The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir is one of the most compelling and purely enjoyable science fiction novels of the past decade — the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut accidentally left behind on Mars, who must use his knowledge of botany, engineering, and chemistry to survive long enough to be rescued. Weir’s genius was to make the science real: every solution Watney finds is based on actual physics, chemistry, and biology, giving the novel a verisimilitude that transforms what could have been a conventional thriller into something genuinely exciting for readers who want their entertainment to also be educational. Watney’s voice — dry, funny, and relentlessly problem-solving — makes the novel a pleasure to read even at its most technically detailed. Published by Del Rey, The Martian is essential popular science fiction and one of the great survival stories in contemporary fiction.