Marsjanin

Writing style was very informal and blog-like, but it helped make this book a fast read. The material was interesting -- it was a series of realistic challenges and realistic solutions. However, this is less a novel and more a diary from the future with an Earth-perspective novella interwoven among some entries to stave off readers' waning interest, rather than to serve as a plot device or provide symbolism.

Despite the artless writing, it's a good book. If it weren't for the language, I would recommend that every highschool student read this to catch the contagious confidence that being an engineer gives.

The only - ONLY - complaint I have about this story is the neatness with which Watney's problems occur at his absolute apogee - i.e., something catastrophic happens ONLY when things are going exactly according to plan. It makes it a little too predictable the third time around, but it's a small complaint. Everything else about this book, I love.

A fun read, though perhaps I just happen to fall into the geeky demographic the book is aimed at. I am impressed by the many ways the author dreamed up to make his protagonist suffer to the point of dying, along with the clever ways he had Watney extricate himself from each setback. It doesn't read as a cinematic treatment at all, with all the raw details of the technology (worked out by Weir using computer simulations he wrote) set out on the page, the number of potatoes the man had to keep from starving, the path of the ground loop that nearly destroyed his chances for coming home, facts and figures that might make another reader's eyes glaze over but which seemed to cement the realism for me. So if it's true that Hollywood is putting together a blockbuster project filming this, you might want to read the original if you enjoy that kind of stuff because they're bound to strip all of it out.

Okay, this was an awesome book and I don't know how it could have been better. Oh, wait, yes I do, BUY THE AUDIOBOOK!! R.C. Bray was brilliant voice actor and from the first sentence to the last sentence he did a great job. He was thoroughly entertaining and captured the emotions of the text, which is just as brilliant. Andy Weir is now a new favorite author on my list. Bray couldn't have been as great as he was if it wasn't for a perfectly written book.

The book was absolutely the best hard science sci-fi book that I've read in a while. What makes it great is that seems to be a well researched book. The science seems to be perfect in it. I'm not an expert, hence the seems, I've read one science book discussing a mission to Mars and all the problems that can occur, which were pretty much in this book, it was just refreshing to read/hear a great science book with the all the human emotion story mixed in.

I am recommending this book to anyone who loves to read, or loves audiobooks, as this is just a great book. You don't need to be a scientist and its written as to have a wide appeal.

Wow.
Audiobook was the most efficient format for me, and after hearing this story told, I can't imagine having consumed it any other way. Incredible.

most exhilarating book I've read in years. absolutely brilliant.