Engagement:
Genre:
Science Fiction
Published:
2011
Page Count:
369
Where to Buy:
The Martian
#
Content Ratings
Light Themes
Themes center on problem-solving, resilience, and the human drive to survive; emotional content involves isolation and the determination to endure but is ultimately optimistic throughout.
Mild Violence
The initial storm injures Watney and is depicted briefly; the novel's tension is entirely survival-based rather than violent; no characters are killed by other characters.
Synopsis
After a violent storm forces his crew to emergency evacuate Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is accidentally left behind and must survive on a planet with no way to contact Earth, relying on his botany and engineering skills to stretch forty-day supplies across years. Written as mission logs and narrated with relentless wit and problem-solving energy, the novel is a joyful celebration of science and human ingenuity. The most fun survival story in contemporary science fiction.