From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

The Martian

Andy Weir

Start date: November 21, 2014

Finish date: December 20, 2014

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Natacha

Why we're reading this: Group discussion November 21, 2014
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What Members Thought

Feb 19, 2015 Barbara rated it liked it

3.5 stars

Mark Watney is part of a manned exploration team that's scheduled to study Mars for thirty days.

A sudden dust storm forces the team to abandon the planet on Day 6 but - due to a freak accident - Mark is believed to be dead and left behind. The book is composed largely of a series of log entries in which Mark records his day to day activities, his goal being to survive on the planet until the next exploration team arrives in four years. Of course Mark needs food, shelter, oxygen, water ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Srinivas Kowtal rated it it was amazing

A fantastic story about human survival. It is fast paced and unputdownable.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2015 Tania rated it it was amazing

Super entertaining and fast read. The science part of this sci-fi is amazingly well-researched! It taught me cool facts about space travel and made me laugh.

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2015 Meran rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, favorites, science-fiction, travel, humor, novels, culture, adventure, 2015

Warning: if seeing the "F word" in print upsets you, don't bother with this book.. Personally, I think that word is the most succinct word to describe the situation in which the protagonist finds himself. It doesn't' bother me in the least, but I know that it does affect others. There are other base words that many consider coarse as well.
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Six days. That's all it took to turn a wonderful trip for astronaut Mark Watley, (a life long un-attainable dream of mine since I first read science ...more

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Aug 24, 2015 Mark Yashar rated it really liked it

It's my understanding that pretty much everything in the book is scientifically plausible EXCEPT the initial
dust/sand storm at the beginning of the novel that causes the Ares 3 mission to be aborted and Mark Whatney to be stranded on Mars. Apparently, the atmosphere on Mars is not thick or substantial enough to
generate or sustain a sand/dust-storm with winds fast enough to cause the damage and danger that lead to
the termination of the Ares mission.

I'm looking forward to seeing "The Martian" movi ...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Jim rated it it was amazing

An excellent read for that kept me wanting more. Found myself chuckling at some of the comments the characters made. Not a alien type SciFi, but much more realistic. A very fun read or listen.

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