Who else has read The Martian?

[dorinda]

On the train to work this morning, I finished the audiobook of The Martian (wanted to make sure to get it read before any more advertising for this fall's Major Motion Picture), the book about the guy who gets stranded on Mars. I know

Comments

[dawnebeth]

Haven't heard of the book nor the movie trailers--sorry.

[destina]

I am only on chapter 5, so I'm bookmarking this to come back to later, so as not to be spoiled. I'm not sure I'll get through it, tho, because I'm not sure I'm science enough for this book. Or maybe I'm too science. (See: the stupidity of Interstellar.)

[dorinda]

Heh. I'll be curious to know what you think, if you do finish it (or skim ahead, or however suits you). For what it's worth, I hear the science is pretty solid, though granted I didn't go looking for detailed reactions from the Very Sciency out there.

As for me, I just kind of accepted what I was told and let the science wash over me and through me. (Though like I said, if I'd been reading it in print, I feel that would have been a lot harder!)

[destina]

I'm listening to the audiobook, too (it's an 'on the way to work/on the way home from work' book for me). Re the science, it's not whether or not it's solid, I think in this book it's more that there's so much of it, and I find it a little...boring. The audiobook narrator also doesn't thrill me, and that's part of my issue, I think. But I'll be back when I'm done!

[dorinda]

Yeah, alas, tonnnnnnns of it. I wish Weir knew that you can have character development and hard-science-procedure. Not just in the same book, but even at the same time! Like, it is possible to tuck things between the lines, and add layers and stuff. I've seen it happen, I swear. :D

[heron_pose]

Haven't read it, but I do look forward to the movie -- I have an slight Matt Damon thing, and Matt Damon in space! I'm okay with that.

[dorinda]

I think it should be a good role for him. And a good director, too, so fingers crossed!

[mollyamory]

I totally agree with you about book-Watney's lack of vulnerability - it was such a good story on principle but in that area it utterly failed in execution for me. So while I enjoyed it - a lot, even! - I can't say I loved it. I wanted to love Mark Watney, but I just liked him, and in the end I think I felt for him more than he seemed to feel for himself.

This is why like you and gwyn, I'm really happy with Matt Damon being cast for the movie, and I think he'll be able to elevate Watney to human status where the book fails to do so. I'm a big fan of the wisecrack, as you know, but I like humor best when it's used to deflect extremes of emotion -- it makes the extremes seem extreme-ier, if that makes sense. Without those extremes, the funny is funny but it's not intense; it's doesn't say anything about Watney except that he's funny.

[dorinda]

I like humor best when it's used to deflect extremes of emotion -- it makes the extremes seem extreme-ier, if that makes sense.

Yes yes yes that makes perrrfect sense. Well put. That's how I love to see it used, too, and how I wish it were being used in this book. I mean, it would be perfect. Put a wisecracker in the ultimate survival situation, and watch how the wisecracking works to deny/deflect the growing stress and horror of it all. That would really bring things home to me, even give me the chills.

But alas, no. He just has Watney joke in order to joke. Such a wasted opportunity!

There is one story on AO3 that apes the book, taking the form of some of Watney's redacted log entries. It's not perfect, but it does make the effort to show the humor as papering over cracks (including implying some real troubles adjusting back on earth). Shame Weir never wrote fanfic, to my knowledge. :D