Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
About the Author:
Andy Weir grew up in California in a scientifically minded household, the son of a physicist and an electrical engineer. That environment surrounded him with space-science books, computers, and the kind of technical curiosity that shaped both his early hobbies and his later writing. He began programming as a teenager and briefly studied computer science at UC San Diego before moving into a long career as a software engineer, working for organizations such as Sandia National Laboratories and tech companies including AOL and Blizzard.
For years he wrote fiction on the side—webcomics, short stories, and serialized novels shared online—building a small, loyal community of readers. The Martian grew out of that period, first appearing chapter by chapter on his website before being self-published and eventually launching his full-time writing career. Since then he has become a leading voice in accessible, technically grounded science fiction. He lives in California and remains deeply engaged with aerospace research, often consulting scientists and engineers to keep his stories rooted in real-world problem solving.
Description:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
About the Author:
Andy Weir grew up in California in a scientifically minded household, the son of a physicist and an electrical engineer. That environment surrounded him with space-science books, computers, and the kind of technical curiosity that shaped both his early hobbies and his later writing. He began programming as a teenager and briefly studied computer science at UC San Diego before moving into a long career as a software engineer, working for organizations such as Sandia National Laboratories and tech companies including AOL and Blizzard.
For years he wrote fiction on the side—webcomics, short stories, and serialized novels shared online—building a small, loyal community of readers. The Martian grew out of that period, first appearing chapter by chapter on his website before being self-published and eventually launching his full-time writing career. Since then he has become a leading voice in accessible, technically grounded science fiction. He lives in California and remains deeply engaged with aerospace research, often consulting scientists and engineers to keep his stories rooted in real-world problem solving.