“Is there life on Mars?” In “The Martian,” the question becomes: “How long will there be life on Mars?” As of a few days ago, Astronaut Mark Watney was one of the first humans recorded stepping foot on Mars, accomplishing
“Is there life on Mars?” In “The Martian,” the question becomes: “How long will there be life on Mars?” As of a few days ago, Astronaut Mark Watney was one of the first humans recorded stepping foot on Mars, accomplishing the dream that has tantalized humanity since it first landed on the moon.
But as with all dreams, reality soon follows. In the case of Mark Watney and his crew, reality materialized as the most horrific dust storm Mars had ever seen, being forced to abort their historic mission. Watney, suffering an injury attempting to reach the escape vehicle, was unable to continue on. The rest of the crew, having no evidence that Watney was still alive, and no time left to find him, were ordered to leave.
Now marooned on the desert wastelands of Mars, Watney must struggle to survive on a planet that is extreme and inhospitable to any life on its surface, utilizing whatever remnants he can find of their expedition to survive until a rescue mission comes … if he can live that long … if one comes at all. Gripping so far? We thought so!
And so have millions of other readers, including those who have now produced this book into a major motion picture out next month! What sets The Martian apart from the many Mars-based romps over the last century is The Martian is “hard-science fiction,” which means it is as scientifically accurate as possible based on our best current scientific knowledge and does not rely on science-fantasy to weave an exciting tale (two excellent examples are 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar).
Whether you are a science-fiction fan or not, readers of all types have found The Martian to be a thoroughly engaging read, and has been one of our more recent best sellers.
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Ed and Cynthia Justus are the owners of The Bookstore in Hanapepe.
