in future with an off-topic, contentless post, thank you

Okay, okay salvager.

[Cobalt60]

This book is amazing. Its science fiction with just enough science to believe and make you wonder...

These are the kind of things that make books great.

[Skyler4856]

Chris Rock, anybody? He could handle the f-bombs.

It would be hard to cast a comedian in a role such as watney's

[Albert VDS]

I've got it as an audiobook today. Some might not like audiobooks and rather read it, and I would agree.

But this book works great as an audiobook because of how it is presented.

It makes it seem like Mark made audio logs and you've obtained a copy of it.

At the moment I'm at chapter 2 and I had to pry myself away from it to actually get other stuff done.

If the movie is anything like this book then it's going to be as good, maybe even better, than Castaway.

[nunny]

Hey everyone, I just finished reading a really good book and thought I'd share it with you. It's called The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir. The book is about an astronaut who gets stranded alone on Mars and finds ways to survive until a rescue attempt can be made.

At first, I thought it would just be another science fiction book, but just a short way into it, I realized it was packed with all sorts of cool space science that I had learned in Kerbal Space Program! During the course of the story, there's stuff about orbital mechanics, ship rendezvous, EVAs, rovers, aerodynamics and a bunch of other stuff that I appreciated and understood more because I already knew it from KSP. I'm no astrophysicist or scientist, but the majority of the science in the book seems plausible, if not fully accurate (just like KSP!). Not to mention it was just a plain good read, with the right touch of humor and a couple of cliffhangers to keep you reading till the end.

As a gamer, I have a short attention span. I tend to lose interest in a game after a bit and then move on to something else. Then, I'll read or watch something on TV that draws me back to a game that has related subject matter and my interest in the game is renewed. This book now has me coming back to KSP (I never really left, actually) and after reading the book, I'll appreciate playing KSP all that much more.

Happy reading!

Nunny

[Bioman222]

I am currently reading that! It's really good and hilarious. Watney is such a smart alec.