The Martian
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Crown Publishers
Abstract
In The Martian, the astronaut and scientist Mark Watney is presented as a crew member on the third manned mission to the planet Mars, organised by NASA in the year 2035. After a time on Mars, the crew is confronted by a dust storm that could threaten their ascent, potentially trapping them on the planet. During a hurried evacuation, Watney is injured, his spacesuit radio is disabled, and he is presumed dead, leaving the crew with no other option than to leave him behind. As he becomes aware that he is alone on the planet, Watney, relying on his engineering skills and scientific knowledge, devises an improvised greenhouse and, after NASA finds out that he is alive (through satellite images), begins modifying a rover for a journey that would take him to a rendezvous site. The novel draws on scientific research and science-based precepts to illustrate Watney’s time on Mars, carefully explaining how he manages to survive and what he must do to be successfully rescued by NASA.
Description
Keywords
space exploration , astronaut , Mars
Citation
Weir, Andy. The Martian. Crown Publishers, 2014. Additional information: The Martian was originally self-published on Andy Weir’s personal blog, in a serialised format. Afterwards, the author decided to make it available on the Amazon website, selling it for the lowest possible price ($0.99). After great success, it was re-released in 2014 by The Crown Publishing Group, which purchased the exclusive publishing rights of the novel.